Minutes Confirmed on April 5, 2024

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council receive the report (February 13, 2024) from the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building for information.

On December 14, 2022, Toronto City Council adopted a new regulatory framework including amendments to the Zoning Bylaw, to permit multi-tenant houses (also known as rooming houses) across Toronto. City Council also adopted a new Multi-Tenant Houses Licensing Bylaw, which will introduce consistent standards, regulatory oversight and enforcement to help protect the safety of tenants and respond to neighbourhood concerns. The new zoning and licensing bylaws will apply as of March 31, 2024.

Toronto Building, in collaboration with Toronto Fire Services, has completed an evaluation of the Ontario Building Code requirements for multi-tenant houses. This work was undertaken with support from a third-party Building Code Consultant who has expertise in fire protection engineering. The objective was to identify ways to help multi-tenant house operators find alternative and cost-effective solutions to common challenges which they may face in achieving compliance with prescriptive requirements of the Ontario Building Code and the companion requirements of the Ontario Fire Code. The purpose of this staff report is to provide City Council with an update on this work and identify how the results will be shared with the public.

It is important to note that this report is not a technical design guide. Toronto Building, in collaboration with divisional partners is developing public-facing guidelines, to be released at the end of March, that will assist designers and operators with compliance and help to facilitate and expedite the building permit approvals process. This work also aligns with other programs, such as the proposed "Multi-Tenant Homes Renovation Program" also being considered by the Planning and Housing Committee.

The Code compliance issues identified by stakeholders have been long standing. A conversion of housing that was originally constructed as a single dwelling unit to a multi-tenant dwelling is challenging and complex. Issues include determining necessary upgrades, but also how to incorporate them in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Through reviews of Toronto-based case-studies, the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Fire Code, and a jurisdictional analysis, the study concluded that developing a single package of generic alternative compliance options is not the most efficient approach for designers, or cost-effective for operators. Instead, the review identified a package of fire protection and life safety requirements that were most challenging and presented barriers to compliance. Each was evaluated by the Code Consultant for compliance options, or alternative solutions related to the Ontario Building Code requirements, and compliance paths were identified.  

These options are intended to provide designers, owners, and operators with a “menu” of available means to achieve compliance so that they can determine which is the most practical solution when considering costs, timing/duration of construction, and disruption to tenants, among other criteria. There are many options available and likely a high degree of variability of work that may be necessary for any particular building to comply with the Ontario Building Code.

Toronto Building is now working to facilitate and expedite the permit review and inspection process through the development of clear public-facing guidelines and checklists. Through the Toronto Building's Program Review initiative, the Division has also established a City-Wide Priorities Team dedicated to supporting Council identified priorities, such as multi-tenant housing.

This report has been written in consultation with Toronto Fire Services, Municipal Licensing and Standards, City Planning, and the Housing Secretariat.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Executive Director and Chief Building Official, Toronto Building, Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services, and Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to establish the Multi-Tenant Houses Renovation Program (the “Program”) and provide grant funding to eligible multi-tenant house operators (“Operators”) under the Program, in accordance with the Program guidelines as described in Attachment 1, to the report (February 13, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and such additional parameters as may be determined by the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and subject to available Council approved funding within the Housing Secretariat’s annual operating budget.

2. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to negotiate and execute, on behalf of the City, any agreements with eligible Operators selected under the Program to secure the financial assistance being provided and to set out the terms for the funding, renovation, and operation of multi-tenant housing, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

3. City Council authorize up to 250 multi-tenant house rooms to be secured through the Program to be eligible for waivers of planning application and building permit fees, as outlined in the Financial Impact Section of the report (February 13, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat. 

4. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to support the selected Operators with any applications to the federal or provincial governments to secure funding to support the renovation of affordable rental housing under the Program, and to execute any agreements or other documents required with respect to same, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

5. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to execute, on behalf of the City, any security or financing documents or any other documents required to facilitate the funding process, including any documents required by  the selected Operators to complete third party financing and refinancing, when required during the term of the City's agreement with the selected Operators or their successors, as required by normal business practices, and provided that such documents do not give rise to financial obligations on the part of the City that have not been previously approved by City Council.

