Item - 2019.PH9.1

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:  

1.  City Council advise the Province that the City of Toronto supports the Province's general directions of the Provincial Policy Statement to promote the efficient use of land and management of infrastructure, transit-supportive development that provides for a range of housing options, a strong economy and job creation and protections of the environment.

2.  City Council request the Province to ensure that nothing in the Provincial Policy Statement 2019 precludes or hinders the ability of the three levels of government to deliver on their housing programs.

3.  City Council request the Province to modify the Provincial Policy Statement 2019 and supporting legislation to permit the use of inclusionary zoning throughout the entire city rather than limiting it to protected major transit stations areas.

4.  City Council advise the Province that the City of Toronto does not support the proposed policy 1.3.2.5 that would allow employment land conversions to occur in advance of the Municipal Comprehensive Review.

5.  City Council advise the Province that the City of Toronto does not support the proposed revisions to policies with respect to Built Form (1.1.3.6), Phasing (1.1.3.7) and Transportation Infrastructure (1.6.7.2) where the language in the Provincial Policy Statement has been changed from 'shall" to 'should' and  recommends the existing wording be maintained.

6.  City Council request the Province to more fully consider the implications of the introduction of the principle of Market demand, and Market based need in the Provincial Policy Statement 2019, and the potential for conflict this principle will have on the delivery of the public land use policy framework and process. If the revised policies are maintained, the province should provide guidance, definitions and clarification on the meaning of Market-based need and Market demand, including a methodology for how these terms will be calculated and applied. 

7.  City Council request the Province to confirm if, and when a revised Land Needs Methodology will be released, and to withhold the proposed Provincial Policy Statement policies that direct or modify that process until municipalities have had an opportunity to comment on the revised methodology.

8.  City Council request the Province to modify the policy and its inclusion of potential air rights development to ensure the safety of the rail corridors and adjacent lands are paramount.

9.  City Council request the Province to address inconsistency in definitions amongst provincial planning policy documents (where applicable) or failing this add a policy to the Provincial Policy Statement to indicate which definition has primacy.

10.  City Council request the Province to enable the use of Zoning with Conditions as permitted under section 113 (2) of the City of Toronto Act 2006 by passing a regulation under sections 122.1 to allow the City to better deliver on the Provinces' stated objectives regarding the proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement.

11.  City Council direct the City Clerk to forward this report to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as the City of Toronto's submission to the Province on the Provincial Policy Statement and the Environmental Registry of Ontario posting.

On July 22, 2019, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) proposed revisions to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS 2019). The Provincial commenting period runs for 90 days and closes on October 21, 2019. The following report has been prepared by the City Planning Division in consultation with Legal Services, and other divisional partners potentially impacted by the proposed revisions to the PPS.

This report highlights the proposed changes to the PPS 2019 and provides preliminary comments on their potential impact on municipal land use planning and the development approval process. The revised PPS, 2019 makes edits in support the current governments "More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan”, as well as a further alignment of the policies with the Growth Plan 2019 and the revised Heritage Act.

While no effective date or transition rules for the new policies have been identified, the Planning Act, s.3(5) provides that once approved, all decisions of the council of a municipality, in respect of the exercise of any authority that affects a planning matter, shall be consistent with the PPS.

The Province has identified the following top priorities as driving the proposed PPS 2019 changes:

- Increasing housing supply
- Supporting jobs
- Streamlining development approvals
 

In order to address these priorities, the Province has identified the following key policy directions:

- Encourage the development of an increased mix and supply of housing
- Protect the environment and public safety
- Reduce barriers and costs for development and provide greater predictability
- Support rural, northern and Indigenous communities
- Support the economy and job creation
 

As a component of the consultation on PPS 2019, the Province has asked the following questions:

- Do the proposed policies effectively support goals related to increased housing supply, creating and maintaining jobs, and red tape reduction while continuing to protect the environment, farmland, and public health and safety?
- Do the proposed policies strike the right balance? Why or why not?
- How do these proposed policies take into consideration the views of Ontario's communities?
- Are there any policy changes that are needed to support key priorities for housing, job creation, and streamlining of development approvals?
- Are there other tools that are needed to help implement the proposed policies?
 

Despite the list of priorities and policy directions, the proposed changes to the PPS are not all encompassing, with no significant changes to Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage, Transportation, Agricultural or Rural policies.

The majority of the changes made are in support of the Province's desire to increase housing supply. There is potential for some of the changes to impact the City's long range forecasting and long range planning work, as well as planning for and providing housing options. Overall the proposed changes should not affect day to day decision making on development applications, rather, the new policy framework may have impacts on long range planning and Official Plan policies.