Adelaide, Richmond get denser

Residents and developers are once again at odds over proposals for two west-end high rises that fail to meet zoning bylaws. Both projects appear to be on the way to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) for a final decision.

A few dozen concerned residents and building owners attended a Sept. 9 consultation meeting headed by Councillor Joe Cressy.

The first item on the agenda was a community consultation on two distinct development applications for 263 and 283 Adelaide St. W. in the Entertainment District.

The Site and Area Specific Policy (SASP) for the Entertainment District—a designated regeneration area—allows for three tall buildings on the block bounded by John St., Adelaide St. W., Duncan St. and Richmond St.

Residents feel the applications—both of which were submitted in 2012—will clutter the block while setting precarious precedents in an area that is supposed to be protected as a Heritage Conservation District (HCD).

While Cressy tried to determine the community’s answer to the question “Is this area livable?” what emerged was dismay at the gall of applicants and despair at the lack of potency of the HCD.

The SASP instructs buildings must be set apart by at least 20 metres, and may not be taller than the TIFF building, which stands at 157 metres. The 42-storey, 328-unit proposed building at 263 Adelaide would only be six metres from the adjacent lot, while at 283 Adelaide the setback is a mere .5 meters.

Despite ignoring the zoning bylaws and the guidelines set in place by the SASP and HCD, both proposals are going through the same process as any other applicants: the community is consulted, recommendations are made and the applicant can return with any changes. The OMB will ultimately have the final say.

“I want to be optimistic about things here, but nothing in these meetings…everyone is just cynical because they say one thing and do another,” said Sheila Stowell, a local resident in attendance. “The city is totally in the hands of developers; the city tries to do what it can but can’t really do very much. What we need to see is the HCD be more established. It needs more teeth than we got now.”

The proposal will be back for another consultation meeting in October after the mostly negative feedback has been processed by the city and the developer.

Immediately following the Adelaide Street meeting, a community consultation on the proposed development for 452-458 Richmond St. W. was held.

City planners do not support the application for an 18-storey 61.5-metre-tall building that exceeds the height restrictions west of Spadina. The first two floors of the building would be allocated to retail uses with a possible restaurant below grade. Only three parking spaces would be available along with bicycle parking.

Nearly 100 of the 135 units would be studios. The rest would be 1- or 2-bedroom units. No 3-bedroom or family sized units are planned despite a city requirement that at least 10% of the units accommodate families.

“It’s an impossible task,” remarked one attendee.

Cressy better summed up the sentiment of the evening. “We are dealing with a fundamentally flawed planning process with OMB. We have an OMB that needs to be abolished.” He added, “Not everyone gets a tower.”

Posted On: October 01, 2015