Committee of Adjustment Status Update

This is to express our interest in the information provided in the above noted report, and to remind staff of the reasons why the review was initiated.

This report provides an update to Planning and Housing Committee, and City Council direction, further to a City Planning report titled Update on Committee of Adjustment Virtual Public Hearings, dated April 6, 2021. An independent consultant is being retained to review the End-to-End Review of the Development Review Process Final Report, dated August 15, 2019, as it applies to the Committee of Adjustment, as well as additional matters associated with virtual Committee of Adjustment public hearings.

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Neighbourhood Change and Intensification Bulletin

This is to express our interest and support for the information provided in the above noted report. Our one comment is that the number of case studies is quite small and is likely insufficient to be sufficiently representative of the communities in the massive land area designated in the Official Plan as Neighbourhoods. We would encourage City Planning to undertake more case studies to reflect the diversity of Neighbourhoods which would support the planning analysis required for the “Multiplexes” initiative.

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Palmerston multiplex

Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods

The overall EHON strategy is to permit increased density in the Neighbourhoods.  We support this strategy in principle based on the idea of encouraging development across the city rather than allowing over-development in certain parts of the city, such as the Yonge-Eglinton Centre.  However, it is critical that the strategy be create complete communities, not just residential growth. This initiative should not be about adding multiplexes but doing it in the context of building complete communities based on good transit access as well as community services, employment, cultural opportunities and shopping, etc. The study areas chosen should take these principles as a comprehensive framework. The best opportunities for this type of intensification are in the low density suburbs.

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The City of Toronto’s Review of Laneway Suites

FoNTRA members have participated in City Planning’s consultations to date and have submitted comments on earlier versions.

We remain concerned about two proposed changes that relax the current regulations: the increased permitted height; and the blanket exemption for walkways. The stated reason driving these changes is the frequency of variance requests at Committees of Adjustment. In our opinion such changes should not be based on Committee of Adjustment decisions without evaluating their reasons, if any, and without evaluating the impacts on abutting neighbours.

Proposed Increase in permitted height from 6m to 6.3m

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TLAB Panel Training and Education Session

This is to provide our comments and suggestions with respect to the above noted agenda item, which will be held In Camera, as permitted by the TLAB’s Procedural By-law 1-2017.

FoNTRA commends the TLAB in its efforts to promote and enhance public understanding and education regarding its mandate and role in the City’s Land Use Planning system. These efforts include Public Business Meetings, annual reporting to the Planning and Housing Committee, and publication of the Public Guide, and website. We recall for example a Public Business Meeting held in Scarborough on February 10, 2017 which was well attended by stakeholders, including RAs. The Meeting included presentation materials by Klaus Lehman, Zoning Section, City Planning, which were made publicly available, and which continue to be referred to by RAs.

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Enhancing post-permit compliance

RE: MM37.21 Measures to Enhance Compliance After the Permit Process – by Councillor Ana Bailão, seconded by Councillor Frances Nunziata (Ward All)

Dear Mayor John Tory and Members of City Council,

We are writing in strong support of the above noted Member’s Motion to review options for strengthening the City’s enforcement of illegal construction after occupancy, or where a change of use of the property has occurred.

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Laneway suites

Proposed Laneway Suites Zoning By-law Amendments

This is to provide our comments on the draft Laneway Suites By-law Amendments as indicated in the Notice of Public Meeting published in the Toronto Star on November 3, 2021. 

FoNTRA reps recently met with Graig Uens and Caroline Samuels on October 22, and we also participated in the Community Engagement meeting held on October 27. At the latter meeting Graig advised that any further comments should be submitted as soon as possible as this Item is scheduled to be heard at the Planning and Housing Committee meeting on November 25, 2021. We therefore were very surprised to see upon examination of the Notice of Public Meeting published in the Toronto Star indicates that some of the draft Bylaw Amendments are new or different compared with what was presented to FoNTRA and to the Community Consultation meeting. These matters are complex and these changes should have been presented at the consultations to ensure the public has a clear understanding of the implications and an opportunity to ask questions, rather than just seeing them in the draft bylaw.

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Inclusionary Zoning OP Amendment

This is to express the strong support of the Federation of North Toronto Residents Associations (FoNTRA) for the proposed Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) policy.

The proposed policy lays the foundation for IZ in Toronto. It supports individuals and families in our city who earn too much to be eligible for social housing, but not enough to afford market rents and prices.  City Planning claims that the proposed framework balances the need to create more inclusive and equitable communities, provides certainty about expectations for affordable housing, and ensures the City continues to support overall housing supply. City Planning commits to monitor implementation of the new policy, and review and report back within three years.

