Item - 2013.EY22.44
Tracking Status
- This item was considered by Etobicoke York Community Council on February 26, 2013 and was adopted without amendment.
EY22.44 - Report Request on the Feasibility of a West Concrete Campus
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Adopted
Community Council Decision
Etobicoke York Community Council:
1. Requested staff from the Economic Development and Culture Division, in consultation with City Planning, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Facilities and Real Estate, Build Toronto, industry representatives and stakeholders, to explore the feasibility and financial mechanisms to encourage the development of a "Concrete Campus West", to assist and promote the relocation and consolidation of concrete production facilities within a state of the art campus, with up-to-date environmental controls and appropriate buffering as necessary. A report, including potential sites, is requested for the Etobicoke York Community Council meeting of May 14, 2013.
Origin
Summary
Concrete Batching Facilities have posed a number of challenges in the South Etobicoke area of Toronto yet are an integral part of the construction industry, requiring a central location within the city to support development being undertaken downtown and in the west end of Toronto. However, when located close to residential/sensitive uses there may be inherent land use conflicts and, as such, their location requirements need to be addressed.
This is not a new issue to the City. In 2004 when these conflicts began to emerge in the Fort York Neighbourhood, the City via the then Economic Development Culture and Tourism Division and the Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) took a comprehensive look at the establishment of a concrete campus in the Port Lands, undertaken through a recognized Planning process with appropriate community consultation and Council input. Separately, in 2007 the City finalized an agreement with Toronto Redi-Mix to do a land swap and re-situate a planned concrete batching plant and salt depot from 207 New Toronto Street to 200 Horner Avenue.
In South Etobicoke, there is a limited permission for concrete batching facilities. Two facilities at Judson and New Toronto Streets are grandfathered as permitted uses in an area that was rezoned to prohibit this industrial use because of proximity to sensitive residential land uses.
With these existing conflicts in mind, along with the Port Lands example, action should be taken to review mechanisms to encourage both better environmental controls on these sites, and most importantly, opportunities to promote relocation of these industries to more appropriate lands.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-56399.pdf