Minutes Confirmed on February 27, 2014

The Planning and Growth Management Committee adjourned its public meeting for Zoning Changes for Medical Marihuana Production under the Planning Act until February 27, 2014 and requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report at that time on a way to treat Medical Marihuana distribution facilities as a regular pharmacy.

This report is about comments on the proposed Medical Marihuana Production Facility zoning regulations received at a community consultation open house held November 28, 2013 and to bring forward to a public meeting draft zoning by-law amendments to all general zoning by-laws with industrial zones, to permit a Medical Marihuana Production Facility (MMFP).

At the February 28, 2013 meeting of Planning and Growth Management Committee Chief Planner and Executive Director of City Planning reported on the findings of the report entitled 'Opinion on the Provisions of Group Homes in the City-wide Zoning By-law of the City of Toronto' by Dr. Sandeep Agrawal, a land use planning expert with knowledge of the interaction between planning and human rights issues. Dr. Agrawal was retained to conduct a review and provide advice to City Council on the land use planning and human rights issues related to the definition of "Group Home" and the 250 metre mandatory separation distance between group homes in the then draft, now enacted, City-wide Zoning by-law. The expert found that the definitions and separation distances applicable to group homes were in his opinion not supportable and recommended removing them. Staff was requested to review these findings and prepare their own report providing advice with respect to questions raised by the Committee in light of the findings of the expert.

At the October 22, 2013 meeting of Planning and Growth Management Committee Chief Planner and Executive Director of City Planning reported that City Planning staff had review the matter further and had additional discussions with several Provincial Ministry representatives to determine whether there is any substantive requirement or planning reason for separating Group Homes and whether there is any basis for requiring a minimum number of occupants in a Group Home. Based upon these discussions and the finding of Dr. Agrawal, City Planning Staff concluded that there is no planning justification to include a separation distances for Group Homes in a zoning by-law. It was also concluded that there is no reason for a zoning by-law to require a minimum number of occupants in a Group Home.

This report responds to that Planning and Growth Management Committee's direction to the Chief Planner and Executive Director of City Planning (PG27.6) to hold a public open house to obtain public input on the proposed changes to Group Homes in the zoning by-law and prepare a final report and draft by-law for the purpose of a statutory public meeting at the January 13, 2014, meeting of the Planning and Growth Management Committee.