6. City Council reiterate requests to the federal and provincial governments to:

a. allocate new and enhanced investments to support repairs and modernization of the city’s existing multi-tenant housing stock; and

b. establish an acquisition program to support acquisitions and renovations/conversions for at-risk private market rental properties, including multi-tenant houses, or provide funding to augment the City’s Multi-Unit Residential Acquisitions (“MURA”) Program.

Multi-tenant houses (also known as rooming houses) are a critical component of the housing continuum and provide accommodation to diverse communities, including students, seniors, new immigrants, low-income residents, and people exiting homelessness. In recognition of the urgent need to protect this type of rental housing stock, in December, 2022, through Item 2023.CC2.1, City Council adopted the New Regulatory Framework for Multi-Tenant Houses (“Multi-Tenant Houses Framework”).

The Multi-Tenant Houses Framework will come into effect on March 31, 2024, and includes: an updated city-wide zoning approach to permit multi-tenant houses in all areas of the city, subject to zone-specific requirements; a new licensing by-law; and a phased and collaborative approach to licensing and enforcement. The framework is rooted in a human rights-based approach to housing and its implementation will help the City adhere to its commitments under the Toronto Housing Charter – Opportunity for All. Specifically, implementation of the new framework will extend consistent regulation of multi-tenant houses across the City, with the aim that more homes are being maintained in a state of good repair and living conditions are improved for tenants. Through implementation of the framework, the City also aims to secure affordability and availability of this type of rental housing stock.

To support implementation of the Multi-Tenant Houses Framework, in 2020 the Planning and Housing Committee directed the Housing Secretariat to develop and report back on a new incentives program to assist eligible property owners to comply with Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Code requirements that are needed to obtain a license. This report responds to the Committee’s request and recommends approval of a new ‘Multi-Tenant Houses Renovation Program’ (the “Program”) focused on improving living conditions and housing stability for tenants; preventing the loss of existing multi-tenant housing stock; and supporting eligible operators with complying with the new framework. 

To achieve the intended objectives, the proposed Program will provide grant funding and/or financial incentives (planning application and building permit fee waivers) to eligible property owners to address a broad range of costs directly related to improving safety and building conditions for tenants and bringing properties into compliance with the Zoning By-law, Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Codes. A funding allocation of $2 million for the first year of implementation has been approved in the Housing Secretariat’s 2024 Operating Budget and will provide staff with the flexibility to be responsive as issues arise during implementation. Additionally, where City funding and/or financial incentives are provided to support substantial repairs or renovations, the Program will require operators to operate as a licensed multi-tenant rental house for a minimum term of 15 years, and operators must not apply for any rent increases above the guideline as identified in the Residential Tenancies Act in connection with any of the improvements funded through the Program. Public investments will be secured through legal instruments and will be repayable by operators in the event of non-compliance.

The Program described in Attachment 1 is a preliminary model which will continue to be refined and improved based on qualitative and quantitative data and evidence, including feedback from tenants and operators. Staff will develop an evaluation framework, collect data and report back to Council by Q4 2024 with an interim Program update and recommendations to improve the program. An update will be provided to Council in 2025, concurrent with a report back on the first year of implementation of the Multi-Tenant Houses Framework and may provide additional recommendations.

The Program recommended in this report was developed in consultation with several City Divisions involved in the implementation of new Multi-Tenant Houses Framework, including City Planning, Municipal Licensing & Standards, Toronto Building, Toronto Office of Emergency Management, and Toronto Fire. It was also informed through engagement with housing operators, the City’s Tenant Advisory Committee, post-secondary institutions, and housing rights advocates. The Housing Secretariat will continue to engage with operators participating in the Program, tenants living in multi-tenant houses, housing advocates, the Tenant Advisory Committee, and the newly formed Housing Rights Advisory Committee, to ensure continued efficacy of the Program.

Implementation of the Program will support delivery of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan and the Generational Transformation of Toronto’s Housing System to Urgently Build More Affordable Homes report (Item EX9.3), both of which are focused on increasing residents’ access to safe, secure and adequate homes in all neighbourhoods across Toronto.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to undertake broad public and stakeholder consultation on the proposed policy directions (Attachment 1) in the report (February 12, 2024) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and report back with recommended Official Plan Amendments in the fourth quarter of 2024.

2. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to explore the proposed policy direction and mapping changes for certain City-owned sites adjacent to existing Avenues with potential to support the delivery of housing, from among those identified in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report - 2023.EX9.3 (dated November 8, 2023).

3. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to consider redesignation of lands identified as areas of transition from Neighbourhoods to Mixed-Use to better facilitate mid-rise development on Avenues.

The Project Manager, Official Plan and Legislation, City Planning and the Project Coordinator, City Planning gave a presentation on Housing Action Plan: Avenues Policy Review.

For decades, Toronto’s major transportation thoroughfares have been an important part of the City’s strategy to manage growth and accommodate intensification. Through the Housing Action Plan (HAP) 2022-2026, Council directed City Planning to review the City’s Official Plan to ensure that it aligns with the need for more housing in areas of the City that can accommodate more residential opportunities. As part of the Housing Action Plan Work Plan, the Avenues Policy Review examines opportunities to enable more housing by looking at four areas of focus: update the vision and policy direction for how Avenues will develop, extend and potentially introduce new Avenues, explore opportunities to streamline study requirements for new development along Avenues, and consider opportunities to create areas of transition between Avenues and Neighbourhoods to enable more housing.

This report recommends that staff undertake public and stakeholder consultation on the proposed policy directions (Attachment 1) and report back with recommended Official Plan Amendments and mapping in the fourth quarter of 2024. This report also provides emerging policy directions related to areas of transition that support the delivery of housing on certain City-owned sites adjacent to existing Avenues, and seeks direction to advance the review and evaluation of potential built form outcomes that can inform future policy direction.

The Official Plan policy framework for the Avenues has enabled and attracted growth. The City’s latest Development Pipeline bulletin (January 2017 - June 2022) reported that Avenues contained the most proposed projects of any of the Official Plan’s growth management areas. These 637 projects account for over 160,000 residential units and over 1 million square metres of non-residential gross floor area representing 23 percent of the city’s proposed units and 8 percent of its proposed non-residential gross floor area.

With the Avenues increasingly becoming a more important part of the Official Plan’s Urban Structure, partly due to continued public transit investment, the City is presented with an opportunity to update the Avenues policy framework and geography.

This report draws on the twenty years of experience applying the Avenues policies and lessons learnt from studying approximately 80 km of Avenues to both advance the objectives of the Housing Action Plan and several important city-building goals, including:

• increasing housing supply;
• introducing more housing options in existing communities;
• making better use of existing hard infrastructure;
• supporting and enhancing transit in existing communities;
• building more inclusive and complete communities by supporting new community services and facilities (i.e., libraries, parks, schools, childcare centres, etc.) and new local retail and service uses varying in type and scale;
• enhancing the public realm by creating an attractive, safe, and comfortable pedestrian environment that encourages walking; and
• facilitating the development of complete streets.

The Avenues Policy Review is only one of several action items in the Housing Action Plan that supports the objective of enabling additional housing supply across Toronto’s Major Streets and Avenues. Other related action items include: the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) Major Streets Study, Updates to Mid-rise Rear Transition Performance Standards Urban Design Guidelines, as-of-right Zoning for Mid-rise Buildings on Avenues, and Expanding Mixed Use Areas and Commercial Residential Zoning for new Mixed Use Areas. City Planning is actively working to advance these action items in a comprehensive and integrated manner.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Requested the Executive Director and Chief Building Official and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in collaboration with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to report to the Planning and Housing Committee in the third quarter of  2024 on measures to help scale up and expedite the approval and construction of garden suites, laneway suites, and multiplexes, including affordable housing and with consideration of standardized designs, financing options, and staff supports through the application and approvals process. 

2. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning include as part of the monitoring program consideration of incorporating the existing height permissions within the Ward 19 - Beaches-East York Pilot into the city-wide zoning bylaw for Garden Suites. 

3. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning include as part of the monitoring program consideration of the removal of all angular plane requirements for Garden Suites.

4. Requested the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in coordination with the Chief Technology Officer, Technology Services to undertake efforts to standardize and automate data collection and analysis of building permit applications to better monitor implementation of Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) initiatives, among other priorities. 

5. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back by the first quarter of 2025 with final recommendations on any proposed policy changes or zoning by-law amendments.

On February 2, 2022, City Council approved Official Plan Amendment 554 (OPA 554), related Site and Area Specific Policy 670 (SASP 670) and Zoning By-law Amendment 101-2022 to permit garden suites on properties in most residential zones across the City. The amendments were appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), although the Tribunal dismissed the appeals after determining that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the appeals.

The amendments adopted by Council to permit garden suites are rooted in the principles to create complete communities and provide a full range of housing in terms of form, tenure, and affordability for residents across the City in a form that makes efficient use of land. A "garden suite" is an additional self-contained living accommodation, usually located in the rear yard, but not on a public lane, and is separate or detached from the main house on the lot. Garden suites are generally smaller than the main house on the lot and are intended to function as rental housing as well as accommodation for a variety of types of household configurations and people in different stages of life. The Garden Suites Initiative is part of City Planning's Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) work program.

Along with approving the by-law and policy changes to permit garden suites across the City, City Council directed City staff to monitor the implementation of garden suites and  report on a range of matters to Planning and Housing Committee following the earlier of two years following the date the Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments came into full force and effect or following the issuance of the 200th building permit for the construction of new garden suites. Building permit application numbers indicate a slower uptake in garden suite applications than laneway suites, with only 97 issued at the time of this report. As such, City Planning is recommending that the monitoring period be extended to ensure enough data is available in order to recommend any necessary policy and zoning changes necessary to facilitate the construction of garden suites. This report summarizes the planned monitoring program and presents preliminary findings following the analysis of 126 minor variance applications that propose a garden suite.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services to enter into any necessary agreements with Canada Lands Company Ltd. and Northcrest Developments to secure resources for the City for continued planning within the Downsview Secondary Plan area, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

In March of 2022, the City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Parc Downsview Park (a subsidiary of Canada Lands Company Ltd.) and Northcrest Developments to resource a dedicated City staff team to advance amendments to the Downsview Secondary Plan. This team will be bringing forward a suite of deliverables to City Council in May of this year. Moving forward there continues to be a robust work plan required to advance the planning of the Downsview area. This includes master planning for 15 District Plans, the initiation and implementation of Phases 3 and 4 of an extensive Environmental Assessment, detailed design work for various large-scale infrastructure elements and continued public consultation on the numerous applications within the Downsview area.

Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company have agreed to continued funding of a dedicated team to carry on this work. This report requests authorization for the City to enter into the necessary agreements to facilitate the continued resourcing.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1.  Deferred consideration of the item until the April 5, 2024 meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee. 

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 3.

Located on the south side of Danforth Avenue, east of Byron Avenue and west of Greenwood Avenue, the subject property at 1111 Danforth Avenue contains a two-storey buff brick building raised on a basement that was constructed in 1931 in the Neo-Gothic architectural style. The building was reconfigured from an unfinished apartment building to a funeral home when it was purchased by Lorne Willard Trull who engaged architect William Breden Galbraith (1885-1937) to redesign it for the Trull Funeral Home. In operation for over 100 years, the Trull Burial Company is one of the longest operating businesses on Danforth Avenue. The subject property is also associated with architect, William B. Galbraith, a prolific designer of substantial private houses located in the neighbourhoods of Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, Moore Park and Rosedale.

The subject property was listed on the Heritage Register in July 2022 as a result of the Danforth Avenue (Segment 2) Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment undertaken by City staff in 2021.

Following further research and evaluation, staff have determined that the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act under design/physical, historical/associative, and contextual vales. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.
 

The City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application in February 2022, and a Site Plan Application in March 2022 related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject property which also includes the property at 1095 Danforth Avenue. The City Clerk issued a complete application notice for the Zoning By-law Amendment application on March 15, 2022, and on May 12, 2022, for the Site Plan application. The proposed development would partially retain and integrate the existing listed building at 1111 Danforth Avenue into the new construction of a nine (9)-storey (plus mechanical) mid-rise building with commercial uses at-grade and residential rental units above. The existing building at 1095 Danforth Avenue would be demolished.

