Geary Works Planning Study and City-Initiated Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Amendment - Final Report

Zoning By-law Amendment Re: land use and built form provisions (see Attachment 6) Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment Re: historical overview and identification of cultural heritage resources Considerations for the Municipal Comprehensive Review of the Official Plan Re: employment land conversions for other non-residential uses (see Attachment 7) Economic Development and Culture Strategy Re: initiatives to support businesses (see Attachment 8) Mobility and Public Realm Strategy Re: public realm improvements (see Attachment 9) This City-initiated application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law applies to all properties fronting Geary Avenue and applies to the public realm in the vicinity of Geary Avenue. The proposed Official Plan Amendment and rezoning are consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) and conforms with A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020). This report reviews and recommends approval of the City-initiated amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law. The amendments create a framework for a pedestrian-focused public realm along Geary Avenue, encourage active, animated non-residential uses at ground level, provide for gentle intensification of non-residential uses, and limit residential use where it's already permitted.

2. City Council amend City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands at 165-345 Geary Avenue, 2-150 Geary Avenue, 180-360 Geary Avenue, 21-39 Primrose Avenue, 1352-1384 Dufferin Street, 1347-1355 Dufferin Street, 325-327 Westmoreland Avenue North, 1100-1102 Dovercourt Road, 508-510 Delaware Avenue North and 1102-1104 Ossington Avenue substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 6 to this report. 3. City Council authorizes the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendment and draft Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required. 4. City Council direct that the area-specific changes to the land use permissions in Employment Areas adjacent to Geary Avenue, as described in Attachment 7 to this report, be considered as part of the current Municipal Comprehensive Review of the Official Plan (Our Plan Toronto). 5. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to retain a qualified consultant to conduct a scoped rail safety study for properties on the south side of Geary Avenue to determine the threshold in size or capacity for various low occupancy non-residential uses that would not require rail safety measures for protection from the adjacent rail corridor. 6. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, through the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) appeal process for Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 231, to seek the removal of the lands at 2-80 Geary Avenue, 508-510 Delaware Avenue North and 1102-1104 Ossington Avenue from Site and Area Specific Policy No. 154 to eliminate policy redundancy with the proposed Site and Area Specific Policy in the draft Official Plan Amendment attached as Attachment 5 to this report. 7. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to develop a Parking Management Plan for Geary Avenue, in consultation with businesses, nearby residents and other parking users, to address competing demands on limited space from employees, shipping, receiving, customers, visitors and local residents. 8. City Council request that the General Manager, Transportation Services report to Toronto and East York Community Council with recommendations concerning all-way stop sign controls at intersections along the frontage of existing and planned segments of the Geary Avenue Parkette component of the Green Line (i.e. intersections of Geary Avenue and Somerset Avenue, Delaware Avenue, and Westmoreland Avenue) and any related measures to improve safety and comfort of park access for area residents and other park users. 9. City Council support future creative enterprises, small-scale retail, cafes, restaurants, bars and music venues on Geary Avenue and encourage other compatible non-residential land uses to animate Geary Avenue, as may be deemed appropriate through the Municipal Comprehensive Review of the Official Plan. 10. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to continue to work with the community to support local cultural development and community aspirations to become a cultural corridor. 11. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to encourage the development of a future business improvement area at such time when the Geary Avenue commercial and industrial owners and their non-residential tenants are prepared to join together under a volunteer board of management to carry out improvements and promote economic development within a designated area. 12. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to assist local businesses and prospective developers on Geary Avenue with the Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) funding program and other future property incentives for creative enterprises.