Item - 2022.PH35.1

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend the Official Plan substantially in accordance with the draft Official Plan Amendment 612 appended as Attachment 1 to the report (June 17, 2022) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, as amended by Recommendation 2 below.

2. City Council amend the draft Official Plan Amendment 612, appended as Attachment 1 to the report (June 17, 2022) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning so that a part 3.c) is added to Policy #3 and it now reads as follows:

3. Small-scale retail, service and office uses support daily life in Neighbourhoods and encourage complete, connected communities, contributing to amenity, sustainability, equity, diversity and vitality.

Small-scale retail, service and office uses are permitted on properties in Neighbourhoods that legally contained such uses prior to the approval date of this Official Plan.

New small-scale retail, service and office uses may be permitted in Neighbourhoods provided that they:

a) have minimal adverse impacts on adjacent or nearby residences, such as those from noise, parking, delivery and loading, and other impacts from activities associated with the small-scale retail, service and/or office use;

b) are of a physical scale and in a location that is compatible with and integrated into the Neighbourhood; and

c) serve the needs of residents in an effort to reduce local automobile trips.

3. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended, substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment appended as Attachment 2 to the report (June 17, 2022) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

4. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendment and Draft Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required.

5. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to undertake further community and stakeholder consultation consistent with the phase two work plan described in the report (June 17, 2022) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and report back to the Planning and Housing Committee in 2023.

The Planning and Housing Committee held a statutory public meeting on July 5, 2022 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

The Neighbourhood Retail and Services study is part of the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) work program. Local Neighbourhood Retail and Services are small-scale retail, service and office uses located in areas designated Neighbourhoods in the Official Plan. They have historically played an important role in Toronto's neighbourhoods but have declined in recent decades, as existing establishments close and new ones do not take their place.  This decline has been the result of both socio-economic factors and City policies. Changes currently underway, including the recent, dramatic shift toward working from home, and the various Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods initiatives, support the desire for more Neighbourhood amenities for existing and new residents. They also support the opportunity for more potential customers, employees and business owners.

To facilitate existing and new small-scale retail, service and office uses, staff are therefore proposing a first phase of immediate amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law, followed by further consultation and research on broader changes to come in 2023.  The focus of these proposed changes is not on predicting the future of particular industries or uses or focussing on specific sites, but on providing a city-wide policy environment that is more supportive of local businesses and community organizations.