Item - 2015.PG4.5

The Planning and Growth Management Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council direct that the proposed Official Plan Amendment containing the proposed revised environmental policies appended to the report (April 15, 2015) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning as Attachments 1and 2 be endorsed as the basis for consultation at an open house scheduled for June 18, 2015.

2.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director City Planning to prepare a Final Recommendation Report with a proposed Official Plan Amendment containing revised environmental policies to the Planning and Growth Management Committee in September 2015.

3.  City Council direct that the Final Recommendations Report tabled at the September 2015 meeting of Committee be considered at a statutory Public Meeting at the Planning and Growth Management Committee in October 2015.

4.  City Council receive the Consultant's summary report of public consultations on the draft policies appended as Attachment 3 to the report (April 15, 2015) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

This report presents the results of the consultations on the draft environmental policies as part of the Five Year Review of the Official Plan and the proposed designation of sixty-eight new and expansion of fourteen existing Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs).  Based on the feedback and comments received during the public consultations, the draft environmental policies have been further refined.  A proposed Official Plan Amendment is appended as Attachment 1 to this report and contains a series of proposed policy revisions to the environment policies including two new maps. The proposed Official Plan Amendment is not an omnibus replacement of the Plan's policies to the Environment, but rather contains a series of specific strategic policy revisions. Attachment 2 illustrates how the Official Plan would read if the proposed amendments are adopted.

The public consultation process included open houses, meetings with residents associations and roundtables on climate change and the environment. Throughout the consultation process participants expressed support for the draft environmental policies, the proposed designation of new ESAs and made suggestions for enhancements to the policies and explanatory text.

The proposed Official Plan Amendment will bring the Official Plan into conformity with the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement.  The City's conformity requirements under the Greenbelt Act will be addressed through a separate Official Plan Amendment to be brought forward September 2015.  The revised policies and text are also intended to assist the City in meeting the challenges presented by climate change and strengthen existing policies on energy conservation and efficiency, biodiversity, natural heritage, natural hazards, ESAs, provincially significant areas, lakefilling and green infrastructure.

Taken together, the proposed policies and ESA designations are intended to strengthen and build upon the strong environmental vision contained throughout the current Official Plan and enhance the policy framework enabling the City to continue being a leader in environmental initiatives over the coming decades.