Item - 2017.TE24.3

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1.  City Council amend the Official Plan, for the lands along College Street generally between McCaul Street and Bathurst Street substantially in accordance with the draft Official Plan Amendment attached as Attachment 1 to the report (April 25, 2017) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2.  City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendment as may be required.

3.  City Council authorize the City Solicitor and any required staff to attend the Ontario Municipal Board to support the draft Site and Area Specific Official Plan Policy as may be required.

4.  City Council adopt the Urban Design Guidelines attached as Attachment 3 to the report (April 10, 2017) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

5.  City Council direct the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services to report to the Toronto Preservation Board and to the Toronto and East York Community Council on the possibility for inclusion on the City's Heritage Register of the potential heritage resources identified in the study area as illustrated in Attachment 4 to the report (April 10, 2017) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

6.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to review the appropriate size for retail units for the north side of College Street between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street and to report to City Council on any necessary amendments to the Zoning By-law to limit retail unit size in this area.

The Toronto and East York Community Council requested the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District to report directly to City Council regarding the matters raised by both the deputants and in the communications received at the Toronto and East York Community Council meeting on May 2, 2017.

The Toronto and East York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on May 2, 2017, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

In February 2012, Toronto and East York Community Council requested Staff to review the policy context for College Street generally from University Avenue to Bathurst Street to address: land use and the inclusion of institutional uses within mixed-use buildings; building scale and height; and public realm, including special places and pedestrian improvements.  This was later amended to include analysis of the social value of buildings, in addition to built form and physical character. This report summarizes the outcome of the College Street Study, and recommends the adoption of a new Official Plan Site and Area Specific Policy (SASP)  and area-specific Urban Design Guidelines to guide development for the area of College Street generally from McCaul Street to Bathurst Street.

Planning Staff have held three Community Consultation meetings and four Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings since beginning the Study in 2013.

This report discusses the methodology, considerations and community comments that informed the planning study and details the planning rationale associated with each component of the draft area-specific Official Plan policy.

The College Street Site and Specific Policy is intended to provide clear direction to stakeholders on the expectations of the City of Toronto and the community.  While a number of the policies in the draft Official Plan Amendment provide direction for the entire Study Area, the Study Area is divided into 6 distinct Character Areas and the draft Official Plan Amendment provides further direction specific to development in each Character Area to reflect the unique characteristics of each Character Area.

This supplementary report recommends amendments to the draft Official Plan Amendment attached to the April 10, 2017 "College Street Study – Official Plan Amendment – Final Report".  The key revisions include incorporation of a new policy relating to properties designated Neighbourhoods in the Study Area, providing for additional flexibility in setbacks adjacent to public streets, and minor modifications to some policies for the purposes of clarity.