WLHA Infill Development Policy  

Guidance as to when the WLHA writes letters of objection to the Committee of Adjustment:

• Lot splits (below 30’) west of Botham Ave.
• Houses of more than 2 storeys
• Building types other than detached single family homes
• Coverage beyond 32%
• Excessive roof or sidewall height
• Narrow side-yard setbacks on wide lots
• Excessive 2nd floor balconies or decks
• Removal of significant mature trees from the front yard
• Removal of significant mature trees on private property which could be protected by feasible mitigating measures during construction (i.e. no “clear-cutting”)

We may choose not to write a letter in cases when we have seen a pattern of the C of A granting similar variance requests routinely in past (i.e. 2 storeys above at-grade garage)

Lot Splits

• Narrow (20-25’) lots have been part of the character of the neighbourhood since the initial development in the 1920s, but only near Yonge and near Sheppard Ave
• Balance of neighbourhood developed in the 1950s on wider lots
• East of Botham Road, lot splits (50’-> 2x 25’ lots) are routinely granted
• Past experience suggests that 2x50’ -> 3x33’ can happen anywhere in the neighbourhood
• Debate about what to do on Bogert Ave:  lot split at 99 Bogert (just west of the line of Botham but east of Beaman) was granted by OMB 

 

21-23 Franklin:  Lot Split Extreme

• Two lots to be split into SIX lots facing Linelle
• Detached houses on 22’ lots with 38% coverage
• Precedent?
• Proponent will go to OMB
• Residents on Linelle object
• WLHA will object unless lot width and coverage are reduced
• No public meeting date announced yet

 

 

 

 

 

57 Linelle: 25 Townhouses

• Application made in 2013
• Delayed by problems with MTO requirements for the property?
• No recent news

 

Neighbourhood Design Template

• Official Plan suggests that new/infill development should “respect the existing physical character of the neighbourhood”, but doesn’t define what that means
• City created city-wide template which will generate neighbourhood specific guidelines, supposed to provide guidance so new builds fit better into the existing “built form”
• Willowdale (our side of Yonge only) and Long Branch are test sites
• WLHA participated in advisory group
• Some want to make this into “architectural controls”- limiting which finishes etc. can be used on the exterior of new homes
• Guidelines may not be enforceable anyway- can’t prevent building something which is otherwise consistent with the bylaws
• Results supposed to be available now, but aren’t
• Target for implementation: early 2017

 

 

Sheppard West Secondary Plan

(www.toronto.ca/sheppardstudy)

• Sept. 7th public meeting was poorly attended by the community, but well attended by the people who own properties on Sheppard
• Draft recommendations:
  • No expansion to the planning boundary planned
  • Change of land use from “commercial only” to “mixed use”
  • Mid-rise guidelines similar to those in place on other city Avenues
  • 4 storey buildings, sloped to rear, w/mechanical “penthouse”
• WLHA supports the draft recommendations
• Draft Official Plan amendment to go to NY Community council late fall 2016
• Draft Zoning Bylaw expected spring 2017

 

 

53-63 Sheppard-Bogert proposed development
 

• KEY ISSUE:  we do NOT want the boundary of our neighbourhood to be changed, expanding mass-scale development INTO our neighbourhood  
• Build-out of remaining sites on the south side of Sheppard to this density would add roughly 2,000 new units, turn Sheppard into a condo canyon and Bogert into an access road for traffic avoiding left turns on Sheppard.
• Goes to OMB July 7, 2017- WLHA will be there!

Shown below is the 11-14 storey building boundary expansion.

245-255 Sheppard/250-258 Bogert

• proposal made to City for 11 storey condo on Sheppard plus block of 3-storey “townhomes” along Bogert, with underground parking beneath entire site
• 98 condo units and 7 townhouses in place of what was once only six or seven home lots…
• Bookend to the 53-63 Sheppard/Bogert application- same issues at play
• Expect public meeting sometime in November/December
• OMB hearing likely in early 2018

 

 

4800 Yonge St.  (SW corner Yonge/Sheppard)

• Menkes wants to build 49 storey tower on 5 storey commercial podium (glass box)
• Change of land use from 100% commercial to 20% commercial/80% residential with 536 residential units
• Combined with Hullmark (685), Emerald (364) and Sheppard Centre (~400), that’s 1985 units on basically one streetcorner 
• our neighbourhood has 1000 homes for comparison…
• WLHA objects to land use change and residential density
• Insisting on a wind study done- Nestle building already generates a wind tunnel!
• Concerns about the featureless 5 storey glass block walls of the podium