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Improving Winter Access to Toronto’s Parks for 2021-22

This is to express the strong support of the Federation of North Toronto Residents Associations (FoNTRA) for the staff report and its recommendations, which we note will have financial implications for the 2022 Budget.

The proposal would have more facilities maintained during the winter, including more snow clearing on multi-use paths, and explore different snow clearing methods in environmentally sensitive areas, such as ravines, which cannot be salted due to the environmental impacts.

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Creating the East Toronto Railpath

This is to express the strong support of the Federation of North Toronto Residents Assns (FoNTRA) for Councillor Mike Layton’s recommendations intended to advance the acquisition and re-construction of the former Canadian Pacific Railway line, including the “Half Mile Bridge”, as the “East Toronto Railpath” with links to Toronto’s existing trail system components, including the Martin Goodman Trail, and the West Toronto Railpath, and the potential for future links to the East Don Trail and the Meadoway.

As Councillor Layton says, ”At the core of this connection is an abandoned railway bridge that has the potential to link the Don Valley’s public spaces, while providing relief to the existing crowded trails and provide new connections to adjoining neighbourhoods.”

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Iceberg Homes

Iceberg houses are single-family houses with multi-storey underground basements below, and that may extend well beyond, the above-ground footprint of the structure. We have seen various examples recently, including the particularly notable instance in Hoggs Hollow.

In November 2020, the Committee of Adjustment approved an Iceberg home in Hoggs Hollow – a City designated Natural Heritage System located in a flood plain. Hoggs Hollow is also subject to a 1 hour evacuation in the event of a dam release on the Don River.  Despite numerous objections from Urban Forestry, a healthy 250 year old sugar maple was removed.

As a federation of resident associations we are concerned about the adverse impact of these structures, and the apparent lack of regulatory oversight.  It appears that the “iceberg aspects” are not subject to rigorous zoning and building code requirements.  These concerns include:

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Effective Public Participation in City Planning Processes Update

This report provides a status report on public participation processes in City Planning in response to both a Members Motion moved by Councillor Jaye Robinson and adopted by City Council on April 27, and a Motion recommended by PHC and adopted by City Council on July 14-16, regarding systemic barriers.

FoNTRA wrote to City Council in strong support of Councillor Jaye Robinson’s Motion, as follows:

  • City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to review virtual planning consultation meetings, in consultation with members of the public, and report back to Planning and Housing Committee in the second quarter of 2021 with recommendations for improvement, including:
    1. guidelines and practices to ensure that virtual community consultation meetings are consistent and effective;
    2. strategies to improve opportunities for members of the public to participate in virtual community consultation meetings;
    3. best practices related to virtual consultation in other jurisdictions; and
    4. opportunities to improve accessibility for members of the public and, in particular, members of the public participating by phone.

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Concorde Gate Zoning Amendment & Subdivision Applications

This is to provide our concerns about the above noted staff report and its recommendations.  FoNTRA would not generally get involved with “local” applications; however frankly this is an audacious application – out of scale, scope and context for the area.

The Rezoning Application and associated Plan of Subdivision application propose to demolish the existing office buildings on the lands at 1 to 3 Concorde Gate and 10 to 12 Concorde Place, and to redevelop the lands with five residential and mixed-use buildings consisting of nine towers ranging in height from 40 to 52 storeys. Overall, the application proposes a total of 4,086 dwelling units, 307,004 square metres of residential space, 841 square metres of retail space, and 437 square metres of community space. The overall gross floor area proposed is 308,284 square metres, which results in an overall density of 9.95 for the lands.

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Street Safety in Midtown & Uptown Toronto

August 20, 2021 – the day that 18-year-old Miguel Joshua Escanan lost his life at Avenue Road and Bloor Street. He was cycling north on Avenue Road, and where the protected bike lane ends he was struck by a cement truck passing him in the curb lane. According to his mother he wasn’t an experienced cyclist but he enjoyed getting out on his bike.

Miguel’s death adds to the climbing toll of cyclists and pedestrians who are losing their lives on Toronto’s roads, a direct result of a lack of action to create protected bike lanes on major roads and to regulate and ensure safer trucks on city streets. 

