Dear Esteemed Elected Officials, City Planning Staff, and Representatives of RioCan,
I am writing to you today as an immediate and deeply concerned resident of the Eglinton-Lawrence community regarding the unprecedented and excessive density proposed for the 490 Lawrence Avenue West redevelopment (Application No. 25 173118 NNY 08 OZ).
This application proposes a massive redevelopment featuring seven 12 to 40-storey mixed-use towers and a 6-storey mid-rise building, encompassing a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 207,637 square metres and a staggering Floor Space Index (FSI) of 5.7. While our community is not opposed to responsible change, the current proposal will inflict irreparable harm on our neighbourhood, making the area unlivable.
The core, unaddressed concerns that must lead to a formal refusal are:
1. Irresponsible Density and Infrastructure Overload
The proposed density, featuring 2,693 dwelling units and an FSI of 5.7, is grossly inappropriate for this location.
- This site is located on an Arterial Road that is not an established urban node or Protected Major Transit Station Area (PMTSA).
- Planning guidelines dictate that developments along Avenues / Arterial Roads (Mid-Rise) should fall within the 1.5 to 3.0 FSI range.
- The developer's proposed 5.7 FSI is nearly double the appropriate density for a mid-rise context and is instead characteristic of a High-Density Mixed-Use Area.
2. Traffic Chaos, Unacceptable Parking Shortfall, and Transit Misrepresentation
The proposed density will generate severe gridlock at the Bathurst and Lawrence intersection, crippling emergency vehicle access and overall mobility. Current rush hour traffic at and around this intersection is already excessive and unmanageable, and this proposal will only exacerbate the long-term traffic issues.
- The two levels of below-grade parking provide only 1,298 vehicular parking spaces for 2,693 new units plus the retail component, endangering the hundreds of jobs created by the existing plaza.
- The site is NOT readily accessible by transit and sits beyond the MTSA radius. Attempting to use the Planning Act's prohibition on requiring parking in MTSAs is a blatant misapplication of planning law to justify insufficient parking.
- More vehicular parking, and specifically essential grade-level parking, is critical.
3. Destruction of the Unique Retail Ecosystem
The current Lawrence Plaza houses a vital and irreplaceable kosher food and service ecosystem that serves the entire Jewish community across Toronto. This includes Toronto’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, United Bakers Dairy Restaurant—a beloved institution and cultural landmark. This ecosystem is a cultural and logistical necessity that provides hundreds of local jobs. The proposed retail GFA of 11,829 square metres fails to adequately or equitably accommodate these existing, required tenants.
4. Student Safety and Educational Capacity
This proposal presents a direct threat to the safety and educational quality for local families:
- Construction Safety Risk: With over 20 schools within 2 km of the site, the prolonged, immense disruption caused by years of high-rise construction will pose a significant safety risk to the high volume of commuting students.
- Long-Term Safety Threat: The safety issue extends beyond the 3-5 years of construction. Bringing thousands of new residents and cars into this area, where hundreds of kids walk to school daily, poses a long-term safety threat and could change the nature of this low-crime neighbourhood.
- School Capacity Crisis: The existing schools in the area do not have the capacity to absorb the population increase from 2,693 new dwelling units. Approving this hyper-density without a concrete plan for new educational facilities will immediately lead to severe overcrowding.
5. Community Amenities and Site Planning
While the application includes a 3,993.5 square metre on-site parkland dedication and a mid-block woonerf, these amenities do not compensate for the fundamental damage caused by the hyper-density and infrastructure failures. Furthermore, this park provides no real benefit to the area as there is already a large park two blocks away at Prince Charles.
6. Urgent Call to Action for Each Recipient
The deadline for City action is December 4, 2023, after which the developer can appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). I request that each of you, in your respective roles, take the following urgent action:
- To Mayor Chow, Councillor Colle, and City Planning Staff (Ms. Charkow/Registrar): You must issue a formal Notice of Refusal to RioCan before the December 4th deadline. The refusal must specifically cite the FSI of 5.7 (when 1.5 to 3.0 is appropriate), the failure to address student safety and school capacity, and the inappropriate application of MTSA principles.
- To Premier Ford and MPP Cooper: I urge you to intervene and support your constituents by examining the powers of the OLT to ensure local planning integrity is not overridden on a project that fails to address critical local infrastructure (like school capacity and traffic).
- To RioCan Representatives: We demand you immediately revise your proposal to significantly reduce the overall density and height, bringing the Floor Space Index (FSI) into the appropriate 1.5 to 3.0 range. Furthermore, the revised plan must address all safety and capacity concerns and preserve the essential retail ecosystem.
While our community is not opposed to responsible change, the current proposal will inflict irreparable harm on our neighbourhood, making the area unlivable.
I trust that you will treat this matter with the utmost urgency and seriousness it deserves. Please confirm what steps you are taking to address these critical issues before the December 4th deadline.
Sincerely,