The City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application resubmission on January 31, 2023, and a Site Plan Application resubmission On February 1, 2023.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and will be considered when determining how a heritage property is to be conserved. An Heritage Impact Assessment and a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) completed by ERA Architects Inc. dated February 11, 2022, and revised December 9, 2022, were submitted to support the applications.

The applicant has provided a waiver with no expiry date to extend the 90-day timeline established under Bill 108 to designate the subject property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

At its meeting on January 18, 2024 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB13.3 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (January 2, 2024) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 3.

Located on the south side of Danforth Avenue, east of Byron Avenue and west of Greenwood Avenue, the subject property at 1111 Danforth Avenue contains a two-storey buff brick building raised on a basement that was constructed in 1931 in the Neo-Gothic architectural style. The building was reconfigured from an unfinished apartment building to a funeral home when it was purchased by Lorne Willard Trull who engaged architect William Breden Galbraith (1885-1937) to redesign it for the Trull Funeral Home. In operation for over 100-years, the Trull Burial Company is one of the longest operating businesses on Danforth Avenue. The subject property is also associated with architect, William B. Galbraith, a prolific designer of substantial private houses located in the neighbourhoods of Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, Moore Park and Rosedale.

The subject property was listed on the Heritage Register in July 2022 as a result of the Danforth Avenue (Segment 2) Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment that was undertaken by City staff in 2021.

Following further research and evaluation, staff have determined that the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act under design / physical, historical / associative, and contextual vales. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.

The City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application in February 2022, and a Site Plan Application in March 2022 related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject property. The City Clerk issued a complete application notice for the Zoning By-law Amendment application on March 15, 2022, and on May 12, 2022, for the Site Plan application. The proposed development includes the properties at 1095 and 1111 Danforth Avenue. The proposed development would partially retain and integrate the existing listed building at 1111 Danforth Avenue into the new construction of a nine (9)-storey (plus mechanical) mid-rise building with commercial uses at-grade and residential rental units above. The existing building at 1095 Danforth Avenue would be demolished.

The City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application resubmission on January 31, 2023, and a Site Plan Application resubmission On February 1, 2023.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and will be considered when determining how a heritage property is to be conserved. An Heritage Impact Assessment and a Cultural Heritage Evaluation

Report (CHER) completed by ERA Architects Inc. dated February 11, 2022, and revised December 9, 2022, were submitted to support the applications.

The applicant has provided a waiver with no expiry date to extend the 90-day timeline established under Bill 108 to designate the subject property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance; 80-86 Lynn Williams Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 3 to the report (February 8, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. If there are no objections to the designation, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council designating the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street - the A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse), under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 3.

The property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street is located in the Liberty Village neighbourhood, on the north side of Lynn Williams Street, mid-block between Hanna Avenue and Western Battery Road.

The property contains a 59-metre-long, brick warehouse building with a two-storey central mass flanked by one-storey wings constructed in 1928-29. The warehouse was constructed for the A. R. Williams Machinery Company which used the building as a warehouse and likely for manufacturing purposes until c.1946. By 1943 the west wing was being used by other companies as a welding shop and by 1948 the property had become the Liberty Storage Warehouse and operated in this capacity into the 1960s.

In 2005, the south half of the central portion of the warehouse was renovated for office use. The north half of the warehouse is currently vacant.

The A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse property, sometimes referred to as  the Liberty Storage Warehouse,  was listed on Toronto's Heritage Register on February 2, 2006. 

Staff have undertaken research and evaluation and determined that the property at

80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its  design / physical, historical / associative and contextual value. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria. The property is deemed to meet five of the nine criteria.

On October 18, 2023, the City received a zoning by-law amendment application to permit the development on site for a 43-storey mixed use building containing 588 dwelling units and retail at grade. The development proposes the retention of the south half of the warehouse at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street. The application includes the demolition and redevelopment of the north half of the warehouse. As of the date of this report, the Zoning By-law Amendment application has not been deemed complete.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and will be considered when determining how a heritage property is to be conserved. A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report for the property was prepared by E.R.A. Architecture, dated October 2, 2023.

Designation also enables City Council to review proposed alterations or demolitions to the property and enforce heritage property standards and maintenance.

At its meeting on February 15, 2024 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB14.1 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (January 29, 2024) from the Acting Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property

at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 3.

