Toronto 290 Old Weston Road | 98.55m | 29s | i-Squared | TACT Architecture

It's currently an E / Employment parcel so immediately you're into an OPA 231 challenge. Not sure if the houses / R / Neighbourhoods designation right on Old Weston could force an OPA 320 challenge, but that's possible too. The site is outside of OPA 84, but I would imagine things like the NRT emissions plume would still apply here. I have a map of affected areas for that but can't remember where it is at the moment. It's also tight up into the rail corridor so the 25m setback will be challenging to accommodate.

It's going to be a long and difficult ride for these folks.
 
Amare said:
29 Stories is far too aggressive here, and it would easily tower over everything in the area by miles.

Doesnt help that the traffic flow in the area is a complete mess as well.
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ProjectEnd said:
It's currently an E / Employment parcel so immediately you're into an OPA 231 challenge. Not sure if the houses / R / Neighbourhoods designation right on Old Weston could force an OPA 320 challenge, but that's possible too. The site is outside of OPA 84, but I would imagine things like the NRT emissions plume would still apply here. I have a map of affected areas for that but can't remember where it is at the moment. It's also tight up into the rail corridor so the 25m setback will be challenging to accommodate.

It's going to be a long and difficult ride for these folks.
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They'd be counting on the site's proximity to the coming St Clair GO station to make the case for the height, no?

42
 
To translate above:

OPA 231 is employment use protections, and also served as the last municipal comprehensive review.

Dougies changes to the Planning Act means they don't need an once every 5 years municipal comprehensive review (MCR) anymore to convert this now. Should be helpful for them, especially since I think this is a very valid employment conversion request. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already been converted as a part of the last MCR (OPA 231), and just hasn't been updated in the city's mapping yet. I know there are quite a few properties that have been converted that aren't yet reflected in the mapping.

OPA 320 is about preserving "neighbourhoods" character. I don't imagine it'll have *too* much influence here, given that the lands are designated employment. Probably will see the city try to lean on it for transition though.

OPA 84 is the avenues study for along St Clair that permits mid-rises. This is fairly far south of St. Clair, so again, not too much influence I don't think.

I fully expect them to lean heavily on the changes to the Planning Act and Growth Plan which push density around transit stations. This is right next to the planned new GO station at St. Clair, so they are fully going to push an MTSA designation as the justification.

What will be interesting here is how they accommodate the planned Davenport Road extension through the site.
 
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W. K. Lis said:
Maybe there's someone in the MTO dungeons working on the 400 south extension? From link. Wouldn't the extension replace the Old Weston Road bridge? Thankfully it didn't happen. Then again...

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09a7b33f3f217001efe37e3c5eae4ee6

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The Old Weston Road bridge was closed in the early 1970's. It was demolished in 1983. See link.
47_big.jpg


Examining the dates of the 400 extension planning maps, the thinking was that the 400 extension would have it's own w-i-d-e bridges (plural) and traffic lanes to take over from Old Weston Road, Keele Street, and Weston Road. Since that never happened, it is time for the Old Weston Road bridge to return.
 
innsertnamehere said:
To translate above:

OPA 231 is employment use protections, and also served as the last municipal comprehensive review.

Dougies changes to the Planning Act means they don't need an once every 5 years municipal comprehensive review (MCR) anymore to convert this now. Should be helpful for them, especially since I think this is a very valid employment conversion request. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already been converted as a part of the last MCR (OPA 231), and just hasn't been updated in the city's mapping yet. I know there are quite a few properties that have been converted that aren't yet reflected in the mapping.

OPA 320 is about preserving "neighbourhoods" character. I don't imagine it'll have *too* much influence here, given that the lands are designated neighbourhoods. Probably will see the city try to lean on it for transition though.

OPA 84 is the avenues study for along St Clair that permits mid-rises. This is fairly far south of St. Clair, so again, not too much influence I don't think.

I fully expect them to lean heavily on the changes to the Planning Act and Growth Plan which push density around transit stations. This is right next to the planned new GO station at St. Clair, so they are fully going to push an MTSA designation as the justification.

