Housing Action Plan: Avenues Policy Review - Decision Report

This initiative represents one of 54 actions items in the HAP. Avenues have attracted significant realized and potential growth. The City's Development Pipeline bulletin for 2023 (January 2019 - December 2023) reported that Avenues contained the most proposed projects of any of the Official Plan's growth management areas. In total, there are 640 development projects (271 under review, 227 active, and 142 built) that account for over 180,000 residential units and over 1 million square metres of non-residential gross floor area, representing 24 percent of the city's units and 8% of its non-residential gross floor area in the pipeline. While not all of these projects are approved, under construction, or built, this data demonstrates the importance of Avenues in supporting transit supportive growth. This report recommends an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) to update the Avenues policies in Section 2.2.3. It also introduces mapping changes to Map 2 to expand the Avenues geography and other policy updates necessary to implement the new vision and policy framework. These updates leverage the Avenues as a growth management tool, identifying more opportunities for housing across the city and creating a more streamlined policy framework with clear direction on the type of growth to be directed to Avenues . The most significant changes include: 283 kilometres of new Avenues , representing an increase of approximately 165 percent. Removing requirements for Avenue Segment Reviews and new Avenue Studies. Introducing a new monitoring program to assess the Avenues implementation. Directing growth along Avenues to be up to the height and scale of mid-rise buildings. Directing more growth near subway, light rail transit, and GO transit stations, approximately 36 percent of new and existing Avenues. Providing uses that activate the ground floor in developments along Avenues in Mixed Use Areas . Directing applicants to consult with small businesses, community service providers, and the local community when proposing developments that would result in the displacement of existing small businesses and community service providers, and to assess the potential of their return. To implement this new vision, policies, and mapping for Avenues , this report also recommends next steps for staff to redesignate and rezone lands along and nearby Avenues . The new policies do not result in a net new development application submission requirement in the new Avenues policies.

where appropriate, redesignate and rezone lands along Avenues; b. where appropriate, redesignate Neighbourhood lands nearby Mixed Use Areas and Apartment Neighbourhoods along the Avenues to facilitate the planned built form of the Avenues; and c. in the absence of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing issuing a decision on the Council adopted Official Plan delineations and policies for Protected Major Transit Station Areas and Major Transit Station Areas, make best efforts to provide additional height and density zoning permissions with appropriate performance standards for lands along Avenues in Mixed Use Areas within a 500 to 800-metre walking distance to existing and planned subway, light rail transit, and GO rail stations as shown on Official Plan Map 4. 3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of OPA 778 and to report back as part of the statutory review of the Official Plan with any recommended amendments. 4. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to continue and conclude all Avenue studies that were commenced before December 31, 2024 and that these studies consider the new vision and policy recommendations in OPA 778. 5. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to take such necessary steps, as required, to implement City Council's decision. 6. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the recommended OPA 778 as may be required.