Item - 2012.PG17.7
Tracking Status
- City Council adopted this item on October 2, 2012 with amendments.
- This item was considered by Planning and Growth Management Committee on September 13, 2012 and was adopted with amendments. It will be considered by City Council on October 2, 2012.
PG17.7 - Official Plan Review: Employment Uses Policies
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Amended
- Wards:
- All
City Council Decision
City Council on October 2, 3 and 4, 2012, adopted the following:
1. City Council endorse the following policy directions as the basis for public consultation:
a. Strengthen the Official Plan's policies to target new office space construction in Downtown, the Centres and areas with higher order transit;
b. Strengthen the Official Plan's policies to clearly integrate land use policy for offices with transit provision and economic development initiatives;
c. Preserve 'core' areas of Employment Areas for industrial uses;
d. Designate areas within the Employment Areas to provide for retail commercial uses and services, including:
i. areas where major retail and a variety of other services are permitted, generally on major roads on the edges of the Employment Areas, except where the employment district has insufficient land to accommodate core employment functions; and
ii. areas where all retail commercial uses are permitted as well as other services, generally areas that now function as commercial ribbons or concentrations;
e. Identify 'Business Parks' where there are concentrations of offices in the existing Employment Areas and allow a mix of uses that would provide better amenity for the offices, including restaurants and other services for the employees, and provide for residential development on district edges near rapid transit stations provided it is in a mixed use development that includes offices and provides for intensification of employment uses;
f. Consider policies addressing requirements for mixing uses in Mixed Use and Regeneration Areas, including mechanisms for implementing such requirements, such as the use of conditional zoning or holding by-laws; and
g. Explore policy options to control commercial office demolition.
2. City Council request the Province to issue a regulation prescribing conditions for zoning that would enable the City to require employment space to be built in conjunction with residential space.
3. City Council forward this Item to the Economic Development Committee and the Planning and Growth Management Committee to be considered at a special joint meeting of the Economic Development and Planning and Growth Management Committees on October 16, 2012 on the Economic Growth Plan 2012-2014.
Background Information (Committee)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-49723.pdf
(August 27, 2012) Attachment 1 - Executive Summary of the Study, 'Sustainable Competitive Advantage and Prosperity - Planning for Employment Uses in Toronto,' by Malone Given Parsons Ltd with Cushman and Wakefield, Real Estate Search Corporation and The Centre for Spatial Economics.
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-49775.pdf
(September 13, 2012) Powerpoint Presentation by John Genest, Principal. Malone, Given, Parsons Ltd.
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-50114.pdf
Communications (Committee)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31506.pdf
(September 11, 2012) Letter from Adam J. Brown, Sherman Brown Dryer-Karol, Barristers and Solicitors (PG.New.PG17.7.2)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31507.pdf
(September 11, 2012) Letter from Michael Bissett, MCIP, RPP, Bousfields Inc. (PG.New.PG17.7.3)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31509.pdf
(August 31, 2012) Letter from Barry A. Horosko, Bratty and Partners LLP (PG.New.PG17.7.4)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31516.pdf
(September 12, 2012) Letter from Lindsay Dale-Harris, M.Sc.Pl., MCIP, RPP, Bousfields Inc. (PG.New.PG17.7.5)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31537.pdf
(September 12, 2012) Letter from Danielle Chin, MCIP, RPP, Municipal Government Advisor, Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) (PG.New.PG17.7.6)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31539.pdf
Motions (City Council)
That City Council amend Planning and Growth Management Committee Recommendation 3 by deleting the words "for its information" and replacing with "and Planning and Growth Management Committee to be considered at a special joint meeting of the Economic Development and Planning and Growth Management Committees on October 16, 2012 on the Economic Growth Plan 2012-2014" so that the Recommendation now reads:
3. City Council forward this Item to the Economic Development Committee and Planning and Growth Management Committee to be considered at a special joint meeting of the Economic Development and Planning and Growth Management Committees on October 16, 2012 on the Economic Growth Plan 2012-2014.
