Item - 2025.PH18.5

That City Council delete Planning and Housing Committee Recommendations and adopt instead the following:

1. City Council fulfill its Housing Accelerator Fund commitment by deleting the requirement for Avenue segment reviews and City-initiated Avenue studies for avenues and by adopting official plan amendment 778 in accordance with Attachment 1 to the report (January 2, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.
 

2. For newly identified Avenues and Avenues that have not been previously studied, that City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to first undertake a comprehensive review and community consultation process prior to bringing forward potential amendments to land use designation and zoning once, with the review to include:

a. prioritization of work to redesignate and rezone lands along Avenues that are within a 500 to 800-metre walking distance of existing or planned subway, light rail transit, and MTSAs as the first phase of work, prior to commencing work to redesignate and rezone lands along Avenues that are only served by frequent surface transit;

b. consultation with local Councillors and development of community consultation materials that clearly show:

i. areas recently upgraded to major streets and not subject to avenue consideration;

ii. areas recently upgraded to major streets and under consideration as avenues; and

iii. other areas for avenue consideration;

c. additional analysis on potential impacts of redevelopment at a mid-rise scale where properties that are designated Neighbourhoods along Avenues have a reversed frontage; and

d. additional analysis of parking considerations for new avenues where there is no higher order transit or on-street permit parking.

3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to give special consideration to rear lot conditions in the implementation of Recommendations 1 and 2 above.
 

4. City Council request the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to review the process for notification of local Councillors and access for local Councillors for development plans for which building permit applications have been submitted for multi-unit residential buildings, in light of the increase in prevalence of ‘as-of-right’ development applications. 

5. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to monitor the impacts of land assembly companies on land values and affordability along Avenues.

6. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of Official Plan Amendment 778 and to report back as part of the statutory review of the Official Plan with any recommended amendments.

7. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to continue and conclude all Avenue studies that were commenced before December 31, 2024, and that these studies consider the new vision and policy recommendations in Official Plan Amendment 778.
 

8. City Council, in consideration of Official Plan Amendment 483 (Keele Finch Secondary Plan) not being in-effect, amend proposed Official Plan Amendment 778, appended as Attachment 1 to the report (January 2, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, by removing the Avenues overlay on Finch Avenue West from Keele Street to approximately 0.08 kilometres east of Tangiers Road in Appendices 1 and 2.
 

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

10. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the recommended Official Plan Amendment 778 as may be required.
 

11. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to provide information packages to each Councillor on Official Plan Amendment changes approved in this report, including:

a. ward specific maps that show the Avenues that have changed in the official plan Avenues (i.e., removing areas not changed due to secondary plans etc.); and

b. key messages on what the Official Plan Amendment change means, including but not limited to:

i. zoning and site plan process and requirements; 

ii. requirements for community consultation and community council approvals; and

iii. parking and retail impacts and requirements. 

That:

1. City Council refer the item to the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to conduct additional public consultation on the Official Plan Amendment, specifically including the additional avenues to be designated, the proposal to permit larger buildings near transit, and to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee by the end of 2025.

That:

1. City Council amend draft Official Plan Amendment 778 in Attachment 1 to the report (January 2, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning by:

a. deleting Part 6;

6. Map 2, Urban Structure, is amended by adding the Avenues overlay to streets, as shown on the attached Appendix 1.; and

b. deleting Appendix 1.

2. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to hold public consultation on Appendix 1 to OPA 778 and Attachment 5 to the report (January 2, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and report back in conjunction with the additional work contemplated.

That:

1. City Council amend draft Official Plan Amendment 778 in Attachment 1 to the report (January 2, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning by deleting Part 1, Section 3.b.

Section to be deleted:

3.b. may go beyond the height and scale of a mid-rise building in Mixed Use Areas when located within a 500 to 800-metre walking distance of an existing or planned subway station, light rail transit station, or GO rail station as shown on Map 4. The greatest height and scale should be focused at the station.

2. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to hold public consultation on Part 1, Section 3.b. to Official Plan Amendment 778, including identification of affected sites and additional detail about the intended potential built forms, and report back in conjunction with the additional work contemplated.

That:

1. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to conduct robust public consultation on the additional work contemplated regarding the avenues and their land uses and designations through a professionally prepared public campaign to promote awareness and more inclusive participation, and to ensure that impacted properties along the Avenues receive direct hard-copy notification and supporting information.

That City Council amend Part 2 of the motion by Councillor Perks by adding the following new parts:

e. additional analysis on infrastructure capacity along Avenues;

f. traffic operations assessment for developments along Avenues. 

so that Part 2 now reads as follows:

2. For newly identified Avenues and Avenues that have not been previously studied, City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to bring forward potential amendments to land use designation and zoning once a comprehensive review process has been completed, which will include:

a. prioritization of work to re-designate and rezone lands along Avenues that are within a 500 to 800-metre walking distance of existing or planned subway, light rail transit, and MTSAs as the first phase of work, prior to commencing work to re-designate and rezone lands along Avenues that are only served by frequent surface transit.

b. consultation with local Councillors and development of community consultation materials that clearly show:

i. areas recently upgraded to major streets and not subject to avenue consideration;

ii. areas recently upgraded to major streets and under consideration as avenues; and

iii. other areas for avenue consideration;

c. additional analysis on potential impacts of redevelopment at a mid-rise scale where properties that are designated neighbourhoods along Avenues have a reversed frontage;

d. additional analysis of parking considerations for new avenues where there is no higher order transit;

e. additional analysis on infrastructure capacity along Avenues;

f. traffic operations assessment for developments along Avenues.