Item - 2023.GG7.12

The General Government Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 213, Real Property, by deleting General Condition (H) in Appendix B and replacing it with the following:

(H) Authority to acquire property in fee simple is conditional upon provision being made to bring the property into compliance with applicable environmental laws, regulations and policies, such that it will be fit for its intended municipal purpose, except in the case of: (i) acquisitions of 50 square metres or less for transit shelter purposes; and (ii) acquisitions which, if the property was instead being conveyed to the City pursuant to a development application approval, would be exempt from the peer review process pursuant to the City's "Policy for Accepting Potentially Contaminated Lands to be Conveyed to the City under the Planning Act", as amended from time to time.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to submit the necessary bill(s) to amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 213, Real Property, to give effect to City Council's decision.

The purpose of this report is to obtain Council authority to amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 213, Real Property in order to provide staff authority to approve the acquisition of certain small parcels of land that present reduced environmental risk to the City, without carrying out environmental due diligence, consistent with the exemptions from the peer review process that are set out in the City's Policy for Accepting Potentially Contaminated Lands to be Conveyed to the City under the Planning Act.

As part of the City's modernization efforts, delegating this authority to staff will bring several benefits including reduced reporting burden, property acquisition cost savings and a streamlined property acquisition process. These benefits will ultimately allow City projects requiring property acquisitions that pose a reduced environmental risk to the City, to proceed in more expeditious manner. Staff are still required to satisfy all other General Conditions set out in the Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 213, Real Property, including consultation with the local ward Councillor prior to the exercise of delegated authority and transacting at an amount no less than the appraised market value.