Item - 2021.PH24.5

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Directed appropriate City staff to undertake stakeholder and public consultation, including any virtual stakeholder meetings and a virtual public open house on the proposed Official Plan Amendment and Municipal Code by-law principles regarding mandatory pre-application consultation, as shown in Attachment 1 and Attachment 2 to the report (May 26, 2021) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and Chief Operating Officer, Development.

2. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and Chief Operating Officer, Development, to report back with a final report to a fourth quarter of 2021 meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee on recommendations for mandatory pre-application consultation.

3.  Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning modify the Terms of Reference for the Planning Rationale Report with a target date of the fourth quarter of 2021 to require that applications containing residential uses contain an analysis of how the application will address and provide affordable rental or ownership housing; the Terms of Reference should also include direction that the applicant as part of a pre-application consultation, discuss affordable housing and how the application will address the City's policies related to providing a full range of housing.

This report brings forward a proposed improvement to the City's development review process.

In response to the City's End-to-End Review of the Development Review Process and because development will play a vital role in supporting Toronto’s economic recovery post-COVID-19, the City is implementing the Concept 2 Keys (C2K) program. C2K is transforming the City’s development review process from pre-application consultation to occupancy by reimagining organizational structures, processes and technology.

The proposed Official Plan Amendment and Municipal Code by-law principles related to mandatory pre-application consultation included in this report arise from a recommendation of the End-to-End Review that the City "standardize a formal internal and external meeting cadence and project schedule to enhance cooperation and customer service," beginning with pre-application consultation. Inconsistencies at this initial step in the development review process have implications for application quality, shared productivity, overall time to decision and city-building outcomes. 

In addition to addressing existing inconsistencies, pre-application consultation is encouraged and supported as a component of the Province's land use planning system, and its use is one of the key elements to the successful implementation of the reduced statutory review timelines introduced by Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choices Act, 2019.

The C2K team engaged both internal and external stakeholders in consultation regarding the purpose, scope and current practices around pre-application consultation. The team also carried out jurisdictional research indicating wide use of Planning Act provisions to require, by by-law, pre-application consultation in other Ontario municipalities. Jurisdictional research also indicates that such a by-law is typically supported by Official Plan policy. Based on the above, City staff are advancing two streams of work related to mandatory pre-application consultation:

1. Amendments to the Official Plan and Municipal Code to require pre-application consultation as a pre-requisite to the submission of an application; and

2. Operational improvements to support implementation and improve consistency and outcomes of pre-application consultation.

This report focuses on establishing the legislative and policy basis for requiring pre-application consultation. A final report will outline any operational improvements needed to support implementation, including, but not limited to, staff resourcing and team structure, cost-recovery and administration and technology.

The two streams of work are expected to culminate in a city-wide roll-out of mandatory pre-application consultation in 2022, following a potential transition period once the Official Plan Amendment has come into force and effect.