Item - 2016.PG14.3

The Planning and Growth Management Committee recommends that:

1.   City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to work with the Province of Ontario and other appropriate bodies to obtain greater authority over the specifications of interior design and layout of buildings including individual unit layouts to ensure in quantitative terms, a view to the outside, from all bedrooms as the required outcome, and to report back to the January 11, 2017 Planning and Growth Management Committee meeting.

This report responds to City Council's (August 2014) direction that the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning in consultation with the Chief Building Official and Executive Director Toronto Building review all design guidelines affecting the built form of development to ensure that they are consistent with the objective of Article 3.7.2.1 of the Ontario Building Code (OBC) which is to provide bedrooms with a view to the outdoors.

Council’s request was submitted in response to a concern that some developments were being constructed with bedrooms located within residential units with no windows to the outside, resulting in living arrangements that could be uncomfortable and compromise the quality of the living environment for residents.  The report summarizes the OBC code provisions and design guidelines and outlines ways in which City staff are approaching this concern to achieve housing and public health policy objectives.

The Chief Building Official and Executive Director Toronto Building and the Medical Officer of Health were consulted in the writing of this report.