Item - 2017.PG21.4

The Planning and Growth Management Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council endorse in principle the draft Port Lands Official Plan modification to the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan attached as Attachment 1 to the report (May16, 2017) from the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B;

 
2.  City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B with Waterfront Toronto to complete and submit the Port Lands Planning Framework and final recommended Port Lands Official Plan modification to a Public Meeting of the Planning and Growth Management Committee on October 12, 2017;

 
3.  City Council endorse the recommended preferred street, transit and municipal servicing solutions for the Port Lands and South of Eastern Transportation and Servicing Master Plan (TSMP) attached as Attachment 2 to the report (May 16, 2017) from the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B;

 
4.  City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B to complete the Port Lands and South of Eastern Transportation and Servicing Master Plan (TSMP) based on the recommended preferred street, transit and municipal servicing solutions, issue the Notice of Completion and put the TSMP in the public record in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environment Assessment;

 
5.  City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to prepare an Official Plan Amendment to the City’s Official Plan for the street and transit infrastructure in the Unilever Precinct and the balance of the South of Eastern area to a Statutory Public Meeting of Planning and Growth Management Committee on October 12, 2017;

 
6.  City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the General Manager, Transportation Services, working in collaboration with Waterfront Toronto and other City Divisions and Agencies, to initiate:

 
a.  Phases 3 and 4 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process for the preferred Broadview extension alignment from Queen Street East to Unwin Avenue, and other associated Schedule C infrastructure projects to support redevelopment of the Unilever Precinct; and

b.  Phases 3 and 4 of the Municipal Class EA process for Commissioners Street from the Don Roadway to Leslie Street, and ensure coordination with Waterfront Transit Reset and any detailed design advanced by Waterfront Toronto for Commissioners Street between the realigned Cherry Street and Don Roadway;

 
7.  City Council direct the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to create a capital sub-project, the "Broadview and Commissioners Class Environmental Assessments," with cash flows of $2.8 million, funded from development charges from Reserve Fund XR2120 ($2.52 million) and the Transportation Services Engineering Studies account CTP816-02 ($0.28 million);  
 

8.  City Council request the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to include the applicable infrastructure projects required to meet the needs of the redevelopment of the Port Lands and the Unilever Precinct in the list of works considered for incorporation within the planned update to the City Development Charges By-Law, and refer them to the annual budget process;
 

9.  City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Transportation Services, the General Manager, Toronto Water, Waterfront Toronto and other applicable City Divisions and Agencies to prepare a work plan for the next phases of planning for the Port Lands and report to the October 12, 2017 Planning and Growth Management Committee meeting;

 
10.  City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B and the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to report back with a Business and Implementation Plan for the Port Lands, to be prepared by Waterfront Toronto working with City Planning, Corporate Finance, Financial Planning, Real Estate Services and other relevant City Divisions and Agencies;

11. City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B to consider a temporary north-south relief route west of Carlaw Avenue and the Don River (between Eastern Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East) in the development of any construction management plan(s) associated with the implementation of the Gardiner East and Lake Shore Boulevard East Environmental Assessment and/or Port Lands Flood Protection;

 
12.  City Council request the Waterfront Secretariat to coordinate with Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Waterfront Toronto and the Toronto Port Lands Company on implementation work plans for Turning Basin Park, the Leslie Green Portal and the Don Greenway south of the Ship Channel; and
 

13.  City Council request the Affordable Housing Office, the Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee and the local Councillor to participate in the preparation of the Business and Implementation Plan and investigate opportunities to achieve additional affordable housing in Villiers Island, over and above the minimum requirements in the draft Port Lands Official Plan modification, potentially in the form of cooperative housing, rent-geared-to-income housing and mid-range rental housing, addressing the financial resources required and potential sources of financial support.

The purpose of this interim report is to summarize the findings of the Port Lands Planning Framework and the Port Lands and South of Eastern Transportation and Servicing Master Plan (TSMP). The initiatives described in this report are a response to the Port Lands Acceleration Initiative (PLAI) which initially began in 2011.

The Port Lands is one of the most significant urban renewal opportunities in Toronto, but also a remarkable place today with its concentration of heritage resources, natural areas, active port and industrial uses that assist in building and maintaining the broader city, as well as numerous film studios and related uses that support Toronto’s film sector. An updated framework to guide and shape urban renewal is vital to ensure all development advanced in the near, medium and longer-terms will have lasting value and support long-term city building objectives.

Three major pieces of work are nearing completion that are setting in place a comprehensive, 50 plus year vision for the area that will provide a context for positive change, establish new and enhanced policy direction for the Port Lands and support continued employment growth in the South of Eastern area:

- The development of a Port Lands wide planning framework, referred to as the Port Lands Planning Framework, which will provide a high-level, long-term plan for the Port Lands with comprehensive policy directions;
- The Port Lands and South of Eastern Transportation and Servicing Master Plan (TSMP) EA which addresses streets, transit and municipal servicing in the Port Lands, excluding the Lower Don Lands area which is now being planned in more detail through the Port Lands Flood Protection project, and in the South of Eastern area north of Lake Shore Boulevard East between the Don River and Coxwell Avenue; and
- The development of a Precinct Plan for Villiers Island, the first of the future mixed-use neighbourhoods proposed within the Port Lands.
 

This report recommends that City Council endorse in principle modifications to the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan, and to bring forward the Port Lands Planning Framework and final recommended Official Plan modifications to the October 2017 Planning and Growth Management Committee. This report also seeks authorization for City staff to finalize the TSMP based on the recommended preferred street, transit and municipal servicing solutions, to issue the Notice of Completion, and to put the TSMP in the public record as required under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process.

