September 16, 1998

To:Chairman and Members, Etobicoke Community Council

From:Karen V. Bricker, Director, Community Planning, West District

Subject:Proposed New Toronto Employment Area Secondary Plan(Lakeshore Queensway)

Purpose :

To advise Council of the implications of undertaking a Secondary Plan for the New Toronto Employment Area.

Financial Implications:

There are no direct financial implications associated with this proposal.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that Council receive this report for information and reaffirm its previous decision to approve Official Plan Amendment 53-97 and Zoning Bylaw 1997-217 which redesignated the Canadian General-Tower site from Industrial to Medium Density Residential and permitted the development of 154 residential units, light industrial uses and a local park.

Background:

At its meeting of July 29, 30 and 31, 1998, Toronto Council adopted Resolution 5 which reaffirmed Council's desire to maintain the New Toronto Employment Area for employment uses, and directed staff to proceed with the preparation of a Secondary Plan which has a goal of strengthening and revitalizing employment activities. This resolution is attached as Exhibit No. 1.

Comments:

The New Toronto Employment Area is generally located north of Lake Shore Boulevard and is bounded by Islington Avenue on the east, Birmingham Street on the south, Kipling Avenue on the west, and the CN rail corridor on the north. Although the area is part of a larger industrial district which contains a mix of large and small scale employment activities, it has experienced the closure of several primary industries including Gilbey Distilleries (4.0 ha.), Arrowhead Metals (15.8 ha.) and Canadian General-Tower (6.1 ha.). These sites, and others within the larger area, are now vacant.

The need to adopt a Secondary Plan for the New Toronto area was the focus of an extensive study begun in 1992. As a result of the three year study process, and a subsequent consultative effort led by staff and the area councillors which concluded in 1997, it was determined that a Secondary Plan was not appropriate at this time. As an alternative, Council endorsed a Development Concept, which provided an overall land use scenario and development principles and detailed area-specific land use policies which supplemented the existing Official Plan policies and would be used to assist in evaluating development proposals in conjunction with the Official Plan. (See Council resolution of February 17, 1997, Exhibit 2).

The Development Concept reaffirms the desire to maintain the lands for employment uses, as stated in the recent resolution by Toronto Council, and the New Toronto Employment Area, as defined in the Official Plan, includes all but one of the industries identified in the resolution. While residential uses were considered to be appropriate on the Canadian General-Tower site, which is located at the western edge of the industrial district, the Development Concept continues to support the retention of the remaining industrial lands for the development of employment uses.

In October, 1997, Etobicoke Council adopted site-specific Official Plan Amendment 53-97 and Zoning Bylaw 1997-217 to permit a 154-unit residential development on the Canadian General-Tower site. The amendments were referred to the Ontario Municipal Board by the South Etobicoke Industrial Employers Association (SEIEA), Canadian National Railways (CN), and Canadian General-Tower (CGT), and were subject to a six week hearing which concluded on July 15, 1998. Referral requests related to the Arrowhead and Continental Can Company lands east of Islington Avenue remain outstanding. As the entire matter is before the Ontario Municipal Board and no decision has been released, further consideration of a Secondary Plan should await the outcome of the Hearing.

Staff have discussed the Secondary Plan with the Executive Director of Planning and the Director of Policy and Research. While the maintenance of appropriate employment lands throughout the city is an important issue, the undertaking of a further land use review of this area would have to be considered within the context of the 1999 - 2000 work program, given the current priority of the new Official Plan and the majority of resources that will be directed to the Plan in the short term.

Conclusion:

Staff will report further on this matter when the Ontario Municipal Board decision on the CGT site is released.

Contact Name:

Dave McKillop

Etobicoke Civic Centre

Telephone: (416) 394-8217

Fax: (416) 394-6063

Karen V. Bricker, MCIP

Director, Community Planning, West District