Item - 2022.EY31.1

City Council considered Items EC29.1 and EY31.1 together.

Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:  

1. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to use the Jane Finch Initiative Ideas Report, found in Attachment 3 to the report (March 29, 2022) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District, as the basis for a second phase of community engagement.

2. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to use the Jane Finch Initiative Ideas Report, found in Attachment 3 to this report, to evaluate current and future development applications within the Study Area as shown as Figure 1 of the report (March 29, 2022) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District.

3. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back with a proposed Jane Finch Secondary Plan and draft Urban Design Guidelines by the third quarter of 2023.

4. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the Executive Director, Social Development Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in collaboration with other involved divisions, to continue to implement an inter-divisional approach to the next phase of work under the Jane Finch Initiative and to align the Secondary Plan and the Community Development Plan for Jane and Finch.

This report provides an update from City Planning on the Jane Finch Initiative. It summarizes the first round of community engagement and proposes a series of directions to guide the next phase of work for the development of a secondary plan and associated urban design guidelines for the study area. A summary of all of the proposed directions is found in Attachment 1.

The Jane Finch Initiative is a resident-informed project to plan for the future of Jane and Finch. It is developing two integrated plans – a secondary plan and community development plan – so that residents, local groups and businesses are supported as the area changes over time with the opening of the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT).

Through a first round of public and stakeholder engagement over the course of 2021, community members shared their thoughts, concerns and aspirations for the future of the neighbourhood. A record of these community conversations is contained in the Jane Finch Initiative Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report prepared by the City's engagement partner, the Jane Finch Community and Family Centre (Attachment 2).

The Jane Finch Initiative Ideas Report (Attachment 3) analyzes what staff heard and proposes a series of directions that will form the basis of a second round of community conversations in the upcoming phases of work. These directions are organized around the themes that will be developed into a secondary plan including land use, urban design, mobility, parks and public realm, community service facilities, heritage, housing, climate resilience and infrastructure.

A companion staff report, prepared jointly by Social Development, Finance and Administration and Economic Development and Culture, is proceeding through the Economic and Community Development Committee and will be presented along with this report at the same City Council meeting. That report contains an update on the community development plan and next steps for that parallel stream of work.