The property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street) - the A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse - is located in the Liberty Village neighbourhood, on the north side of Lynn Williams Street, mid-block between Hanna Avenue and Western Battery Road.

The property contains a 59-metre-long, brick warehouse building with a two-storey central mass flanked by one-storey wings constructed in 1928-29. The warehouse was constructed for the A. R. Williams Machinery Company which used the building as a warehouse and likely for manufacturing purposes until c.1946. By 1943 the west wing was being used by other companies as a welding shop and by 1948 the property had become the Liberty Storage Warehouse and operated in this capacity into the 1960s. In 2005, the south half of the central portion of the warehouse was renovated for office use. The north half of the warehouse is currently vacant.

The A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse property, sometimes referred to as  the Liberty Storage Warehouse,  was listed on Toronto's Heritage Register on February 2, 2006.

Staff have undertaken research and evaluation and determined that the property at

80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its design / physical, historical / associative and contextual value. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria. The property is deemed to meet five of the nine criteria.

On October 18, 2023, the City received a zoning by-law amendment application to permit the development on site for a 43-storey mixed use building containing 588 dwelling units and retail at grade. The development proposes the retention of the south half of the warehouse at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street. The application includes the demolition and redevelopment of the north half of the warehouse. As of the date of this report, the Zoning By-law Amendment application has not been deemed complete.

A Heritage Impact Assessment is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and will be considered when determining how a heritage property is to be conserved. A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report for the property was prepared by E.R.A. Architecture, dated October 2, 2023.

Designation also enables City Council to review proposed alterations or demolitions to the property and enforce heritage property standards and maintenance.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Deferred consideration of the item until the April 5, 2024 meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee. 

This report responds to an October 26, 2023 direction from the Planning and Housing Committee for the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building ("CBO") to review and report back with potential amendments to the Sign By-law (Chapter 694 of the Toronto Municipal Code) to streamline and provide greater clarity to the Sign By-law Amendment process, as well as ensure that Sign By-law Amendment applications are not being used as a substitute to the Sign Variance process.

Toronto's Sign By-law is a harmonized, City-wide set of regulations governing signs which was adopted in 2010. The Sign By-law contains a process for any member of the public to apply to Council to amend the Sign By-law to implement significant changes to the sign regulations for a specific property or area. Applications are commonly made requesting amendments to the Sign By-law to allow signs that are prohibited, to remove permissions for signs in an area, or to modify the administrative requirements of the Sign By-law. The Chief Building Official and Executive Director brings applications to amend the Sign By-law together on an annual basis for City Council consideration; this allows City Council to assess the overall and cumulative impact of these applications on the city's-built environment, and the Sign By-law itself.

In recent years, there has been a concern that a number of Sign By-law Amendment applications submitted to City Council do not reflect the intended scope of the Sign By-law amendment process. This report was requested to examine if these applications align with the intended amendment application scope or if they should be more suitably addressed through the Sign Variance process.

The report recommends modifications to the Sign By-law based on the results of sign industry consultation and feedback, as well as staff review of Sign Bylaw amendment applications that have been received over the past five years. The proposed changes aim to enhance the Sign By-law amendment application process, decrease the volume of Sign By-law amendment applications reviewed by the City Council, and ensure applications more appropriate for the Sign Variance Committee are routed accordingly, resulting in a more efficient use of City Council resources. The amendments recommended in this report will also help to eliminate any perception by members of the public that applicants gain unfair advantages by manipulating sign approval processes or through offering donations other benefits, increasing trust and confidence in the sign approvals.

The recommendations proposed in this report include delegating authority to the Chief Building Official to directly submit Bills to City Council for updating the Schedule A, Maps (Sign District Maps) in the Sign By-law where City Council has changed the Official Plan and/or Zoning designation of a property, bypassing the need for reports to the Planning and Housing Committee and City Council. The Chief Building Official and Executive Director is also proposing amendments to provide the Chief Building Official and Executive Director with authority to stream applications for Sign Variances and Sign By-law Amendment according to the substantive nature of the application; and, to refuse Sign Variance and Sign By-law Amendment applications that are in contravention of applicable City of Toronto Policies and By-laws. Lastly, it recommends deleting criterion 694-30A(2) from the Sign Variance criteria in the Sign By-law to increase the flexibility of the Sign Variance process for third-party sign applicants.

