8.CITY POWERS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REGARDING

THE CONVERSION TO CONDOMINIUM AND DEMOLITION OF

RENTAL HOUSING BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROCLAMATION

OF THE TENANT PROTECTION ACT.

 City Clerk

(May 20, 1998)

 The Urban Environment and Development Committee on May 19, 1998, had before it the following report and communication:

 (i)(May 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services recommending that:

 (1)Council direct the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services to review and report back by early fall of 1998 on appropriate City-wide policies and procedures respecting condominium conversion and the demolition of rental housing;

 (2)Council adopt, as an interim policy until such time as the report on Recommendation No. (1) can be considered; that:

 (a)when the Tenant Protection Act comes into effect, staff report to the Community Council on condominium applications that involve the conversion of rental housing, and the Community Councils hear deputations and make recommendations to City Council; and

 (b)the Clerk give notification of the meetings referred to in Recommendation No. (2) (a) by placing an advertisement in a community newspaper, and that, in addition, the applicant be requested to notify the tenants of the building about the meeting referred to above;

 (3)Council amend section 3(1) of By-law No. 61-95 (The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto) by adding a new subsection (3) which reads:

 AThe power delegated to the Commissioner by section 2 does not include the authority to make decisions on applications which involve the conversion of rental housing to condominium@,

 To continue to provide Council with the decision-making authority on applications to convert rental housing to condominium;

 (4)Council request the City Solicitor to review the former City of Toronto's special demolition control legislation and report by June 1998 to the Urban Environment and Development Committee on the feasibility of amending the legislation in order to extend its provisions to the other former municipalities in the new City; and

(5)the appropriate City officials be authorized to undertake any necessary action, including preparing and introducing any necessary bills, to give effect thereto.

 (ii)(March 12, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that City Council, at its meeting held on March 4, 5, and 6, 1998, referred to the Urban Environment and Development Committee a Motion moved by Councillor Chow, seconded by Councillor Miller, the operative paragraphs of which are as follows:

 "NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the work of the Urban Planning and Development Staff Team dealing with the development of a new condominium conversion policy and other measures to preserve the City's scarce supply of rental housing be fast-tracked;

 AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT in the interim, all Community Councils strictly apply their existing condominium conversion and demolition control policies/by-laws, where applicable, in order to minimize the loss of affordable rental housing units."

 Mr. Gary Griesdorf and Ms. Carol Weinbaum, Fair Rental Policy Organization/Grater Toronto Apartment Association, appeared bbeforethe Urban Environment and Development Committee in cconnectionwith the foregoing matter:

 The Urban Environment and Development Committee:

 (A)recommended to Council:

 (1)the adoption of the aforementioned report, subject to:

 (a)amending Recommendation No. (2)(b) by striking out the words Athe application be requested to@ and inserting in lieu thereof the words Athe City, at the expense of the applicant@, so that such Recommendation shall now read as follows:

 A(2)(b)the Clerk give notification of the meetings referred to in Recommendation No. (2)(a) by placing an advertisement in a community newspaper, and that, in addition, the City, at the expense of the applicant, notify the tenants of the building about the meeting referred to above;@;

  (b) renumbering Recommendation No. (5) to Recommendation No. (6); and

 (c)adding thereto the following new Recommendation No. (5):

 "(5)after the Tenant Protection Act takes effect, staff request future condominium conversion applicants to provide details on the following matters:

 - rents in the property listed by unit number and type (bachelor, one bedroom, etc.);

-estimates of selling prices for condominium units;

-whether tenants in possession of the units have been notified of the application for a plan of condominium;

-number of rental units which sitting tenants

have indicated in writing that they wish to purchase as condominium units; and

-an indication of the nature of any renovations,

repairs or changes that are to be done in conjunction with the condominium conversion."; and

 (2)that the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be requested to give consideration to including Condominium Conversion as an issue in the new Official Plan, and that such conversion be forbidden, by by-law, unless an established vacancy rate for rental accommodation has been achieved;

 (B)requested the City Solicitor, in consultation with the City Clerk, to submit a report directly to Council for consideration with this matter on June 3, 1998, regarding the following recommended amendment to Recommendation No. (2)(b) embodied in the report dated May 1, 1998 from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services (see Recommendation No. (A)(1)(a) above); such report to include comment on how such notification can be achieved:

 "(2)(b)the Clerk give notification of the meetings referred to in Recommendation No. (2)(a) by placing an advertisement in a community newspaper, and that, in addition, the City, at the expense of the applicant, notify the tenants of the building about the meeting referred to above;" and

 (C)directed that a copy of the aforementioned report and communication be forwarded to the Community Councils for review.

(A copy of the aforementioned report (May 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services is on file in the Clerk's Office, York Civic Service Centre.)