Item - 2019.PH6.6

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the proposed minor amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 519, Infill Construction, Public Notice set out in Appendix 3 to the report (May 13, 2019) from the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1.  Directed the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee by the fourth quarter of 2019 with recommendations to facilitate paid permit parking for the building trades.

This report responds to the City Council direction that the Chief Building Official evaluate and report on the effectiveness of the most recent (2018) joint targeted inspection and enforcement program, including information on the use of tickets issued through the program. This report also provides an update on the Residential Construction Dust Control By-law (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 417, Dust) and the Infill Construction Site Public Notice By-law (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 519, Infill Construction, Public Notice), both of which came into effect on September 4, 2018.  The report contains a recommendation which, if adopted, would make minor editorial amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 519, in order to clarify application of the Infill Construction Site Public Notice By-law for the public and Toronto Building staff. No further changes to the residential infill construction strategy are recommended at this time to support its continued implementation.

In 2016, Toronto Building launched a comprehensive inter-divisional strategy to minimize the negative impacts of residential construction in existing neighbourhoods.  Through a collaborative effort, the strategy has been a success and will continue to have a positive impact in Toronto's neighbourhoods where construction is occurring. Because of the strategy, the City of Toronto now takes a proactive and co-ordinated approach to nuisance issues resulting from residential infill construction sites.

In May 2018, Toronto Building reported to City Council with an update on the residential infill initiative. That report provided an overview of the Targeted Inspection and Enforcement Program.  The program, launched in 2017, involved staff from five divisions (Toronto Building, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Transportation Services, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Toronto Water) visiting construction sites together in areas of the city with significant residential infill activity. It was intended, in part, to establish a benchmark of the current state of by-law and other infractions occurring on residential construction sites. However, the effectiveness of the program has extended beyond it being only an inspection and enforcement exercise. 

The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the General Manager, Toronto Water, the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the General Manager, Transportation Services and the City Solicitor were consulted in the preparation of this report.