For as long as developers have been making overly ambitious applications to build condos along the Sheppard Subway line, there’s been one question that has never changed. Early on in the community meeting, someone always asks “How can there be enough infrastructure to support this much population growth?”
You were right to ask this question. There’s an important report coming to North York Community Council next week concerning this issue in our ward. In a nutshell, it says that the City has fallen behind on necessary infrastructure upgrades to support the planned developments along Sheppard Avenue.
A rendering of the Ontario Municipal Board approved plan for Amexon at 1200 Sheppard Ave E, one of many new developments planned on Sheppard between Bayview and Leslie.
At community meetings, staff have always explained that the City collects development charges (DCs) on a per-unit-of-housing basis. These charges are used to upgrade and enhance infrastructure such as roads, transit, water and sewer systems. DC rates are reviewed and increased periodically to keep pace with the changing costs of infrastructure.
Staff now report that earlier this year, while reviewing the Sheppard Subway secondary plan, they determined that our capital infrastructure plan has fallen behind the pace of growth in this area. Toronto Water and Engineering staff are asking Council to place an official hold on all approved developments between Bayview Ave and Leslie St. This hold means that developers will not be able to obtain their approved building permits until Toronto Water can complete an extensive sewer upgrade at the collection point under the intersection of Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue.
City staff have already started to prepare for the work that needs to be done. If you live in the immediate area, you will have already received a notice of the work in the mail. If you use the parking lot at Leslie and Sheppard to access the Don River Trail and all of its tributaries, you may have noticed that part of it is already fenced off. When the work begins, this parking lot and washroom will be closed and signage will indicate a number of other entrances to the trail system.
An aerial view of Sheppard Avenue East.
Some of us might have a cynical reaction to this news and want to proclaim “I told you so!” to every developer and staff person who has overseen these projects. Instead, what if we decide to take solace from this news, even if the development community doesn’t? It feels good to know that City staff properly monitor and gauge our water and sewer systems to ensure they’re delivering the necessary levels of service. Staff said they would increase the capacity of these systems as the area grew, and now they are taking extreme measures to make good on that promise.
From the perspective of the developers who already have approvals for their projects, this sewer upgrade should have been done earlier. I have no doubt they will have lengthy discussions with City Planning and City Legal. However, engineers are clear that no new toilets should be flushed in this area until after their work is done.
While this report is coming to North York Community Council, and pertains to some very local sites, it will also be going on to City Council in July. It should serve as a cautionary tale for every member of Council.
Often, we rush through our Capital Program at budget time, quickly scanning to see what’s being done in our wards and ignoring everything else. As the oversight body, the Mayor and Council must always ask the essential question, “What’s in this year’s plan to service growth? Where we are increasing infrastructure capacity to support our growing population?” Then, we need to give the managers of our Capital Infrastructure Program the time and resources to consistently track our rapid growth so they are always able to keep up with the pace of development in our city.
There are two other final reports from City Planning at North York Community Council next week: one for a 12-storey building at 699 Sheppard Ave E (the old Canada Post building) and the other for Lansing Square, the large site at Sheppard and Victoria Park.
A preliminary rendering of 699 Sheppard, showing the staggered south side of the building.
At 699 Sheppard, City Planning is recommending that Council approve the revised application, subject to a number of conditions. Over the past two years, City Planning has gone back and forth with the applicant to reduce the height and traffic impact of the site. To reduce height impacts, Planning has worked to stagger the south side of the building that faces the single-family neighbourhood south of Sheppard. City Planning has also suggested reducing resident parking to limit traffic impacts. With the site less than 200m from Bessarion Station, the intention is to attract residents who will choose transit over getting in the car. This development will generate around $1 million in Section 37 funds that we can use to enhance community facilities in the neighbourhood.
The report for Lansing Square is a little more complicated. This is the first application to come in under the ConsumersNext Secondary Plan that was made in collaboration with City staff, local businesses, and residents of Brian Village and Wishing Well. Here’s an overview of the current application:
This application proposes a comprehensive redevelopment of a master planned community that is comprised of a new 18 storey commercial office building, six residential buildings with heights of 40 storeys (Tower A), 30 storeys (Tower B), 25 storeys (Tower C), 35 storeys (Tower D), 6 storeys (Building F), 4 storeys (Building G).
This master planned community would also include 3,336.7 square metres of retail space in Towers A to D, a 4,843 square metre public park, three new public streets, two privately owned, publicly accessible open spaces ("POPS"), and the creation of 160 affordable housing rental dwelling units. The two existing two-storey office buildings are proposed to be demolished and the existing eight-storey and twelve-storey office buildings are to remain.
A rendering of the proposed developments at Lansing Square.
It's a significant proposal, but one that largely fits within the community vision that's outlined in the ConsumersNext Plan. If approved, it will be several years before new residents are ready to move in. In the meantime, I will continue to call on the Provincial government to change course and accelerate their plans for a subway extension along Sheppard Ave E that would service this new community.
Finally, two last items of note for Don Valley Northerners at this NYCC meeting:
A status update on the Sheppard Avenue East Review, which will look at the current policies that guide development between Bayview and Leslie. City Planning will be doing more engagement with the community in coming months on this important study.
In response to requests from many parents in the Zion Heights Middle School community, we'll be looking to make sure that Leslie Street is added back and prioritized for speed limit reductions as part of Vision Zero. This will bring the limit down to 50 km/h, as it will be on all major arteries. We've had a couple of close calls with kids over the last few years, so it's past time we make this stretch of our roads safer for all.
The many notable items at NYCC this month show the pace and scope of development here in Don Valley North. We have to work within the Province’s development framework and growth plan, but rest assured that City staff and I are keeping a close eye on every proposal being made to ensure that our community and infrastructure can keep up with this growth.