Northern Light
Superstar
New to the AIC is this application for the above noted address for a 16s residential building. This property is on the east side of warden, approximately 700M south of St. Clair Ave East and 2 lots south of the Choice Properties application at 685 Warden which we've been following here at UT.
Currently, the site is home to a TD Canada Trust branch:
The App:
app.toronto.ca
From the Docs:
West Elevation:
North Elevation:
Site Plan:
Ground Floor:
Parking Ratio: ~.54
Comments:
Height should be quite do-able, and, in fact would defy the @project end rule of always upping the ante on what you neighbour is asking for.........as they've come in well below the peak-height on the Choice properties site.
The architecture itself is meh, but IBI has done worse.
The retail design is again poor for most retail forms, being wide and shallow, and may be subject to lots of window film as a result.
The Parking ratio seems high for a site along a road with frequent bus service and an easy walk to Warden Station for most. The only knock currently, is the absence of a grocer within walking distance; something that Choice should be addressing on their site, but did not, in their initial iteration.
Landscape along the Warden frontage is essentially absent with zero trees proposed.
To my eye, the under ground utilities don't seem that big of an obstacle currently, and I'm assuming this has to do with the low-slung wires on the current above-grade utility poles.
I would prefer to see said wiring buried, absent that, these poles are very tall, and I think the low-slung wires should be able to be re-strung higher with tree-proof wiring, and thus allow trees below.
A further alternative would be set the building just a smidge further back so that the the trees could be placed to the east of the wiring.
Currently, the site is home to a TD Canada Trust branch:
The App:
Application Details
app.toronto.ca
From the Docs:
West Elevation:
North Elevation:
Site Plan:
Ground Floor:
Parking Ratio: ~.54
Comments:
Height should be quite do-able, and, in fact would defy the @project end rule of always upping the ante on what you neighbour is asking for.........as they've come in well below the peak-height on the Choice properties site.
The architecture itself is meh, but IBI has done worse.
The retail design is again poor for most retail forms, being wide and shallow, and may be subject to lots of window film as a result.
The Parking ratio seems high for a site along a road with frequent bus service and an easy walk to Warden Station for most. The only knock currently, is the absence of a grocer within walking distance; something that Choice should be addressing on their site, but did not, in their initial iteration.
Landscape along the Warden frontage is essentially absent with zero trees proposed.
To my eye, the under ground utilities don't seem that big of an obstacle currently, and I'm assuming this has to do with the low-slung wires on the current above-grade utility poles.
I would prefer to see said wiring buried, absent that, these poles are very tall, and I think the low-slung wires should be able to be re-strung higher with tree-proof wiring, and thus allow trees below.
A further alternative would be set the building just a smidge further back so that the the trees could be placed to the east of the wiring.