In addition, this report identifies next steps for completing and finalizing the current Port Lands initiatives. A final report on the Port Lands Planning Framework and Villiers Island Precinct is anticipated for the October 2017 meeting of the Planning and Growth Management Committee. The report also recommends additional priority studies be undertaken and seeks authority to include relevant additional infrastructure in the City’s Development Charge review. Finally, the report recommends the preparation of a Port Lands Business and Implementation Plan.

Port Lands Planning Framework

The development of the Port Lands Planning Framework (the Framework) officially began in November 2013 as a joint collaboration between the City Planning Division and Waterfront Toronto. The Framework is a high-level, long-term plan that will provide the basis and rationale for modifications to the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan as it relates to the Port Lands. This report provides an overview of the findings of the Framework. The Framework will be a blueprint that will establish a refined and refreshed vision for the Port Lands, guiding the transformation and evolution of the Port Lands over the coming decades.

The development of the Framework to date has involved extensive consultation with stakeholders, area land owners and users, Toronto’s film sector, First Nations and the broader public. Additionally, the City and Waterfront Toronto engaged an Expert Review Panel to provide advice and feedback on emerging directions. The Framework was also presented and received support from the Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel.  

Port Lands and South of Eastern Transportation and Servicing Master Plan (TSMP) Environmental Assessment

The TSMP coordinates infrastructure planning in the Port Lands and South of Eastern area, including the Unilever Precinct. The TSMP assessed the street, surface transit and municipal servicing infrastructure in, and between, the two areas, leading to the identification of recommended preferred solutions. This report details the preferred solutions for City Council’s consideration and seeks authorization from Council to enable completion and filing of the Master Plan document as required in the Municipal Class EA process.

The TSMP was prepared with consideration for all previous Environmental Assessment work completed to date in the Port Lands area, including consideration of the Gardiner East Environmental Assessment, Don River and Central Waterfront Project and the update to the Waterfront Sanitary Servicing Master Plan. It supports the Framework and addresses additional infrastructure needed to support the realization of a major new office node in the Unilever Precinct, as well as continued employment growth in the balance of the South of Eastern area. Public consultation exceeded the requirements of the Municipal Class EA process to determine the preferred solutions, and coincided with the consultation program for the Framework. An Official Plan Amendment to the City’s Official Plan will be prepared to implement the outcomes of the TSMP in the South of Eastern area, to be brought forward to the October 2017 Planning and Growth Management Committee for its consideration.  

The TSMP completes Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class EA process. Phases 3 and 4 of the EA process are required to be completed for Schedule C projects identified in the TSMP. The remaining phases of the Municipal Class EA process are recommended to be undertaken in 2017 and 2018 for two priority Schedule C projects at an estimated capital cost of $2.8 Million. These include:

The Broadview Extension, from Queen Street East to Unwin Avenue, as well as other associated municipal streets in the Unilever Precinct, to support the redevelopment of the Unilever Precinct; and
Commissioners Street, from Don Roadway to Leslie Street, to ensure coordination with detailed design work for Commissioners Street west of the Don Roadway.
 

Port Lands Official Plan Modification

The development of the Framework endeavours to resolve the outstanding Port Lands specific appeals to the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan (CWSP), adopted by City Council in 2003 as an amendment to the former City of Toronto Official Plan, through the inclusion of comprehensive policy directions for the Port Lands. Given the CWSP remains under appeal at the Ontario Municipal Board, the Board will be requested to modify the CWSP to reflect the comprehensive policy directions.

A draft of the Official Plan modification to the CWSP for the Port Lands was prepared and released to the Port Lands Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Land Owner and User Advisory Committee for comment on March 29, 2017. Comments and feedback from this public release have been incorporated, as appropriate, in the draft modification included in this report. This report introduces the revised, draft Official Plan modification for endorsement in principle by City Council.

Financial Implications and Next Steps

This report provides a summary of the financial implications related to implementation of the findings of the Framework and TSMP, including funding needed to ensure the timely delivery of affordable housing requirements. High-level order of magnitude costs were generated for all required investment needed to realize the vision for the Port Lands, and support redevelopment in the Unilever Precinct and balance of the South of Eastern area. The City Development Charges By-law should include additional applicable infrastructure projects to support redevelopment of portions of the Port Lands and the Unilever Precinct in the near- to medium-terms. The provision of a number of the recommended preferred transportation and servicing solutions from the TSMP are critical to unlocking the Port Lands and Unilever Precinct.

The Framework document will be finalized based on Council’s endorsement in principle of the Official Plan modification. A final report that will present the Framework document, Villiers Island Precinct Plan and final recommended Official Plan modification is anticipated for October 2017. The final staff report and Framework document will also include more detailed implementation actions needed to realize the vision for the Port Lands. These additional actions are anticipated to include, among others, undertaking more detailed geotechnical studies, the development of a truck management strategy and a Port Lands wide low-carbon energy feasibility study. The final staff report will identify the necessary follow-on work, as well as staff and financial resources needed to support the work.

Additionally, the development of a detailed Business and Implementation Plan will be required related to project phasing and timing, cost and revenue projections, funding sources/options, additional detailed precinct planning, infrastructure delivery options, employment strategies and other aspects. The development of this plan will reflect ongoing discussions with provincial and federal governments regarding tri-government funding for Port Lands Flood Protection and other Waterfront projects. It will be prepared by Waterfront Toronto working with relevant City Divisions and Agencies. Staff will report regularly to Council on key aspects of the plan as it developed prior to a final report on the recommended Plan.