FoNTRA, on behalf of the named signatories listed, sent a letter two years ago when a pedestrian was struck and killed by a construction truck near Yonge and Eglinton. We are sending a letter once again to urge the City to take concrete action to better protect our most vulnerable road users – pedestrians and cyclists who put their lives at risk each time they step onto the street.

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Response from Federal Government re: Environmental Assessment for Don Valley Train Facility

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, asked me to respond to your letter of June 24, 2021, concerning the Don Valley Train Layover Facility proposed by Metrolinx as part of the New Tracks and Facilities Project (the Project).

The Physical Activities Regulations (Regulations) identify the types of projects that are subject to the Impact Assessment Act (the IAA). These project types, as prescribed by the Regulations, have the greatest potential to cause effects in areas of federal jurisdiction. As proposed by Metrolinx, the Project is not described in the Regulations and is thus not subject to the IAA.

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City-Operated Golf Course Review

FoNTRA is pleased that the City of Toronto is reviewing the use of its City-operated golf courses. We believe that it is important that publicly-owned green spaces in the city be available to a wide range of residents.

City-operated golf courses use a considerable amount of land, in some cases in locations that stand in the way of connecting Toronto’s park and trail networks. However, they are currently available only for the single purpose of playing golf, and at a fee. Golf is a worthwhile sport that encourages physical outdoor activity, and we have no wish to make it unavailable to those who want to engage in it, especially given that City-operated courses offer access to this sport at below market cost. However, as several of the City’s courses are strategically located in Toronto’s ravine system, we should consider how they might dovetail with trail-based activities, and offer recreational opportunities in places near to nodes of high population, with few other recreational opportunities.

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Stop Excessive Construction Noise

This correspondence is provided to indicate our strong support for Councillor Wong-Tam’s Motion that “City Council request the Government of Ontario to repeal Limitation 2 to Ontario Regulation 130/20 of the City of Toronto Act, returning the power to regulate construction noise to the City of Toronto” Limitation 2 to Ontario Regulation 130/20, enacted April 7, 2020, does not allow the City to regulate or prohibit noise in connection with construction. The Regulation overrides the City of Toronto’s municipal noise by-law through to October 7, 2021, to the detriment of residents.

FoNTRA wrote to the Premier on April 19 2020 to request that this measure (as well as making residential construction an essential service, opening a significant risk of COVID-19 infection to workers) be reversed. Excessive noise is a health hazard that impacts the physical and mental health, and quality of life of residents.

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Building the East Toronto Railpath

This is to express our strong support for the Members Motion to move forward with this exciting project to convert a disused rail line and bridge to an active transportation corridor in the Don Valley.  This will connect and expand the City’s trail system, dramatically expanding recreational opportunities for Torontonians, provide an opportunity to memorialize the historic railway story of Toronto, realise part of the Don Valley Park vision, and create a new tourism magnet for Toronto.   

The West Toronto Railpath and the Don Mills Trail serve as local models for how rail to trail conversions can provide low cost sustainable recreational opportunities provided other orders of government are willing to cooperate, and providing we (and they) are willing to make the upfront investment.  The East Toronto Railpath project is extraordinarily significant as a “place-keeping” opportunity, and we urge City Council to recognize the opportunities therein for Indigenous partnership.

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Regulatory Framework for Multi-tenant Houses

This is to reiterate our support for the proposed regulatory framework for Multi-Tenant Houses, as previously communicated in our letter to the June 28 PHC.

Our reason for communicating again on this matter is to express our opposition to the motion moved by Councillor Ana Bailao, and adopted by PHC, regarding fraternity and sorority houses. They meet the definition of rooming houses and should be included in the regulatory framework.

Our members who have lived experience with such student housing properties in their neighbourhoods report that these properties, which have similar features of rooming houses, can, unfortunately, have similar negative impacts on neighbours. Not all fraternity and sorority houses manage themselves well, and ensure safe conditions, and the community suffers.

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Midtown

Midtown Town Centre Vision

The Federation of North Toronto Residents Association (FoNTRA) strongly supports the motion, tabled by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam at the PHC meeting of June 28, 2021 to request a review of all aspects of the vision presented in “Imagining a New Town Centre for Midtown Toronto” prepared by the Midtown Working Group.

The unique opportunities for the Canada Square site were recognized by designation as a Special Study area in the Midtown in Focus Plan, developed with community consultation to provide comprehensive planning direction for the Yonge and Eglinton area. Unfortunately, the City’s lease agreement with Oxford Properties Group was made before that study could be undertaken. The Midtown Town Centre vision begins to provide the way forward.

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