In our opinion, the…

In our opinion, the redesignation of the subject site (1681-1725 Eglinton Avenue East, 20-32 Mobile Drive, 1 Credit Union Drive, Conversion Request 105)
from Core Employment Areas and General Employment Areas to Mixed Use Areas would be appropriate in land use planning terms.

In summary, the planning rationale for the request is as follows:

• The subject site is located within a pocket of Employment Areas lands south of Eglinton Avenue East that extends south to the hydro corridor and west to the Don Valley. The lands are not designated as a Provincially Significant Employment Zone (PSEZ). Residential/mixed-use development on the subject site would result in improved compatibility with the neighbourhoods to the north of Eglinton Avenue, which are designated Apartment Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhoods.

• The subject site is located within the Sloane MTSA on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line, which is targeted for transit-supportive intensification. As sizeable portions of the Sloane MTSA are not anticipated to experience growth (i.e. the low-rise residential areas north of Eglinton Avenue and the employment areas south of Eglinton Avenue towards the hydro corridor), the use of properties fronting on Eglinton Avenue East within the MTSA that can accommodate growth should be optimized.

• Given the existing and planned higher-order transit service, the subject site is considerably underutilized, consisting of single-storey buildings occupied by automotive, commercial and institutional uses, surrounded by large expanses of surface parking and vehicle display and storage areas associated with the motor vehicle sales establishments.

• Intensified mixed-use redevelopment on the subject site, including residential uses, would optimize the use of land and infrastructure along the Eglinton Avenue frontage and establish a compatible land use relationship with the residential neighbourhood to the north of Eglinton. In addition, the requested conversion would allow for transit-supportive mixed-use intensification within walking distance of existing public transit and future higher-order transit.

Please refer to the submitted letter along with the attachments for our fulsome comments.