Vote (Amend Item) Oct-03-2012 6:29 PM
| Result: Carried | Majority Required - PG17.7 - Thompson - motion 1 |
|---|---|
| Total members that voted Yes: 37 | Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Ana Bailão, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Gary Crawford, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Mike Del Grande, Frank Di Giorgio, Sarah Doucette, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mary Fragedakis, Mark Grimes, Doug Holyday, Norman Kelly, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Peter Milczyn, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, John Parker, James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Total members that voted No: 1 | Members that voted No are John Filion |
| Total members that were Absent: 7 | Members that were absent are Michelle Berardinetti, Josh Colle, Vincent Crisanti, Giorgio Mammoliti, Joe Mihevc, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Karen Stintz |
Vote (Adopt Item as Amended) Oct-03-2012 6:30 PM
| Result: Carried | Majority Required - PG17.7 - Adopt the item as amended |
|---|---|
| Total members that voted Yes: 36 | Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Ana Bailão, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Gary Crawford, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Frank Di Giorgio, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mary Fragedakis, Mark Grimes, Norman Kelly, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Peter Milczyn, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, John Parker, James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Total members that voted No: 1 | Members that voted No are Mike Del Grande |
| Total members that were Absent: 8 | Members that were absent are Michelle Berardinetti, Josh Colle, Vincent Crisanti, Doug Holyday, Giorgio Mammoliti, Joe Mihevc, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Karen Stintz |
PG17.7 - Official Plan Review: Employment Uses Policies
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Amended
- Wards:
- All
Committee Recommendations
The Planning and Growth Management Committee recommends that:
1. City Council endorse the following policy directions as the basis for public consultation:
a. Strengthen the Official Plan's policies to target new office space construction in Downtown, the Centres and areas with higher order transit;
b. Strengthen the Official Plan's policies to clearly integrate land use policy for offices with transit provision and economic development initiatives;
c. Preserve 'core' areas of Employment Areas for industrial uses;
d. Designate areas within the Employment Areas to provide for retail commercial uses and services, including:
i. areas where major retail and a variety of other services are permitted, generally on major roads on the edges of the Employment Areas, except where the employment district has insufficient land to accommodate core employment functions; and
ii. areas where all retail commercial uses are permitted as well as other services, generally areas that now function as commercial ribbons or concentrations;
e. Identify 'Business Parks' where there are concentrations of offices in the existing Employment Areas and allow a mix of uses that would provide better amenity for the offices, including restaurants and other services for the employees, and provide for residential development on district edges near rapid transit stations provided it is in a mixed use development that includes offices and provides for intensification of employment uses;
f. Consider policies addressing requirements for mixing uses in Mixed Use and Regeneration Areas, including mechanisms for implementing such requirements, such as the use of conditional zoning or holding by-laws;
g. Explore policy options to control commercial office demolition.
2. City Council request the Province to issue a regulation prescribing conditions for zoning that would enable the City to require employment space to be built in conjunction with residential space.
3. City Council forward the report to the Economic Development Committee for its information.
Decision Advice and Other Information
The Planning and Growth Management Committee referred the following motion to the City Manager and the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B, for consideration and report to the appropriate Committee:
That staff explore policy options to prevent Build Toronto from converting commercially zoned lands and create commercial criteria for lands transferred to Build Toronto in specific employment districts.
Origin
Summary
This report presents for Council's consideration, directions for changes to the Official Plan's policies for employment, as part of the Five-Year Review of the Official Plan. These policy directions will inform the next phase of the employment policy review, resulting in a further report to Council later this Fall with draft Official Plan policies refining these policy directions.
The policy directions arise out of a consultant's study of employment uses across the City. The study concludes that there is potential for a large amount of growth in the City's employment over the coming decades, but that this growth will bring increasing competition for a finite land base.
Planning for employment uses in Toronto will not be business as usual. Sustaining Toronto's competitive advantage and prosperity will require a new focus on targeting new office space construction, along with continued preservation of the land base for industrial employment (manufacturing, warehousing, construction, wholesaling, utilities and the like).
The key directions for changes to the employment policies in the Official Plan are:
1. Strengthen the Plan's policies to clearly integrate land use policy for offices with transit provision and economic development initiatives, and to target new office space construction in Downtown, the Centres and other transit corridors.
2. Preserve 'core' areas of Employment Areas for industrial uses.
3. Accommodate retail and various other services on the edges of Employment Areas.
4. Consider policies addressing requirements for mixing residential and non-residential uses in Mixed Use and Regeneration Areas, including mechanisms for implementing requirements such as the use of conditional zoning or holding by-laws.
These directions will be the subject of further consultation before a final set of policy amendments is brought forward in Spring 2013.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-49723.pdf
(August 27, 2012) Attachment 1 - Executive Summary of the Study, 'Sustainable Competitive Advantage and Prosperity - Planning for Employment Uses in Toronto,' by Malone Given Parsons Ltd with Cushman and Wakefield, Real Estate Search Corporation and The Centre for Spatial Economics.
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-49775.pdf
(September 13, 2012) Powerpoint Presentation by John Genest, Principal. Malone, Given, Parsons Ltd.
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-50114.pdf
Communications
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31506.pdf
(September 11, 2012) Letter from Adam J. Brown, Sherman Brown Dryer-Karol, Barristers and Solicitors (PG.New.PG17.7.2)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31507.pdf
(September 11, 2012) Letter from Michael Bissett, MCIP, RPP, Bousfields Inc. (PG.New.PG17.7.3)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31509.pdf
(August 31, 2012) Letter from Barry A. Horosko, Bratty and Partners LLP (PG.New.PG17.7.4)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31516.pdf
(September 12, 2012) Letter from Lindsay Dale-Harris, M.Sc.Pl., MCIP, RPP, Bousfields Inc. (PG.New.PG17.7.5)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31537.pdf
(September 12, 2012) Letter from Danielle Chin, MCIP, RPP, Municipal Government Advisor, Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) (PG.New.PG17.7.6)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/comm/communicationfile-31539.pdf
Speakers
Councillor Paula Fletcher
Motions
That staff also explore policy options to:
1. control commercial office demolition
2. Build Toronto from converting commercially zoned lands and create commercial criteria for lands transferred to Build Toronto in specific employment districts.
In accordance with the reference in the report to "Local Considerations" that Recommendation 1. d. i. of the report (August 27, 2012) from the Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, be amended by adding at the end the following:
"except where the employment district has insufficient land to accommodate core employment functions."
That Part 2 of Councillor Vaughan's motion be referred to the City Manager and Deputy City Manager, Cluster B.