Item - 2015.PG2.8

The Planning and Growth Management Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council adopt the amended Council-approved prioritization system and criteria, as shown in Attachments 1A-16A to the report (February 3, 2015) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2.  City Council authorize a revised West Queen West boundary for study as a potential Heritage Conservation District, and identify the revised area shown in Attachment 1B to the report (February 3, 2015) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, as the Heritage Conservation District Study Area for the district.

3.  City Council authorize the following areas for study as potential Heritage Conservation Districts:  Baby Point, Bloor West Village, Cabbagetown Southwest, the Distillery District, and Kensington Market, and identify the areas shown in Attachments 2B-8B to the report (February 3, 2015) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, as the Heritage Conservation District Study Areas for each authorized district.

4.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to initiate the study of the West Queen West, Distillery District and Kensington Market districts in 2015, as a result of the application of the prioritization criteria.

5.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to initiate the study of Baby Point, Bloor West Village, Cabbagetown Southwest and Casa Loma in 2016, as a result of the application of the prioritization criteria.

6.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to review the nomination process for Heritage Conservation Districts and to develop criteria to evaluate the quality and merit of nominations for Heritage Conservation District studies.

City Council has supported the development of a prioritization process to determine the sequence in which City Planning will conduct Heritage Conservation District (HCD) studies. This process was developed and adopted by Council in 2012. Nominated HCD study areas are assessed for intensity of development activity, existing level of heritage protection, the overall fragility of the area and City planning priorities as key criteria. Prioritization also takes into account the allocation of staff resources, Council direction and other considerations.

Staff have reviewed 16 nominated HCDs. Based on the prioritization analysis, staff have identified three potential HCDs for study in 2015, and five for study in 2016. Staff have also made minor refinements to the methodology for determining priority under each of the criteria, and recommend that potential archaeological resources be added as a fifth criterion.

As a result of the prioritization process it is recommended that West Queen West, Kensington Market and the Distillery District be studied as potential heritage conservation districts in 2015. In addition, five potential HCDs have been recommended for study in 2016: Baby Point, Bloor West Village, Cabbagetown Southwest, Casa Loma and the Kingsway.