The Sign By-law provides a comprehensive set of regulations for new signs, including regulations governing their size, height, illumination, and location, it also establishes sign districts to reflect the city’s character and has created open and transparent processes to obtain approvals for signs and properties. The recommendations in this report will enhance procedural fairness in sign approvals and will enhance the integrity of the Sign By-law Amendment and Sign Variances processes, both of which were developed through comprehensive engagement with the sign industry and input from the public.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to study as part of the Chapter One review of the Official Plan and implementation work:

a. how to best build more accessible housing units; and

b. limitations of the Neighbourhoods policy as it prevents more density and new accessible housing apartment units.

2. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee on it’s May 6, 2024 meeting, with an updated presentation which demonstrates how the Official Plan - Chapter 1 will incorporate accessibility considerations including AODA's Design of Public Spaces and the Toronto Accessibility Design Guidelines.

At its meeting on February 5, 2024, the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee considered Item DI5.2 and made recommendations to the Planning and Housing Committee.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Directed the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth, and the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, to include in their upcoming report to the Planning and Housing Committee consideration and analysis of the Hamilton Renovation and Tenant Relocation By-law and how that approach could be adopted by Toronto.

In the 2018-2022 term of City Council, the Planning and Housing Committee set up a subcommittee for the protection of affordable rental housing. This committee was set up expressly to deal with Renovictions – evictions where a landlord gives a tenant an N-13. An N-13 is supposed to be only used for renovations so substantial that a building permit is required and the unit must be empty to undertake them.

At the Subcommittee, many tenants and advocates spoke about their experiences of not understanding their rights, of being pushed hard to leave their home despite no evidence that renovations were going to be substantial as well as being offered money to sign away their rights and leave.

There were many instances where tenants left and while only cosmetic changes took place the rent was doubled or tripled in the same apartment. Many tenants have been forced out of their long time homes and neighbourhoods where they actually had the right to stay.

It became clear that an N-13 eviction notice should be tied in some way to a building permit. With the end of the 2022 term, the Committee ended without being able to advance this as a solution.

The City of Hamilton has now found a way to tie the N-13 to a building permit with their new Renovictions bylaw that requires landlords to obtain a Renovations Permit after they have issued an      N-13 to tenants. In Hamilton's bylaw passed in January 2024, the landlord has seven days to apply to the City for a Renovation License, which includes a building permit, an engineer's report to certify that the unit is not habitable during the construction, and a copy of the N-13 issued to the tenant.

If tenants exercise their formal right to move back into the unit under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, Hamilton's renovation license requires that that the landlord provide the tenant with suitable relocation assistance and share this information with the City.

This also triggers the City to provide information to tenants about their rights and the N-13 process including how tenants can file a right of first refusal.

The Hamilton By-law is a unique and innovative example of how City's can protect renters. We are seeking the Committee’s support to have the staff incorporate analysis of the Hamilton by-law into their upcoming report back on the renoviction by-law.

We ask all Committee members for their support. 

The Planning and Housing Commitee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to enact an Enhanced Minister’s Zoning Order pursuant to Section 47 of the Planning Act to permit a mixed use building as part of the Long-Term Care Development on the lands at 4000 Leslie Street, to include 528 licensed Long-Term Care beds, medical office, clinic, and retail space.

2. City Council authorize the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and her representative, to enter into an agreement under Section 47(4.3) of the Planning Act with the owner(s) of the land located at 4000 Leslie Street, and such agreement shall be registered on title to the lands to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the City Solicitor.

3. City Council authorize and direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and his representative, to amend and release any registered agreement, execute any necessary undertaking(s), and other required processes to give effect to the approval of the plans and drawings for the development at 4000 Leslie Street.

4. City Council request the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to undertake a review of the Enhanced Minister’s Zoning Order in two years from its issuance and if reasonable progress on the proposed development has not occurred, then the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing consider rescinding it after consultation with the City.

5. City Council request the Chief Building Official, Toronto Building, and their representative to work with the owner(s) of the land located at 4000 Leslie Street to ensure they are aware of all the required plans to obtain all necessary building permit.

