Item - 2023.TE7.4

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend the Official Plan, for the lands in the Port Lands Flood Protection project and enabling infrastructure project area, substantially in accordance with the proposed Official Plan Amendment included as Attachment 5 to the report (August 30, 2023) from the Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2. City Council amend the former City of Toronto Official Plan, for the lands in the Port Lands Flood Protection Project and Enabling Infrastructure Project area, substantially in accordance with the proposed Official Plan Amendment included as Attachment 6 to the report (August 30, 2023) from the Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendments as may be required.  

The Toronto and East York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on September 19, 2023 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

The purpose of this report is to recommend a streamlined process for facilitating Official Plan compliance to implement the Port Lands Flood Protection project, the Port Lands Planning Framework , Precinct Plans, and related Environmental Assessments. The recommendations in this report, if adopted, will create Official Plan Amendments to allow staff to execute any required land transfers between the City and CreateTO and enter into easements that will facilitate utility relocations triggered by the construction of planned infrastructure.

A streamlined process will support implementation of works identified in the approved Port Lands Flood Protection project, Port Lands Planning Framework, Precinct Plans and related Environmental Assessments.  Examples include CreateTO lands to be transferred to the City for parks and roads, as well as water and wastewater infrastructure. It will also simplify the creation of easements to facilitate electricity distribution and natural gas infrastructure relocation.

The proposed Official Plan Amendments will be limited to:

- transfers of lands designated Parks and Open Space Areas to support Council-adopted plans, projects or Environmental Assessments for purposes of advancing infrastructure projects; and, 

- permissions for the City to enter into any future easement agreements with utility companies to permit utilities to cross lands designated Parks and Open Space Areas to service Villiers Island, South River and Polson Quay precincts.

Transfers or easements will only be permitted through the proposed Official Plan Amendments where the disposal of any land that is designated Parks and Open Space Areas within the general vicinity of Villiers Island does not preclude public access or significantly reduce the size, functionality or programming of the land. The Official Plan Amendments do not propose any changes in land use designation or reduction in the City's Green Space System. This report does not recommend and will not result in the declaration of surplus any City-owned lands.

Staff have reviewed the proposed Official Plan Amendments against the applicable provincial policies and have concluded that the proposed Official Plan Amendments are consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) and conform with A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020) and intent of Official Plan policies.

The local Councillor(s) will be consulted prior to the exercise of delegated approval authority by staff for all disposals of City-owned lands within the subject area.