Planning and Zoning Committee

What do you think about the proposal to redevelop Mirvish Village? We would like to hear from you.

An application for the redevelopment of Mirvish Village was filed in July of this year and it is now proceeding through the approvals process with the City. The City Planning Department hopes to write their final report in the second quarter of 2016.

Although the redevelopment is located just outside the Annex boundaries, it will have a significant impact on our neighbourhood. Not only does it encompass one and a half city blocks, it proposes building heights up to 29 stories, setting a precedent for the neighbourhood.

Two members of the Annex Residents' Association will participate in a Discussion Group which will consider all the major issues around the project. The group is chaired by Graig Uens, the city planner responsible for the file. It includes two members from each of the four residents'

associations which converge at Bathurst and Bloor, local Councillors Mike Layton and Joe Cressy, a representative of the Bloor Street BIA as well as residents from the surrounding neighbourhoods.

We need to know what you think about the proposal. There are major issues around built form, heritage, green space and traffic to name a few. 

Please contact Jim Jacobs (jameskjacobs@gmail.com) or Terry Montgomery (tmontgomery@montgomerysisam.com) with your questions or comments.

The City of Toronto Planning Department's portal for all information on the project can be found HERE. On the first page you will find background on the proposal. At the bottom of the page you will find a link to the agenda item which was tabled for consideration at a Community Council Meeting on October 6th. On the last page of this report you will find another link entitled Background Information.

This provides all of the plans, elevations and perspectives which were submitted with the application.

One of the functions of the Annex Residents' Association is to monitor and, if necessary, intervene in proposals such as new construction or renovations that might affect the integrity and quality of life in the neighbourhood.

The ARA's Planning and Zoning Committee works with the Councillor, other neighbourhood associations or citizen organizations to ensure that zoning and heritage regulations are not violated; to review requests for exemption from planning by-laws that go before the City's Committee of Adjustment; and to intervene in City planning deliberations that could affect the Annex. The committee also works with institutions such as the University of Toronto, when their development plans affect us.

The Committee is currently looking for ways to deal with the recurring problems that occur in Committee of Adjustment applications: applicants who hire lawyers and professional consultants have an advantage over residents association; applicants increasingly ask for and retroactive approval of construction already built; and major variances are being classified as minor ones.

Bloor Corridor Vision Report, November 2007
The purpose of this study was to develop a shared vision for the Bloor Street West corridor between Avenue Road and Christie Street for the next ten years, through consultation with area stakeholders including residents, businesses and landowners.

BloorStreetVision summary (PDF)

For more information on Planning and Zoning, or to join the committee, please contact
Co-Chairs Edward Leman and Ko Van Klaveren at planningandzoning@theara.org.