North York General Hospital has been a cornerstone of Don Valley North and North York since it opened its doors in 1968. It has provided nearly five decades of exceptional health care and community care to an increasingly diverse population.

Today, North York is home to a growing seniors' population and has the highest percentage of people age 65 and older in Toronto. To meet the rapidly growing need for seniors' health care, North York General Hospital is planning to build a new and modern long-term care home steps from the hospital at 4000 Leslie Street. They announced this plan as part of the overall infrastructure expansion they are pursuing in partnership with the Ontario Government.

North York General Hospital's new long-term care home will be one of the largest in Ontario, if not Canada, and will offer the most advanced safety, infection prevention and control, and quality standards as one of the first home built post-pandemic. The home will offer a variety of seniors-focused health services and amenities for both residents and seniors in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

North York General Hospital has been working closely with City Planning, the Ministry of Long-Term Care, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to design this new long-term care home in line with City and Ministry standards. To enable the creation of this new facility, an Enhanced Minister's Zoning Order has been requested from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The Enhanced Minister's Zoning Order would expedite the planning approvals process and allow North York General Hospital to meet the Ministry of Long-Term Care's expected project delivery schedule.

The Enhanced Minister's Zoning Order includes site-specific provisions for maximum height, gross floor area, minimum setbacks, and parking requirements, among other technical matters. Further, the proposal will be subject to a development agreement with the City of Toronto that allows for an additional level of design review prior to construction.

The Planning and Housing Committee forwards the item to City Council without recommendation.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Requested the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report directly to the City Council meeting of March 20-22, 2024 describing matters in Zoning By-law 156-2023 that require correction or clarification, including advancing a corrective by-law under § 169-5.2(B) of the City of Toronto Municipal Code.

1. Council approved the new Multi-tenant House (MTH) Zoning By-law and Licensing Frameworks at their December 2022 meeting, and adopted Zoning By-law 156-2023 and the new MTH Zoning regulations and licensing requirements come into effect on March 31st, 2024.

2. Since the adoption of the new framework, City staff have worked across Divisions to develop procedures and guidance to ensure its smooth implementation, and to educate operators and tenants.

3. Planning staff have identified some technical and non-substantive items in the By-law that should be improved for implementation.

4. The zoning by-law, in its current form, does not include a comprehensive map of permissions, which makes it difficult to quickly understand how the new zoning regulations apply to specific properties. The wording of certain regulations is also unclear and could be improved to clarify how MTHs are permitted in relation to residential buildings like multiplexes, and to correct formatting issues with the parking standards table.

5. it is important to make technical corrections to prior to the March 31st roll-out to ensure the framework is implemented in accordance with Council’s decision, and provide clarity for Toronto’s multi-tenant house operators and tenants and their neighbours.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Province of Ontario to amend the Education Act for the purpose of adding secondary dwelling units to the list of exempted properties, regardless of whether the secondary dwelling unit is created within or ancillary to the principal residence.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1.  Directed the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to engage in discussions with the Toronto Catholic District School Board on this matter and report directly to the March 20, 2024 City Council meeting with any additional information.

On November 27, 2023, the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) adopted a new Education Development Charges Bylaw that reinstated education development charges on missing middle housing forms like laneway suites and garden suites. As a result, households in the process of obtaining building permits for the purpose of constructing these housing forms are now being asked to pay ~$3,600 in development charges, despite previous guidance that none would be payable. 

The decision to reinstate education development charges on missing middle housing forms is counterintuitive to the City of Toronto’s goal to expand housing options in neighbourhoods, the Province of Ontario’s goal to rapidly increase the supply of housing, and our collective goal to increase housing affordability writ large. Therefore, this letter requests that the Province of Ontario amend the Education Act for the purpose of adding secondary dwelling units such as garden suites and laneway houses to the list of properties exempted from education development charges, thereby eliminating this gap in legislation.

Announcements

The Chair acknowledged that the Planning and Housing Committee was meeting on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Chair also acknowledged that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Where the Members of the Planning and Housing Committee listed in the attendance for this meeting participated remotely, they were counted for quorum as permitted by Section 189(4.2) of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, and City Council's Procedures.