TABLE OF CONTENTS

REPORTS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES

AND OTHER COMMITTEES

As Considered by

The Council of the City of Toronto

on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

REPORT No. 1

1 Principles for Inclusion in a Parkland Dedication By-law

2 Terms of Reference - User Fee Committee

3 Other Items Considered by the Committee

City of Toronto

REPORT No. 1

OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

(from its meeting on July 17, 1998,

submitted by Councillor Brian Ashton, Chair)

As Considered by

The Council of the City of Toronto

on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998

1

Principles for Inclusion in a Parkland Dedication By-law

(City Council on July 29, 30 and 31, 1997, amended this Clause by amending the Recommendation of the Economic Development Committee to read as follows:

"It is recommended that Principle A(7) contained in the report (July 9, 1998) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, be amended to read as follows:

'(7)Delegation of Authority

It is recommended that Council delegate approval authority to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, for choosing a land or cash-in-lieu of land dedication, and for the attributes of the conveyance; and that this be communicated to the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services for inclusion in the appropriate planning reports, subject to consultation with the affected Councillors.' ")

The Economic Development Committee recommends that Principle A(7) contained in the following report (July 9, 1998) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism be amended by adding at the end thereof the words:

"and that the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism report to the Economic Development Committee as part of any development proposal."

so that the said Principle A(7) now reads as follows:

"(7) Delegation of Authority

It is recommended that Council delegate approval authority to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism for choosing a land or cash-in-lieu of land dedication and for the attributes of the conveyance, and that the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism report to the Economic Development Committee as part of any development proposal."

and that the report, as so amended, be adopted:

The Economic Development Committee submits the following report (July 9, 1998) from the Commissioner, Economic Development, Culture and Tourism:

Purpose of Report:

The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval of the principles to be contained in a harmonized Parkland Dedication Bylaw. A bylaw is required to provide a single approach to Parkland Dedication for the new City in place of the six that presently exist in each of the former local municipalities.

Source of Funds:

Although the parkland dedication and cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication is a source of considerable revenue for the City, there are no direct funding requirements of the Parks Dedication Bylaw.

Recommendations:

(1)That the principles contained in this report be approved; and

(2)that the appropriate City Officials take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Discussion:

Section 42 of the Planning Act gives the City the authority to require a parkland dedication upon the development or redevelopment of land. It is necessary to develop a Parkland Dedication By-law that will bring consistency to the parkland dedication requirements of Toronto across all of its regions, until such time as a new Official Plan and corresponding Bylaws are adopted.

Bylaws and procedures in the former municipalities currently differ in amounts of parkland required, granting of exemptions, and in other aspects within the framework of the Planning Act. All of the former local municipalities have parkland dedication bylaws in place at this time.

The Parkland Dedication Bylaws of the former municipalities have had a major impact on the provision of the Parks and Recreation infrastructure in Toronto. Over the past five years, the bylaws have resulted in financial contributions of $17.7 million used towards the provision of Parks and Recreation property and facilities. In addition, the City has acquired over 29 acres of land for parks purposes and received other benefits from development.

Implementation of Council's policy regarding parkland dedication is accomplished through two vehicles: a statutory Bylaw as prescribed in the Planning Act; and through City Policies and Procedures related to the implementation of the bylaw. Matters covered under the latter will be delegated to the appropriate staff for action.

(A)Matters For Inclusion in the By-Law

It is recommended that the Bylaw cover and give the City authority in the following areas.

(1)Definitions

Generally, all definitions within the Bylaw will be consistent with those found in the Ontario Building Code. Terms not found in the Ontario Building Code, or those requiring further details will be defined in the Bylaw.

(2)Exemption of Parkland Dedication for Industrial Applications

It is recommended that the City not require conveyance of parkland dedication or cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication for industrial development or redevelopment. Industrial land uses traditionally generate the least demand for parks and revenues derived from this sector of development have historically been the lowest contributor to parkland reserves. For these and other reasons, the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department recommends the exemption of industrial land uses from a parkland dedication requirements. The former municipalities of Scarborough, East York, Toronto, and York currently exempt industrial development from a parkland dedication requirement.

It is estimated that, on average, a parkland dedication from industrial development could provide revenues to the City of $75,000 to $125,000 annually, or about 1% to 2% of the total revenues possible from cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication.

(3)Commercial Dedication

It is recommended that the City require conveyance of land equal to 2% of the value of the development site for parkland dedication or cash-in-lieu of a parkland dedication for commercial development or redevelopment.

Commercial land uses create a demand for park space (e.g. lunch-time respite from offices, after work sports, etc.), although it is somewhat less than that created by residential land uses. As permitted in the Planning Act, the lower 2%level of dedication reflects this reduced level of demand. Furthermore, areas of commercial concentration such as the Toronto City core are deficient in parks. Parkland dedication on commercial developments can play a role in addressing these deficiencies.

The former municipalities of Scarborough and East York currently do not apply a commercial dedication requirement; all other municipalities made it a requirement of development. Based on historical data, commercial parkland dedication requirement could generate land and/or cash-in-lieu of parkland of approximately an average amount of $500,000 to$750,000 annually across all of Toronto. This represents about 14% of the total revenues possible from cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication.

(4)Residential Dedication

It is recommended that the City require conveyance of land equal to 5% of the value of the development site for parkland dedication or cash-in-lieu of a parkland dedication for residential development or redevelopment.

