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St Basil's Schoolhouse 34-38 Hazelton Avenue

Proposal:  An 8-storey mixed-use building incorporating the façade of the existing 2-storey schoolhouse.  For details see January 2009 Report.

Revised Proposal:    A 6-storey building.
    
See April 2009 Report for details of GYRA's March 2009 position statement to the Toronto Preservation Board. See May 2009 Report for details of GYRA's April 2009 position statement to the Toronto & East York Community Council.

The 6-storey proposal will first be considered by the Toronto Preservation Board on 21 May 2009, and then at TEYCC on 9 June 2009.  GYRA sent position statement as follows:-

19th May 2009

Toronto Preservation Board
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto ON
M5H 2N2

Re:  34-38 Hazelton Avenue "St Basil's Schoolhouse"  
        Revised Alteration to a Designated Heritage Property
        Preservation Board Meeting 21 May 2009

We have read Planning's report of May 1, 2009 concerning the revised 7-storey proposal, which represents a reduction of 1-storey from the original 8-storey proposal.  The decrease of 3-metres to approximately 30-metres is inadequate.  The scale and massing of the 30-metre proposal ignores HCD guidelines and would be totally incompatible with surrounding buildings.  

We, again, fully support City Planning's recommendation that the application be refused.

Yours truly,
Gee Chung
President
THE GREATER YORKVILLE RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION

c.c.  Councillor Kyle Rae
        Louis Tinker
        Bloor-Yorkville BI

St Basil's Schoolhouse 34-38 Hazelton Avenue
In 2002 under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, the City of Toronto designated the
Hazelton Avenue area as a "heritage conservation district." "Ontario's Heritage
Conservation District Guidelines" Ministry of Culture and Communications, 1992
states "Part V is concerned with the protection and enhancement of groups of
properties that collectively give an area a special character. This character drives
not only from individual properties which may be of architectural or historic interest
but also from the overall historic and aesthetic values of buildings, streets, and open
spaces seen together." And, "District designation under Part V of the Act provides a
tool for protecting the character in the course of change and development within a
municipality…designation…enables the council of a municipality to manage change in
the character and quality of the built environment to enhance beneficial or to
ameliorate adverse effects on the heritage value of the district."
In 2005, the owner was granted permission to construct a three-storey and
basement addition to the rear of the vacant school. The Bloor-Yorkville Community
was informed the façade will remain unaltered. At the end of 2005, the Community
learned the owner had requested and received permission to demolish a portion of
the façade containing the north door to provide access to underground parking.
At a community consultation meeting held in October 2, 2008, it was learned the
owner had made an application to the City to construct an 8-storey mixed-use
building and incorporate the façade of the existing 2-storey schoolhouse. Many
Hazelton Avenue residents were outraged at learning the 8-storey proposal had
been determined in "context" with the 9-storey Hazelton Hotel on Yorkville Avenue,
the 8-storey 100 Yorkville (formerly Mount Sinai Hospital), and the two 8-storey
Hazelton Lanes condominiums, instead of the predominant 2-3 storey Victorian
Architecture on Hazelton Avenue. Councillor Rae stated 5-storeys is an appropriate
height.

On November 10, 2008 a position statement was sent to Councillor Rae:-
Councillor Kyle Rae
Toronto City Hall
2nd Floor East Tower
100 Queen Street West
Toronto ON
M5H 2N2

Dear Councillor Rae:
Re: 34 Hazelton Avenue "St Basil's Schoolhouse" Development Proposal
We find the eight-storey proposal to be incompatible with the historical context of
Hazelton Avenue. This five-storey increment to the 2005 approval of a three-storey
addition, if approved, would compromise the integrity of the Yorkville-Hazelton
Heritage Conservation District, would indirectly affect other Heritage Conservation
Districts and, in particular, would likely affect the outcome, in face of stiff opposition
by area residents, to the 10-14 Prince Arthur Avenue development proposal, situated
in the East Annex Heritage Conservation District.
We feel a four to five-storey building would be appropriate for this site, and with
adherence to the Yorkville-Hazelton Heritage Conservation District guidelines, would
result in an edifice consistent with the scale of the physical and heritage
characteristics of Hazelton Avenue.
Yours sincerely,
Gee Chung
President
THE GREATER YORKVILLE RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION