City Approves Settlement for 14-Storey Building

Summary#

City Council approved directions to settle a planning appeal for 4174 Dundas Street West (near the Humber River) before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The settlement is based on a revised plan for a 14‑storey residential building with 107 units (reduced from 15 storeys and 117 units). Council also added clear parking advisories for future buyers and tenants. The aim appears to be to resolve the appeal while securing design changes, protecting the adjacent ravine lands, and ensuring services and school capacity are in place.

Key points:

• Main change: authorize the City Solicitor to settle the OLT appeals on a revised 14‑storey, 107‑unit building with lower height and fewer units.
• Keep a “holding (H)” condition on the zoning so the project cannot proceed until road improvements, infrastructure, servicing, and school capacity are available.
• Protect and convey ravine lands (below the long‑term stable top of slope plus a 10 m buffer) to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), zone them as Natural/Open Space, and restore/renaturalize them.
• Require a 0.4‑metre road widening along Dundas Street West and cash‑in‑lieu of parkland (paid before the first above‑grade building permit).
• Add site plan conditions to warn purchasers and tenants that they will not be eligible for on‑street parking permits and that overflow parking is very limited; require disclosure of on‑site parking supply and nearby off‑street options.
• Require updated studies (servicing, stormwater, geotechnical, transportation), any needed infrastructure upgrades at the owner’s cost, and standard school board warning clauses.

What it means for you#

• Nearby residents

  • If the OLT accepts the settlement, expect a 14‑storey residential building at this site instead of the earlier 15‑storey proposal.
  • The ravine slope and a 10‑metre buffer will be protected, restored, and transferred to the TRCA.
  • A small strip along Dundas (0.4 m) will be added to the road. This could slightly shift the curb/sidewalk near the site.
  • Construction timing is not stated here.

• Future buyers or tenants at 4174 Dundas Street West

  • You will not be eligible for City on‑street parking permits (this advisory must be in purchase/lease and condo documents).
  • On-site parking: 147 spaces total (132 resident, 15 visitor), including 5 accessible spaces (one on each parking level). Overflow parking is limited; sales/lease documents must list nearby off‑street options.
  • More units are two‑ or three‑bedroom than before, which could better suit families.
  • The project cannot move ahead until the City is satisfied that needed services, road capacity, and school capacity are available (holding “H” stays in place until then).

• People who use the adjacent natural area

  • Lands below the long‑term stable top of slope and the 10‑metre buffer will be conveyed to the TRCA, zoned for natural/open space, and renaturalized.

• Road users and pedestrians on Dundas Street West

  • A minor road widening (0.4 m) is required along the site frontage.
  • A revised traffic study is required, and any needed road or infrastructure upgrades must be done by the owner.

• Developer/owner (Dunpar Homes)

  • Must finalize the zoning and official plan amendments to the satisfaction of City Planning and the City Solicitor.
  • Must submit acceptable servicing, stormwater, geotechnical, transportation, arborist/natural heritage, and landscape plans.
  • Must enter agreements for and fund any required infrastructure upgrades; pay cash‑in‑lieu of parkland; meet loading/parking and accessibility rules; and complete TRCA requirements and land conveyances.

Expenses#

Estimated public cost: the City report states no financial impact beyond what is already approved in the current year’s budget.

• The owner must pay cash‑in‑lieu of parkland (amount to be appraised under City rules) and before the first above‑grade building permit.
• Any municipal infrastructure upgrades needed to support the development must be designed and built at the owner’s cost.
• The owner must convey ravine/buffer lands to the TRCA at no cost to the City and restore/renaturalize them.
• Usual City staff and legal work occur within existing budgets.
• No other fiscal details are provided.

Proponents' View#

• The settlement appears intended to resolve the OLT appeals while securing changes the City sought: one fewer storey, fewer units, top‑floor stepbacks, and design refinements.
• It would protect and expand natural/ravine lands by conveying and rezoning them, and by requiring restoration and buffers around the long‑term stable top of slope.
• Keeping the “holding (H)” in place until services, roads, and school capacity are confirmed could ensure the area can handle the growth.
• Clear parking advisories could reduce spillover demand for on‑street parking and set realistic expectations for buyers and tenants.
• Updated technical studies and required upgrades at the owner’s cost could help manage traffic, servicing, and stormwater impacts.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is that a 14‑storey, high‑density building may still affect local traffic and parking. While residents won’t be eligible for on‑street permits, on‑site and nearby parking may still feel tight.
• Parkland will be provided as cash‑in‑lieu, not as a new on‑site public park, which may disappoint those wanting local green space on the property itself.
• Many important details are deferred to later (final by-law wording, technical studies, and agreements). This may leave uncertainty about the final form and exact impacts until those are complete.
• It is unclear when construction would start or how long it would last.
• The available material does not mention affordable housing or other community benefit commitments.