The Night’s Watch - Ensuring Appropriate Oversight and Review of City-Wide Zoning By-law Changes for Nightclub Permissions - by Councillor Amber Morley, seconded by Councillor Chris Moise

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The decision

2024-12-17 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on December 17 and 18, 2024, adopted the following: 1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the zoning permissions for nightclubs in areas where nightclubs are newly permitted through the zoning by-law changes that will take effect on January 2025, and to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee on monitoring outcomes upon the earlier of: a.

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issuance of 3 licences for nightclubs within a single Ward, followed by one full year of operation, on lands that are adjacent to residential zones; or b. issuance of 6 licenses for nightclubs citywide, followed by one full year of operation, on lands that are adjacent to residential zones.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

The findings of the Review of Zoning Regulations for Nightclubs on Lake Shore Boulevard West (EY18.8) found that there is no "rationale to rescind nightclub permissions on a geographic basis along Lake Shore Boulevard West" and recommended a monitoring program for the study area with a review and report back initiated after 3 nightclubs have been licenced and operating in the study area for 1 year. If the Lake Shore Boulevard West study area shares similar planning context with the other areas of Toronto where these changes are being implemented, as found by the review, it makes good sense to expand this monitoring program city-wide to more effective and informative end results.

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Expanding the monitoring area provides the opportunity to increase the report back trigger for an increased sample size and will provide the report back on a shorter timeline. City-wide zoning changes should be subject to oversight and review, as City Planning has previously recommended for zoning permissions provided for laneway suites, garden suites, and multiplexes, through the EHON initiatives. The city-wide changes for nightclubs deserve similar oversight to allow future evidence-based adjustments on a sensitive land use change. When the night economy zoning changes were adopted through PH8.2 (Recommended Amendments to Zoning By-laws for Bars, Restaurants and Entertainment Venues as part of the Night Economy Review), a city-wide monitoring program was not included with the recommendations; we now have the opportunity to correct that error of omission prior to the zoning by-law changes taking effect on Jan 1, 2025. This motion is related to an item currently being reviewed by Council, EY18.8. This motion cannot be moved on that item because the City Clerk has informed us that a specific proposition may not be amended by a proposition more general in scope. The EY and SC items are specific. The proposed amendment is general. Additionally, this item is related to city-wide zoning by-law changes which take effect January 1, 2025, before the next session of City Council.

Staff recommended

Councillor Amber Morley, seconded by Councillor Chris Moise, recommends that: 1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the zoning permissions for nightclubs in areas where nightclubs are newly permitted through the zoning by-law changes that will take effect on January 2025, and to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee on monitoring outcomes upon the earlier of: a.

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On the record

The item as the City filed it

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