Item - 2015.LS1.4

The Licensing and Standards Committee:

1.         Directed the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the City Solicitor and other relevant City divisions, to report to the Licensing and Standards Committee meeting on October 19, 2015 with any by-law amendments required that would increase the City of Toronto's authorities to mitigate the impact of vacant-derelict properties.

Vacant-derelict properties negatively impact neighbourhoods and individuals by becoming dilapidated, causing hazards, becoming unsightly, becoming infested with pests, attracting trespassers, impacting streetscapes and overall community standards.

The City, particularly the Municipal Licensing and Standards (ML&S) division, becomes involved on a regular basis with properties that have fallen into dereliction, and which are subject to repeated complaints from the neighbourhood in which they are impacting. The intent of this initiative is to develop a program that will provide tools and a process by which the City can manage and resolve the impacts of these properties.

The preliminary elements of this strategy include maintaining a list of derelict properties to be shared amongst other relevant City divisions, including emergency service responders, monitoring and inspecting those properties on a proactively scheduled and cost recovery basis to ensure neighbourhood impacts are mitigated, and developing long-term property specific resolution strategies. This initiative may also include increased authorities in the event that properties are not compliant, up to and including, the potential for demolition. This initiative will consider approaches and tools necessary to address residential, commercial and industrial vacant-derelict properties, as appropriate.

It is proposed that staff will commence public consultations on the proposed strategy in the second quarter of 2015. The findings of the research and consultation will form a final staff report, expected October 2015.