City-Initiated Official Plan Amendment for Ossington Avenue
By Lucas on Nov 21, 2013
On Nov. 19, Toronto and East York Community Council reviewed a City-initiated Official Plan Amendment regarding the section of Ossington Avenue between Dundas Street West and Queen Street West.
The item was adopted without amendment. City Council will review on Dec. 16 before any decisions are finalized.
The recommendations and findings of the proposed policy are based on the Ossington Avenue Planning Study. Most of the changes simply reinforce existing permissions, but emphasize streetscape, heritage, character of street, and transition to adjacent residential uses.
The report recommends a four-storey height limit for the majority of the street, but allows an exception of five-storeys for an unspecified section of land on the east side of Ossington.
Currently, the only condo development that this amendment would affect is 109OZ by Reserve Properties, which is proposed for the east side of Ossington, just south of Argyle Street.
As you may know, 109OZ has been jumping through hoops with a few locals who don’t believe that the development is the right fit for the neighbourhood - UPDATE: According to @OssingtonCA, a "community survey showed near unanimous against. - This past summer, City Council publicly backed the locals, opposing 109OZ.
Perhaps this amendment is the compromise everyone has been waiting for. The current design of 109OZ features six storeys, but maybe a change will be made or the City will allow for the extra storey (assuming the building is located in that unspecified area allowing for five storeys).
We would love to see 109OZ get over this hurdle with the locals and City Council because we really do like the design and think that it will be a great addition to the blossoming Ossington neighbourhood.
A more detailed plan for this section of Ossington would open the doors to other developers to present proposals for mid-rise boutique condos. With the opening of new restaurants, bars, and shops over the past few years, the street has become a hub of excitement for true downtowners. We can definitely see Ossington being an attractive place to purchase or invest, even for first-time homebuyers.
