Item - 2024.PH12.1

City Council on May 22 and 23, 2024, adopted the following:

1. City Council adopt Official Plan Amendment 716, Downsview Secondary Plan, included as Attachment 1 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, with the following amendments:

a. amend Policy 3.2.15 a. ii. to read as follows:

“Below grade utilities and services where they support green infrastructure, district energy, the tree canopy and/or the needs of animating activities within the Runway; and”;

b. amend Policy 10.1.2 to read as follows:

“The following community service facilities are City priorities within the Plan Area:”;

c. amend Policy 10.1.4 a. to read as follows:

“A minimum of one child care centre will be included in each district, although districts are generally anticipated to accommodate 2-3 child care centres; and”;

d. amend Policy 11.4.5 to read as follows:

“Prior to development approval in the Plan Area, property owners will demonstrate that they have entered into a developer’s group agreement pursuant to the policies of this Plan and are in good standing with the developer’s group, or provide confirmation from the developers’ group trustee that it is not required to enter into such an agreement.”;

e. amend Policy 12.4.1 to read as follows:

“Within the lands identified in Figure 4: Wilson South, a minimum of 3 hectares of new publicly accessible space will be achieved, inclusive of parks, open spaces, natural areas, POPS, greenways, and the Green Spine.  As development proceeds, each development will provide their equitable share of this requirement and/or provide confirmation of cost sharing to address said provisions.” 

f. amend Policy 12.4.2 to read as follows:

“The minimum 3 hectares of new publicly accessible space will include a future Major Park whose location will be determined through the District Plan process.” 

g. amend Policy 12.6.1 d. to read as follows:

“The percentage of gross floor area of affordable rental housing required above will increase by 1.5 percent per year, with affordable ownership housing requirements set at 1.4 times the affordable rental housing requirements, unless the following exceptions apply:

i. a District Plan and complete application for a Plan of Subdivision is filed within one year of this Plan coming into full force and effect; or

ii. where a District Plan and Plan of Subdivision are not required, a complete application for a Zoning By-law Amendment is filed within one year of this Plan coming into full force and effect”;

h. add a new Policy 12.6.2, as follows:

“Despite no District Plan being required for the lands in Figure 6 which are north of Wilson Avenue, development applications must demonstrate that the proposed development:

1. does not impede the logical and coordinated development of the broader area, and responds to the existing and planned context, including Wilson District;

2. supports the establishment of a high quality public realm network, including a local mobility network to support findings from the MESP; and

3. does not preclude or negatively impact a potential or preferred alignment identified in an Environmental Assessment, major infrastructure study, or for future study.” 

i. amend the first paragraph of Schedule 3 to read as follows:

“Cultural heritage resources located on lands under the ownership of the federal government and its corporations and which are exempt from the Ontario Heritage Act, as referenced in policy 7.5.3, are identified below. This Schedule 3 does not contain policies, but rather provides context and intent to support the policy noted above.”

j. amend Map 7-5 Districts to remove the properties municipally known as 600 Wilson Avenue, 608 Wilson Avenue, 3673 Dufferin Street, 3687 Dufferin Street and 3593-3695 Dufferin Street, and all properties on the west side of Dufferin Street, from the Wilson District; and  

k. amend Map 7-6 Maximum Permitted Gross Density to remove the properties municipally known as 600 Wilson Avenue, 608 Wilson Avenue, 3673 Dufferin Street, 3687 Dufferin Street and 3593-3695 Dufferin Street, and all properties on the west side of Dufferin Street, from the density overlay of 3.5 Floor Space Index. 

2. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-2013 for certain lands within the Downsview Secondary Plan Area, substantially in accordance with the recommended Zoning By-law Amendment, included as Attachment 2 to report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services.

3. City Council adopt the Downsview Urban Design Guidelines, included as Attachment 3 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services, and City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to use the Downsview Urban Design Guidelines in the evaluation of all current and new development applications within the Secondary Plan Area.

4. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment, in Attachments 1 and 2 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services, as may be required.

5. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to use the Downsview Secondary Plan in Attachment 1 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services, as amended, in the evaluation of all current and new development applications within the Secondary Plan Area.

6. City Council adopt the Downsview Master Environmental Servicing Plan as described in the report and Attachment 4 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services.

7. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to issue a Notice of Completion and put the Master Environmental Servicing Plan in the public record in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process.

8. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to initiate Phases 3 and 4 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process or appropriate major infrastructure studies if an Environmental Assessment is no longer required, which will be City-led, and completed in collaboration with the property owners, to advance the recommended public infrastructure detailed in the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services.

9. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the Executive Director, Transit Expansion Office, to engage with Metrolinx on advancing higher order transit within the Secondary Plan Area, including the potential westerly Sheppard Rapid Transit Extension and the proposed new GO Rail Station, subject to further study as directed in the Master Environmental Servicing Plan.

10. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to have regard for the Downsview Public Art Strategy, included as Attachment 5 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services, in the evaluation of all current and future Public Art Plans within the portion of the Secondary Plan Area identified as Downsview Centre.

11. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in collaboration with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to engage property owners in the Secondary Plan Area to explore opportunities to create new rent-geared-to-income, supportive housing and affordable home ownership units in advance of District Plans and development applications.

12. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to negotiate and enter into a Master Parks Agreement in accordance with the principles outlined in Attachment 12 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Panning and the General Manager, Transportation Services, and upon such other terms and conditions acceptable to the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

13. City Council authorize the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to enter into any necessary agreements with the property owners in the Secondary Plan Area, including a Restrictive Covenant Agreement, to restrict the permitted uses along the Runway segment within the Downsview Secondary Plan Area, in contemplation of a public access easement to be delivered over phases, for these lands, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

14. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to negotiate, enter into and execute a funding agreement with property owners to fully-fund the City of Toronto to complete Phases 3 and 4 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process or appropriate major infrastructure studies if an Environmental Assessment is no longer required, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services, including a term that any funding shall not predetermine, impact or influence any development approvals or applications made to the City of Toronto, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

15. City Council deem that the funding agreement authorized by Part 14 above is not subject to the Donations to the City of Toronto For Community Benefits Policy on the basis that the study is in the public interest of the City and advancing the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment or appropriate major infrastructure studies will allow for the design of the transportation infrastructure to be coordinated effectively with private development in a manner consistent with the Council-approved Downsview Secondary Plan. 

16. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, through Phases 3 and 4 of the Environmental Assessment process to ensure that street designs for the roadways identified on Map 7-8 that are intended for motor vehicle traffic are appropriately designed for a community where 75 percent of local trips are made by walking, cycling, or transit.

17. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to identify opportunities during Phases 3 and 4 of the Environmental Assessment to minimize the need to widen Dufferin Street from Highway 401 to Beffort Road. 

18. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to initiate an engagement and consultation process with the Ancaster and surrounding communities on the detailed design of the Dufferin extension and other major infrastructure as part of Phases 3 and 4 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process or appropriate major infrastructure studies if an Environmental Assessment is no longer required.
19. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning when reviewing and evaluating District Plans and development applications, to ensure street designs are appropriate for a community to achieve 75 percent of local trips made by walking, cycling and transit uses.

20. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, through the District Planning process, to prioritize compact and efficient built forms and other alternative approaches to delivering mid-rise and tall buildings that advance City Council priorities, including sustainability and resilience, affordable housing, intergenerational housing with a variety of unit sizes. 

21. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to coordinate with the property owner of the Park Commons District of the Downsview Secondary Plan to explore the conversion and redesignation of the portion of the District designated General Employment Areas to a designation that permits institutional and related uses, including student housing, at the earliest opportunity; such lands should continue to have parkland, and park related assets such as sports facilities, multipurpose trails and indoor space, outdoor classrooms, among other park assets. 

22. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the Executive Director, Transit Expansion Office, to engage with Metrolinx on advancing higher order transit within the Secondary Plan Area, including the westerly Sheppard Subway Extension and the proposed new GO Rail Station near Murray Road and Wilson Avenue, subject to further study as directed in the Master Environmental Servicing Plan. 

23. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to develop a financial strategy and work plan to accelerate the design and construction of the Downsview Community Recreation Centre as district planning progresses which may include Community Benefits Charge contributions, Development Charges, Section 42 funding, funding from other orders of government, and financial agreements with the property owners, within the context of other City-wide recreational priorities; and confirm through this process the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Toronto and Canada Lands corporation the securing of lands for the recreation centre. 

24. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to work with Northcrest Developments and the Ancaster community to develop a Neighbourhood Mobility and Monitoring Plan as part of the Transportation Impact Study within the Taxiway District development application review process; the Transportation Impact Study will consider measures to mitigate impacts to the Ancaster Community such as retaining the existing designated access routes formerly used by the Bombardier site (Beffort Road-Hanover Road, Garratt Boulevard and Murray Road) and implementing traffic safety measures on the designated access streets noted above to limit speed and through-traffic from entering local streets of the Ancaster Community. 

25. City Council direct the Executive Director, Social Development Finance and Administration, the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to work with Canada Lands Company to prevent the displacement of the Downsview Park Merchants Market and Farmers Market currently operating out of the north end of the Supply Deport building, such as through the provision of appropriately-sized replacement and/or temporary space, or in negotiation with other property owners, as needed while redevelopment occurs. 

26. City Council direct City staff to recognize the transformational role that the Italian community has played in the building and history of Downsview as well as newcomers Filipino, Portuguese and Turkish communities, and others and celebrate their unique historical roles in the Downsview area. 

27. City Council affirm the City of Toronto position that the William Baker Neighbourhood development plan will have at its core a "seniors village," including seniors affordable housing, accessible public space and amenities and where possible the locating of agencies in the retail areas that offer wrap around and other support services to seniors. 

28. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to take such necessary steps, as required, to implement City Council's decision.