Minister's Approval of Official Plan Amendments 405 (Yonge-Eglinton) and 406 (Downtown) with Modifications and Staff's Preliminary Assessment of Potential Impacts of Bill 108

On June 5, 2019, the Minister issued two Notices of Decision (the "Decisions") approving Official Plan Amendment No. 405 (Yonge-Eglinton) and Official Plan Amendment No. 406 (Downtown Plan) with modifications. The Minister's Decisions are final and not subject to appeal. Additionally, in accordance with the Planning Act, the two OPAs cannot be amended for a 2 year period except at the determination of Council. The Official Plan Amendments are now in full force and effect. Each Notice of Decision made a number of modifications to the respective Secondary Plans adopted by City Council. The Minister made 194 modifications to the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan and 224 modifications to the Downtown Plan. Many of the modifications are similar in both plans. The specificity, such as various numeric standards, that had been included in policy directions in both plans to provide certainty and predictability has been generally reduced and replaced with more policy guidance and less prescriptive terminology. Other similar changes to both OPAs included introducing new policies, such as an objective related to "transit optimization", directing transit-supportive development within the vicinity of transit stations. Copies of both the in-force Secondary Plans which incorporate the modifications as well as redline versions which show the modifications are attached to this report as Attachments 1 through 4. Bill 108 Bill 108, which amends 13 pieces of legislation, received Royal Assent on June 6, 2019. It has not yet been proclaimed. A number of the modifications made to both Official Plan Amendments align with provisions in Bill 108, specifically as they relate to the new community benefits charge authority and the removal of an alternative parkland dedication requirement for the development or redevelopment of land for residential purposes. In the absence of the detailed information to be released through Bill 108's implementing regulations, it is difficult to fully assess the implications of Bill 108 on the two Secondary Plans. Detailed analysis that was previously undertaken for the two areas, as well as ongoing work related to the infrastructure implementation strategies for both areas and parkland dedication will inform ongoing discussions with the Province on the regulations.