Item - 2026.PH27.8

The Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Development Review, to review potential amendments to the definition of and requirements for loading spaces in Zoning By-law 569-2013.

The recommendations in this report build on work started in 2021 to review the parking standards in the City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013. These standards were originally adopted by City Council in 2013, based on a series of studies conducted between 2005 and 2007. The first phase of this review resulted in amendments to the standards for automobile and bicycle parking in 2022. The second phase resulted in amendments to accessible parking, bicycle parking, and minor amendments to visitor parking in 2025. City Council directed staff to continue the work to review visitor parking standards.

This report does not recommend any changes to the visitor parking standards in Zoning By-law 569-2013. As a result of changes to the Planning Act in April 2024 through the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024 (Bill 185), municipalities are no longer able to require the provision or maintenance of parking (other than bicycle parking) in Major Transit Station Areas, which includes much of Parking Zone A. Additional analysis of visitor parking utilization through the parking monitoring program suggests the current visitor parking standards in Zoning By-law 569-2013 for Parking Zone B and All Other Areas of the City are adequate.

To address concerns related to pick-up and drop-off, this report recommends a further review of the loading space definition and requirements in Zoning By-law 569-2013 to reflect changes in demand and use for loading spaces.

Work being done as part of the City's Strategic Parking Framework will develop and implement a framework for managing parking on an area-basis to further address challenges associated with varying demand for parking. Staff will also continue the parking monitoring program to monitor parking in new developments and report back to council on the impact of Bill 185.

This reports also provides an update on Council requests to explore the feasibility of requirements for information about area parking supply in agreements of purchase and sale and including visitor parking information in the Application Information Centre.

There are no financial impacts associated with this initiative in current and future years.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the information as presented in the Financial Impact section.