What will be interesting here is how they accommodate the planned Davenport Road extension through the site.
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Thanks @innsertnamehere. Can you find a copy of the NRT plume-affected areas? I can't seem to locate mine.
 
interchange42 said:
They'd be counting on the site's proximity to the coming St Clair GO station to make the case for the height, no?

42
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innsertnamehere said:
To translate above:

OPA 231 is employment use protections, and also served as the last municipal comprehensive review.

Dougies changes to the Planning Act means they don't need an once every 5 years municipal comprehensive review (MCR) anymore to convert this now. Should be helpful for them, especially since I think this is a very valid employment conversion request. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already been converted as a part of the last MCR (OPA 231), and just hasn't been updated in the city's mapping yet. I know there are quite a few properties that have been converted that aren't yet reflected in the mapping.

OPA 320 is about preserving "neighbourhoods" character. I don't imagine it'll have *too* much influence here, given that the lands are designated neighbourhoods. Probably will see the city try to lean on it for transition though.

OPA 84 is the avenues study for along St Clair that permits mid-rises. This is fairly far south of St. Clair, so again, not too much influence I don't think.

I fully expect them to lean heavily on the changes to the Planning Act and Growth Plan which push density around transit stations. This is right next to the planned new GO station at St. Clair, so they are fully going to push an MTSA designation as the justification.

What will be interesting here is how they accommodate the planned Davenport Road extension through the site.
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Unfortunately I think that's exactly what the excuse they will be using to push this crazy density load here. Which is something I think is completely asinine: so as long as there is some kind of a vague mention of a new transit station being built, developers can shoot for the moon and get their developments likely approved by the OMB, ahem I mean "LPAT".

Developers might as well pick out a fantasy map, such as the one below, and use that as their case for building 25+ stories anywhere at this point:

1595255247651.png

Courtesy: Bryan Bonnici
 
^As far as transit funding goes in Ontario, dont believe something will be built until there are shovels in the ground. We've seen case after case of plans coming and going, even after being funded partially/fully.

I'm optimistic the St.Clair station will be built eventually, but when that is at this point is really anyone's guess. Could be 5 years, 10 years, 25 years...who knows anymore.
 
I'd forgotten about the Davenport extension! Thanks for the reminder @innsertnamehere

Here's a look at the applicable graphic from the St. Clair West Transportation Master Plan showing area changes to the road grid.

I've circled the development site we're discussing.

1595258045795.png


The proposed alignment of Davenport clearly passes between the railway corridor and the interior portion of these lands.

What a tight squeeze!

My read is that the Davenport extension requires the homes at 236-246 Old Weston Rd.

The ROW of the existing Davenport, sidewalks inclusive is just shy of 18M.

That's almost an exact match for the width of 294, from the railway to the lot line with 290.

So this proposal has to be 290 only to allow for the Davenport Extension.

1595258836792.png
 
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Incorporating the Davenport road extension into the site will be a good way to get on the City's good graces for the other OPA challenges.

The road extension also resolves the rail corridor setback constraint for the site.
 
W. K. Lis said:
The Old Weston Road bridge was closed in the early 1970's. It was demolished in 1983. See link.
47_big.jpg


Examining the dates of the 400 extension planning maps, the thinking was that the 400 extensions would have it's own w-i-d-e bridges (plural) and traffic lanes to take over from Old Weston Road, Keele Street, and Weston Road. Since that never happened, it is time for the Old Weston Road bridge to return.
Click to expand...
I think the only thing in the way now is a small city pumping station. But it could probably be moved and/or the road routed around it.
 
JasonParis said:
Off-topic, but does anyone know who Bryan Bonnici is and where I could get a high-rez version of this? I'd also love to have him alter it to match the Ontario Line routing.
Click to expand...
Here's a higher res version:

1595288402950.png


And alternative res-versions:
Alternative Resolutions


And his flickr page:

Bryan Bonnici

Explore Bryan Bonnici's 543 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
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