Item - 2025.NY23.7

The Director, Strategic Initiatives, Policy and Analysis, City Planning and Director, Community Planning, North York District, Development Review recommend that:

1. City Council endorse the Emerging Vision and Guiding Principles in Attachment 1 to this report from the Director, Strategic Initiatives, Policy and Analysis, City Planning and Director, Community Planning, North York District, Development Review, as the basis for further technical work and community engagement as part of the Growing Glencairn Study.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Development Review to consider the Emerging Vision and Guiding Principles, found in Attachment 1 to this report from the Director, Strategic Initiatives, Policy and Analysis, City Planning and Director, Community Planning, North York District, Development Review, in the review of all current and future development applications within the Primary Study Area shown on Figure 1 of this report.

3. City Council request the Director, Strategic Initiatives, Policy and Analysis, City Planning and Director, Community Planning, North York District, Development Review to report back by the second quarter of 2026 with a final planning framework for the Growing Glencairn Study Area, including area-based policies, delineation of a Protected Major Transit Station Area, and an implementation strategy.

This report provides an update on Phase 1 of the Growing Glencairn Study and recommends endorsement of the Emerging Vision and Guiding Principles.

In July 2022, the area surrounding Glencairn Subway Station was identified as being below the minimum planned density requirement of 200 people and jobs per hectare required by the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024. More recently, the neighbourhoods surrounding Marlee Avenue and Glencairn Subway Station ("Marlee-Glencairn") have been experiencing a high level of development interest, particularly in the area west of William R. Allen Road. This area includes six active development applications (under review or appeal) that collectively propose eight tall residential and mixed-use buildings ranging from 19-39 storeys, with a total of 3,544 housing units.

Initiated in August 2024, Growing Glencairn is a comprehensive local area study that will establish a planning framework to guide and manage growth around Glencairn Subway Station to 2051, including area based policies, delineation of a Protected Major Transit Station Area, and an implementation strategy.

The Emerging Vision and Guiding Principles were developed based on community input, as well as technical analysis of opportunities, constraints, and priorities. Marlee-Glencairn is envisioned as a vibrant, resilient and inclusive neighbourhood, with Marlee Avenue as the thriving commercial main street and community heart, and well connected through a safe and enhanced mobility and public realm network that builds on the Allen Greenway and York and Kay Gardiner Beltline Trails. The Emerging Vision is supported by the following six Guiding Principles, with further details provided on Attachment 1.

- A vibrant community with access to daily needs featuring pedestrian-oriented streets that support activity and public life, with a thriving Marlee Avenue as the commercial and community heart

- A welcoming and connected public realm (e.g. parks, open spaces, trails, streets, plazas) that supports residents’ health and well-being for all ages and abilities;

- A safe, accessible and well-connected mobility network that builds on existing infrastructure (e.g. roads, transit stations, pedestrian and cycling networks) and offers a range of viable travel options to enhance connectivity within Marlee-Glencairn and to the broader city and region.

- A full range of housing types and forms that continue to provide choice and variety to meet the needs of current and future residents, including an aging demographic in Marlee-Glencairn, with growth supported by adequate and timely infrastructure;

- A range of community-focused services and facilities (e.g. child care centres, schools, human service agencies, community recreation centres, libraries) and placemaking opportunities that fulfill the community needs and cultivate health and well-being as the neighbourhood grows; and

- A green and climate-resilient neighbourhood that incorporates best practices to contribute to long-term health and well-being of residents and facilitates adaptability and equity in the face of climate change.

This report recommends endorsement of the Emerging Vision and Guiding Principles as the basis for options development and further community engagement throughout Phases 2 and 3 of the Study.

There are no financial implications for this budget year resulting from the recommendations included in this report. The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.