Item - 2019.TE8.12

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council revise Zoning By-law No. 438-86, as amended, for the lands identified in the Port Lands Planning Framework as McCleary District, Media City District and Turning Basin District, substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment, attached as Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (September 13, 2019) 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 Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required.

This report recommends a zoning by-law amendment to revise the list of permitted land uses in three Port Lands Districts - McCleary District, Turning Basin District and Media City.

Interim Control By-law 979-2017 was adopted by City Council on October 2, 2017. It prohibited certain incompatible uses in a portion of the Port Lands for one year while City staff undertook planning studies to implement the Port Lands Planning Framework (PLPF), adopted on December 8, 2017. By-law 979-2017 was extended for one additional year, to the maximum permitted under Section 38 of the Planning Act. Although many of the planning studies have advanced, the Interim Control By-law will expire prior to the completion of studies for several districts that are covered by the By-law. As a result, existing zoning permissions will be in force and effect on October 2, 2019, permitting many uses that are incompatible with PLPF direction.

The Port Lands land uses, as identified in the PLPF Appendix 2: Desirable Uses, Permissible Uses and Uses Open for Consideration, sets out the first principles for the Production, Creative and Interactive (PIC) Core Urban Design Guidelines Study and the McCleary District Precinct Plan. This work will continue to advance after the Interim Control By-law expires.

As an interim measure to regulate land uses while planning studies for McCleary District, Turning Basin District and Media City to continue, a zoning by-law amendment of Zoning By-law 438-86 will ensure that land use permissions for these districts are consistent with the PLPF land use direction, permitting uses that the City is encouraging while prohibiting uses that are incompatible with the Port Lands vision. Existing land uses on specific properties within McCleary District,Turning Basin District and Media City that are not desirable within the PLPF are permitted on a site-specific basis in the proposed zoning bylaw amendment. This will permit these existing uses to continue as-of-right while various planning studies continue.

The proposed zoning bylaw amendment will apply to McCleary District, Turning Basin District and Media City, as represented in Attachment 1. The By-law amendment is generally consistent with the employment-focused uses within PLPF Appendix 2, permitting a wide range of modern flexible employment, light industrial, and production-related uses like warehousing, manufacturing, emerging industries, printing, publishing and digital media firms, film and television studios and ancillary uses, artist studios, workshops, service commercial, and office. The By-law amendment only addresses land use permissions and does not include any new performance standards, which would be identified through further planning studies. 

The purpose of this Supplementary Report is to recommend that the proposed McCleary District, Turning Basin and Media City Zoning By-law Amendment be revised for the lands associated with Pinewood Toronto Studios, located at 101-301 Commissioners Street and 1-21 Basin Street to retain the existing I3 and I4 zoning that supports film studio expansion and removed undesirable land uses as identified by the Council-adopted Port Lands Landing Framework (PLPF). The report explains the resulting changes to the Pinewood Studio lands' land use permissions.