Item - 2021.TE29.17

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Director, Transportation Planning to implement the recommended public engagement approach outlined in the report (November 24, 2021) from the Director, Transportation Planning for future Transit Oriented Communities proposals, subject to any Provincial requirements for confidentiality.

2. City Council direct the Director, Transportation Planning to report to the appropriate Community Council on preliminary reviews of future Transit Oriented Communities proposals.

3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report to the Executive Committee on the final assessment of each current and future Transit Oriented Communities proposal and the related implementing framework and/or agreements.

4. City Council request the City Manager to include the Acting General Manager, Economic Development on the city staff team reviewing the East Harbour Transit Oriented Communities proposal.
 

5. City Council request the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District and the Director of Strategic  Initiatives Policy and Analysis, be included on the city staff team reviewing the East Harbour Transit Oriented Communities  proposal.

6. City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to convene a meeting, in consultation with the Ward Councillor, with the Toronto Youth Cabinet to review the East Harbour Transit Oriented Communities proposal with the relevant City Staff.
 

7. City Council request that going forward, a minimum of thirty percent of all the new housing in Transit Oriented Communitys in Toronto be affordable; and that the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure and Development Services, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat; the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning; the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District; and, the Executive Director, Transit Expansion, make affordable housing a key priority in all negotiations with the Province and its agencies.
 

8. City Council direct the appropriate Planning staff working on the Employment Conversion requests for the Municipal Comprehensive Review to:
 

a. hold a meeting, in consultation with the Ward Councillor, on the East Harbour Transit Oriented Communities proposal which would also include materials outlining the existing zoning and current approvals as well as  the contribution of core employment lands to Toronto's economic viability and maintenance and creation of and development high value-added jobs; and to confirm the details in a report back to the January 6, 2022 meeting of the Toronto and East York Community Council;

b. convene a meeting, in conjunction with the Ward Councillor,  with any public members of the Infrastructure Ontario/Cadillac Fairview led Local Advisory Committee who are interested in reviewing the East Harbour Transit Oriented Communities proposal.

c. in addition to Part 8.a. above, create a city-led local working group , in consultation with the Ward Councillor, to review the East Harbour Transit Oriented Communities proposal from a City Planning Policy perspective.

9. City Council endorse and request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to give consideration to the advice from the King-Bathurst Local Advisory Committee, and the proposal that Infrastructure Ontario should satisfy the parkland dedication requirement for the King-Bathurst Transit Oriented Communities by acquiring the private surface parking lot adjacent to Victoria Memorial Square Park and conveying it to the City to expand the existing park, as outlined in the Memo from Parks, Forestry and Recreation to the Director, Community Planning, South District, dated July 28, 2021 in the submission from Councillor Cressy (under Background Information).

10. In the absence of a formal planning application and associated fees for Transit Oriented Communities proposals, City Council direct the City Manager to negotiate and execute a resource agreement to support a dedicated team of City staff for a period of 5 years to advance City interests in the provincial Transit Oriented Communities Program, and to manage both initial negotiations and the longer term planning review and approvals process.

11. City Council request the Province of Ontario and Infrastructure Ontario to support the sustained calls from the City-led First Parliament Working Group and Local Advisory Committee for the Ontario Line Corktown station to increase the amount of parkland onsite, invest in public realm improvements, and other community benefits as outlined in the Council-approved First Parliament Master Plan. 

12. City Council request Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx to immediately work with the City Planning, the Ward Councillor and area stakeholders to establish the Queen Station and Moss Park Station working groups to address area concerns about the traffic and construction impact caused by long-term road occupancy, deferred City capital projects and financial impact, loss of trees and landscaping, disruption to City service, compensation caused by loss of revenue to business owners, long-term road occupancy and other related matters. 

13. City Council direct the Executive Director, Transit Expansion Office, in consultation with the appropriate City divisions, to create an Equity Impact Assessment and Community Benefits Proposal in consultation with relevant stakeholders and to report back to the January 26, 2022 Executive Committee meeting.

The Toronto and East York Community Council requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the General Manager, Transit Expansion Office, to report directly to the December 15 and 16, 2021 City Council meeting on the significant investment being made by the City to the East Harbour Transit Hub through the SmartTrack program, identified in the report November 24, 2022) from the Director, Transportation Planning.

This report responds to Toronto and East York Community Council motion TE28.62, which requested Staff to report on preliminary planning comments, outstanding issues, opportunities to secure City priorities, and a summary of feedback received by Infrastructure Ontario (IO) through its public engagement process for Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) proposals related to the following Ontario Line stations:

• Corktown Station – comprising two city blocks between Berkeley Street and Parliament Street, south of King Street to Parliament Square park
• Exhibition Station – comprising two sites on either side of the south end of Atlantic Avenue
• King and Bathurst Station – comprising two sites on the northeast and southeast corners of the intersection of King Street and Bathurst Street
• Queen and Spadina Station – comprising two sites on the northeast and southwest corners of the intersection of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue

The report also provides an update on the process and public engagement related to the East Harbour TOC proposal.  This TOC proposal differs from the other Ontario Line TOC proposals in that it covers a broader adjacent development and involves a development partner, Cadillac Fairview.  The City is also making a significant investment in the East Harbour Transit Hub through the SmartTrack program.

The report begins with an overview of the TOC program and process to date as it relates to the Metrolinx subways program.  An evaluation of the TOC proposals follows this introduction.  To conclude the report, Staff provide suggestions on how a City-led consultation program may be structured to assist in the consideration of future TOC proposals.