Item - 2019.TE8.13

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-13, as amended, for the lands identified in the Port Lands Planning Framework as Warehouse District substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 7 to the report (August 19, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-13, as amended, for the lands identified in the Port Lands Planning Framework as East Port and South Port, substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 8 to the report (August 19, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

3. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-13, as amended, for the lands identified in the Port Lands Planning Framework as Maritime Hub, substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 9 to the report, (August 19, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

4. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-13, as amended, for the lands identified in the Port Lands Planning Framework as Leslie Green Portal and Turning Basin Park, and 55, 79 and 115 Unwin Avenue, substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 10 to the report, (August 19, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

5. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Zoning By-law Amendments as may be required.

6. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to undertake Port + Industrial Urban Design Guidelines for East Port, South Port and Warehouse District to accompany amendments to Zoning for these employment-focused districts.  

7. City Council directs Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to explore operational and security requirements of port users adjacent to the Don Greenway South to identify potential performance standards during the development of Port + Industrial Urban Design Guidelines.

8. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to take any other actions necessary to implement the directions outlined in the report (August 19, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

The purpose of the Port Lands Zoning Review Study is to align Zoning By-law 569-13 with the Port Lands Planning Framework (PLPF) and implementing Official Plan Modification (OPM) to facilitate appropriate development that is consistent with the Council-adopted vision for the Port Lands and modernizing zoning regulation for the employment-focused districts in the Port Lands - specifically East Port, Warehouse District and South Port. The Study has reviewed zoning regulations for Maritime Hub, a destination/catalytic district that is the gateway to Cherry Beach. 

Adopted by City Council on December 8, 2017, the PLPF is a strategic planning study that provides specific guidance to how Regeneration Areas in the Port Lands will develop over the next 50 years, with land use typologies that create a unique mix of employment-focused districts and mixed use precincts. The PLPF addresses land use, transportation, infrastructure, community facilities, parks, biodiversity, built form and sustainability. The PLPF envisions the employment-focused districts will support modern employment, industrial, port and City-servicing uses that provide diverse opportunities for the intensification of employment uses to accommodate approximately 30,000 employees. 

The PLPF and OPM anticipate that East Port, South Port and Warehouse District will continue to serve Toronto's port and industrial needs.

The Zoning Review Study has been completed with the objective of modernizing zoning in the Port Lands. The current Zoning By-law 438-86 regulations do not permit many desirable land uses, whereas many unwanted land uses are currently permitted. These outdated regulations have resulted in legally non-conforming uses south of the Ship Channel and rezoning or minor variance applications for land uses in the employment-focused districts.

The Zoning Review Study has been completed with the objective of modernizing zoning in the Port Lands through amendments to Zoning Bylaw 569-13. Zoning By-law 569-13 was adopted by City Council on May 9, 2013 to replace the 42 pre-amalgamation zoning by-laws, and is currently not in force for the Port Lands. This report recommends four (4) zoning by-law amendments to Zoning By-law 569-13:

·         Warehouse District Zoning Bylaw Amendment  

·         East Port and South Port Zoning By-law Amendment  

·         Maritime Hub Zoning By-law Amendment  

·         Open Space Zoning By-law Amendment  

The Zoning Review Study recommends new performance standards, such as built form, setbacks from a lot line, landscaping, and building height that were informed by the PLPF recommendations and the Port Lands OPM policy framework. The proposed Zoning By-law Amendments were developed with consideration of comments from community consultations, including stakeholders, and land-owners and users, and the public, as well as input from other agencies and divisions.

A policy-oriented industrial parking rates analysis was undertaken as part of the Study, including a review of existing zoning requirements, parking demand surveys, a first principles analysis, and a policy review, resulting in recommended minimum and maximum parking standards for industrial land-uses permitted in the Port Lands to support the shift towards active and sustainable transportation as the primary means of travel in the Port Lands.

This report also recommends that Port and Industrial Urban Design Guidelines be developed to support the outcomes of the Zoning Review Study. Specifically, these Port and Industrial Urban Design Guidelines will provide further direction on public realm and street frontage interfaces; landscaping; site organization; screening of open storage; and interfaces between proposed parks and industrial/port uses.