Item - 2020.SC16.3

Scarborough Community Council adjourned the public meeting for the Golden Mile Secondary Plan - Final Report, until October 7, 2020.

Scarborough Community Council commenced a statutory public meeting on July 17, 2020, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

The Golden Mile Secondary Plan (“GMSP”) Study was initiated by City Planning staff in May 2016, and generally consisted of the lands located along Eglinton Avenue East, between Victoria Park Avenue and Birchmount Road.  In April 2019, City Council expanded the study area boundary from 97 to 113 hectares to include additional lands east of Victoria Park Avenue within Wards 20 and 21, as well as approximately 4.3 hectares of land on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue within Ward 16 (Attachment 1: Golden Mile Secondary Plan Study Area Boundary). 

The Golden Mile has been influenced by agricultural, industrial and commercial eras of development.  The area became known as the "Golden Mile of Industry" during the post-World War II era with the construction of large-scale manufacturing buildings along Eglinton Avenue East, between Pharmacy Avenue and Birchmount Road.  Large-scale commercial construction generally occurred during the 1990's, replacing many of the former industrial buildings that fronted onto Eglinton Avenue East.

This report recommends that City Council adopt the Golden Mile Secondary Plan (the "Secondary Plan") and associated amendments in Official Plan Amendment ("OPA") No. 499. The Secondary Plan establishes a comprehensive planning framework for future development in the Secondary Plan Area (the "Plan Area") that sets out the long-term vision for a complete, liveable, connected, responsive, and prosperous mixed-use community.  The Secondary Plan directs anticipated growth to appropriate locations, identifies public realm and built form directions, and identifies and plans for community services and facilities necessary to meet the existing and future needs of the Plan Area. OPA No. 499 identifies a number of structuring elements through the re-designation of certain lands as Parks, and the identification of new public streets and widened/reconfigured existing public streets. These improvements are necessary structuring elements of the Plan Area and  will facilitate the creation of a complete community and allow for an appropriate level of intensification within the Plan Area.

The Secondary Plan facilitates the transformation of the Golden Mile, while maintaining its role as an important economic driver within the east end of Toronto and is envisioned as both a destination and a place for residents, workers, and visitors to live, work, shop, and play.

The Secondary Plan advances a vision for a new mixed-use community that has the potential to accommodate approximately 24,000 residential units, 43,000 residents and 19,000 jobs over the next 20+ years, in a mix of tall, mid and low-rise buildings ranging in height from 4 to 35 storeys (Attachment 5: Draft Official Plan Amendment No. 499, Golden Mile Secondary Plan). 

The Secondary Plan provides an overarching framework for land use, development capacity, a new street network and a parks and open space system, within which more detailed planning can be undertaken to distribute density on sites and blocks based on the core structuring elements. Given the overall size of the Secondary Plan area (approximately 113 hectares), this approach is appropriate to respond to specific conditions of multiple character areas and districts, including the need to acknowledge existing uses and required phasing of development. The Secondary Plan provides flexibility regarding the location and timing of dedication of public streets and built form. The provision of clear and specific policy direction at the macro level, coupled with flexibility in implementation at the context plan level, will allow development to proceed in a predictable and consistent manner while ensuring area specific conditions can be addressed.

The Secondary Plan is accompanied by Urban Design Guidelines for the Plan Area, which provide more detailed guidance to assist in the review of development applications and public realm improvements, and the implementation of the Secondary Plan.

OPA No. 499, including the Secondary Plan, has regard to matters of provincial interest under Section 2 of the Planning Act, is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) ("PPS (2020)"), and conforms to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019) ("Growth Plan (2019)"). OPA No. 499, including the Secondary Plan, is consistent with the general intent and purpose of, and conforms to, the City’s Official Plan.