Item - 2012.TE17.19

City Council on July 11, 12 and 13, 2012, adopted the following:

1.         City Council adopt a revision to the text of the report (January 27, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design, by changing the third bullet point under the heading "East-West High Streets" (page 12) of the "1) Height Vision" section of the report to read:

"-         That portion of Queen Street West shown as a High Street on both sides of the street between Bay Street and James Street - removed;". 

2.         City Council adopt the "Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines", attached to the report (January 27, 2012) as Attachments 1 through 7 from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design, City Planning Division, with amendments to various attachments, as noted in Parts 3 to 12 below.

3.         City Council amend Attachment No. 5, being the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines, which forms part of the Downtown Tall Buildings Project – Consultant's Study, Public Consultation and Implementation report (January 27, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design, by revising Performance Standard No.15 - Tower Setback from the Podium, as shown in Attachment No. 2 of the report (June 11, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and Director, Urban Design.

4.         City Council adopt a revised Performance Standard No. 20 (Sunlight Protection for Parks and Open Space and Other Shadow Sensitive Areas) for the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines (forming part of Attachment No. 5 in the January 27, 2012 report), as shown in Attachment No. 1 of the report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design.

5.         City Council adopt a revised Performance Standard No. 22 (Protection of Heritage and Cultural Resources) for the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines (forming part of Attachment No. 5 in the January 27, 2012 report from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design), as shown in Attachment No. 2 of the report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design.

6.         City Council adopt revised wording for the "High Streets" section of the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines (forming part of Attachment No. 5 in the January 27, 2012 report from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design), as shown in Attachment No. 3 of the report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design. and revised mapping for the High Streets Map, Downtown Vision Height Map and High Streets Typologies Map (originally introduced as Attachment Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the January 27, 2012 report), that now make reference to special (heritage and use character) study areas along portions of Spadina Avenue and College Street, as shown in map Attachments Nos. 4, 5 and 6 of the report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design.

7.         City Council adopt revised mapping for 625 Church Street that shows the property as part of the High Streets, Downtown Vision Height and Typology Maps (originally introduced as Attachments Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the January 27, 2012 report from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design), at a revised height range of 47m to 77m, as shown in Attachments Nos. 4, 5 and 6 of the report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design.

8.         City Council adopt revised mapping that removes Leader Lane from the High Streets, Downtown Vision and Typology Maps (originally introduced as Attachments Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the January 27, 2012 report from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design), as shown in Attachments Nos. 4, 5 and 6 of the report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design, and also from Attachment No. 5, Table 2 - Secondary High Street Segments, of the January 27, 2012 report.

9.         City Council adopt revised mapping that corrects several mapping errors on Attachments 1, 2 and 3 of the January 27, 2012 report, as follows: Reinstates the east side of Church Street between Queen Street East and Adelaide Street as a "High Street" with an assigned height range of 62m to 107m and re-instates the assigned height range on the east side of Avenue Road between Yorkville Avenue and Lowther Street of 62m to 107m, all as shown in Map Attachments Nos. 4, 5 and 6 of the report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design.

10.       City Council amend Attachment No. 5, being the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines, which form part of the Downtown Tall Buildings Project - Consultant's Study, Public Consultation and Implementation report, dated (January 27, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design, by adding new sub-sections "vi" and "vii" to the section of the Guidelines, entitled "How to Use these Guidelines", as follows:

"vi.       The Guideline Maps and their stated height ranges along the "High  Streets" and "Secondary High Streets" are based on built form considerations only and do not replace the in-force zoned maximum height limits within the Downtown area captured by these Guideline Maps.

vii.       This Guideline creates a vision for Downtown tall buildings, identifying where those buildings belong and setting out height ranges and performance standards relating to these buildings and to their relationship to neighbouring properties and to their surroundings from a built-form perspective. It focuses on enhancing the pedestrian environment; minimizing shadowing of sidewalks, parks and public squares; protecting landmark views and heritage resources and improving the quality of life (access to natural light, sky views and privacy) for people living and working Downtown. In considering whether to permit a tall building, on a site by site basis, many other planning issues must be taken into account, including, but not limited to, the availability of adequate infrastructure, public transit, parks, community and cultural services and facilities, and schools and child care facilities. If it is determined that a tall building is supportable, and represents "good planning", this Guideline should be considered in directing the height and built-form of that building."

11.       City Council amend Attachment No. 5, being the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines, which forms part of the Downtown Tall Buildings Project - Consultant's Study, Public Consultation and Implementation report (January 27, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design, by adding new sub-section "viii" (to fit sequentially) to the section of the Guidelines, entitled "How to Use these Guidelines", as follows:

"viii.     The Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards are being presented as guidelines. As such, these guidelines are intended to provide a degree of certainty and clarity of common interpretation, however, as guidelines; they should also be afforded some flexibility in application, particularly when looked at cumulatively.  The guidelines are not intended to be applied or interpreted independently of each other.  Rather, the performance standards will work together to determine whether a tall building development application has successfully met the overall intent of these guidelines."

12.       City Council amend the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines, Attachment No. 5 - Revised Downtown Vision Height Map, of the Downtown Tall Buildings Project – Supplementary Report (May 25, 2012) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and the Director, Urban Design, by removing  6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 Glen Road; 4, 6, 58, 60, 62, 64, 76 and 100 Howard Street; and 603, 605, 607, 609, and 611 Sherbourne Street from the Map.

13.       City Council direct staff to use the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines in the evaluation of all new and current tall building development proposals falling within the Guideline boundaries.

14.       City Council direct the Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to consolidate the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards Design Guidelines with the City-wide tall building guidelines, entitled "Design Criteria for the Review of Tall Building Proposals", when these City-wide guidelines are further revised and modified in the Second Quarter of 2012.

15.       City Council direct the Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to bring forward a staff report identifying future implementation options for the Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Performance Standards, which include, but are not limited to, amendments to the City's Official Plan, Zoning By-law and use of other planning tools.

16.       City Council approve the addition of a new "Downtown Design Review District" and add Tall Building site plan and zoning amendment applications located in the Downtown to the City's Design Review Panel process for those applications that contain "significant public realm impacts" as a result of their location, scale, form or architectural quality.