Item - 2018.TE32.11

The Toronto and East York Community Council adjourned the Item to the June 6, 2018 meeting of the Toronto and East York Community Council, with the following instructions to the Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District to:

1. Develop a strengthened affordability strategy, including city stand-alone incentives, options for maintaining affordability in the long-term, enforcing affordability, and any proposals to support affordability that would require provincial legislative or regulatory changes. 

2. Review and re-consider the following components of the Laneway Suites Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment:

a. Requiring the 1.5m lot setback to be soft landscaping as part of the as-of-right requirements;

b. Additional measures to increase soft landscaping, tree protection and greening;

c. Any requests to change the as-of-right zoning permissions be considered through a Zoning By-law Amendment, and not through a Minor Variance application; and

d. Considerations for placement of mechanical equipment associated with laneway suites.

3.  Consider the following to be included in the report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council:

a. include the density of the laneway suite in the calculation of density/GFA of the property;

b.  give consideration to the new Ward and Community Council boundaries into the plan;

c.  ancillary issues brought forward either in communications or deputations at Community Council;

d. a strategy and timeline for Phase Two accessible housing for properties that do not have a laneway; and

e.  include the lot coverage of the laneway suite in the total lot coverage permitted on a property.

4.  Include in the report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council, an update on the "Second Units - Draft Official Plan Amendment" Public Consultation Meeting to be held on May 7, 8 9 and 10, 2018.

5. Include in the report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council, consideration of the Letter from the ABC Residents Association (Communication TE.Supp.TE32.11.106); and, analysis of any laneway suites constructed on lots with row houses.

6.  Include in the report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council, any necessary recommendations regarding potential conflicts between any existing Site and Area Specific Policies and/or Secondary Plan Policies and the proposed Official Plan Amendment 403.

7. Include in the report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council, options to secure tenancies in laneway housing, and other rental housing types, including requesting the Province of Ontario to amend legislation to protect tenants in residential dwellings with less than six units by deleting:

a. Subsection 111(3) of the City of Toronto Act to remove the restriction on the City to prohibit or regulate the demolition or conversion of a residential rental property that contains less than six dwelling units, and  

b. Subsection 52(b) of the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure that tenants in residential complexes containing less than six dwelling units are entitled to compensation from the landlord in an amount equal to three months rent or offer the tenant another rental unit acceptable to the tenant, as is applicable to tenants living in residential complexes of six or more units.

The Senior Planner, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District,  gave a presentation to the Toronto and East York Community Council on "Changing Lanes - Toronto's Laneway Suites Strategy".

The Toronto and East York Community Council commenced a statutory public meeting on May 2, 2018, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This report recommends establishing a planning framework to permit laneway suites on lands within the Toronto and East York District that are designated as Neighbourhoods by amending both the Official Plan and City-wide Zoning By-law.

The City's Official Plan does not reference or set out specific provisions for second units, however second units are permitted city-wide as-of-right in the City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013.  A second unit can take many forms but is generally considered to be subordinate to the primary dwelling unit on a lot. Second units are an important part of the City’s rental housing stock. Laneway suites are one form of second unit.

Similar to other second units, laneway suites are a part of complete communities. They can provide more opportunities for people to live in ground related housing, for residents to live close to where they work, shop, and play and, can help make the city's urban lanes more green, liveable, and safe. Laneway suites can contribute to increasing the supply of rental housing and provide additional housing options for households at different ages and life stages.

At its meeting of July 4, 2017, Toronto City Council directed City Planning staff, in consultation with numerous City Divisions, to initiate a review and consultation of the City's current policy and planning framework regarding laneway suites within the Toronto and East York District. City Planning staff were directed to prepare a report to Toronto and East York Community Council with recommended policy and Zoning By-law amendments necessary to implement a laneway suite strategy, and with recommendations on other related matters such as the provision of affordable housing and infrastructure costs.

This report contains a detailed planning rationale for the introduction and regulation of laneway suites within the Toronto and East York area and discusses the policy implications and intent of proposed performance standards and criteria. These performance standards and criteria intend that laneway suites will provide a new form of ground-related, rental and extended family housing that will fit appropriately within the scale of established Neighbourhoods, and limit their impact on the existing physical character, while contributing to the growth of the City’s rental housing stock.