The Planning Act also permits municipalities to require a higher parkland dedication from high density residential uses. This is known as the "alternate requirement". It is also recommended that the Bylaw implement the "alternate requirement" policies contained in Official Plans of the former municipalities. This would exist only until the Department brought forth a consistent, City-wide approach to parkland dedication from high density residential developments as part of the new Official Plan. Adoption of this interim measure would ensure the application of the "alternate requirement" to the City.

Only East York currently exempts residential developments from a parkland dedication requirement. All other municipalities make it a requirement of development. Based on historical revenues, it is estimated that a residential parkland dedication requirement will generate cash-in-lieu of parkland of approximately an average amount of $3 to $4 million annually across Toronto in addition to the land that will be conveyed. This represents about 85% of the total revenues possible from cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication.

(5)Exemptions to the Parkland Dedication Requirements

It is recommended that the City exempt the following developments or redevelopments from the Parkland Dedication Bylaw:

• Schools, Colleges, Universities, and related educational uses;
• Places of worship, cemeteries, etc;
• Institutional uses including ancillary administrative space;
• Social housing projects funded by the City or any of its agencies;
• Replacement building destroyed by an act of God;
• The first 500 square metres of development or redevelopment; and
• Certain geographic exemptions that existed in the former municipalities.

Granting of exemptions would also be available to Council on a case by case basis if parks needs were met by the applicant in other ways.

(6)Valley Lands

It is recommended that Council generally shall not accept lands below the top of bank of the escarpments, ravines, or river valleys for the purposes of satisfying parkland dedication requirements imposed under the Planning Act.

(7)Delegation of Authority

It is recommended that Council delegate approval authority to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism for choosing a land or cash-in-lieu of land dedication and for the attributes of the conveyance.

B)Policy and Procedure Matters

It is recommended that the following issues be addressed within the City's Policies and Procedures:

(1)Formulas to Calculate Dedication Requirements

A variety of situations present themselves from time to time that require policy to prescribe how dedication requirements are to be calculated. They include: mixed use developments, cash-in-lieu of parkland, and additions or alterations to existing buildings. The formulas for each will be developed based on best practices of the former municipalities.

(2)General Criteria for the Acceptance of Land or Cash-in-lieu

The determination of a land or cash conveyance will be at the sole discretion of the City. Guidelines for acceptance of land shall be developed so that the City can be consistent in its requirements of developers. For example, the guidelines will seek to ensure that the conveyed land is: developable, of a useful size, location, configuration and topography, highly visible, publicly accessible, vacant and free of contaminants and any other attributes that are appropriate. These guidelines will be developed in consultation with other Departments including Urban Planning and Development Services.

It is generally in the City's best interest to accept conveyances of land free and clear of all easements, encroachments, and any contaminants. Any exceptions could be dealt with case by case in accordance with approved policies.

(3)Land Valuation

Appraisals shall be conducted or commissioned by City staff. The cost for appraisal services shall be recovered from the applicant. This process was used in several of the former municipalities and is the best practice. A separate report to the Corporate Services Committee is addressing this issue.

Furthermore, to be responsive to the needs of the development community, it is recommended that a policy be established to allow an advance overpayment of the cash-in-lieu amount so that a Building Permit could be issued if required. Once an appraisal is completed, an appropriate adjustment can be made.

Conclusion:

These principles for an interim Parkland Dedication Bylaw are the product of collaboration amongst City staff representing various City Departments. Adoption of a Bylaw is proposed to harmonize the varying approaches to parkland dedication used by the former municipalities until such time as a new Official Plan and associated bylaws are established. With Council's direction/approval regarding the principles contained in this report, a bylaw will be developed for approval.

As requested by the Budget Committee, a further report on the proposed use of these funds will be forthcoming.

This report has been prepared in conjunction with staff from the Finance and Urban Planning and Development Services Departments, and the Legal, and Real Estate Divisions of the Corporate Services Department.

Contact Name:

John A. Macintyre,

Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department, Metro Hall,

397-4451

2

Terms of Reference - User Fee Committee

(City Council on July 29, 30and 31, 1998, adopted this Clause, without amendment.)

The Economic Development Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (July 2, 1998) from the City Clerk:

Recommendation:

The User Fee Committee on July 2, 1998, recommended to the Economic Development Committee, and Council, the adoption of the following Terms of Reference for the User Fee Committee:

Terms Of Reference

User Fee Committee

(Review of User Fees Recreation Programs)

(1)Mandate

The mandate of the User Fee Committee is to provide guidance to the process of the harmonization of user fees for recreation programs and to propose a generic consultation process for the harmonization of other user fees.

(2)Duration

The User Fee Committee will report to the Economic Development Committee and will present their findings and recommendations to the Economic Development Committee by October, 1998. The User Fee Committee will meet at least monthly.

(3)Process

Initially the focus of the User Fee Committee will be to develop a generic process based on the parks and recreation strategy that has been launched. At various levels during the process, as outlined in the report from the Chief Administrative Officer, stakeholder input is necessary to ensure a commitment to the recommended user fee policy options. The User Fee Committee will work in close consultation with the Community Councils, staff from the Parks and Recreation Division, community groups and Council members.

(4)Goals and Objectives

The User Fee Committee will need to ensure that a comprehensive process is undertaken for the evaluation of policy options and a thorough public consultation for the harmonization of user fees for recreation programs provided in the former municipalities.

In particular, the User Fee Committee will identify the necessary priorities from the City's perspective and ensure that the following factors are taken into consideration:

(a)accessibility by City residents;

(b)compliance with Council priorities;

(c)specific needs of individual communities, special demands, socio-economic factors;

(d)responsiveness to community needs;

(e)economies of scale;

(f)a balanced perspective of City priorities in relation to different service requirements; and

(g)whether user fees should be based on partial or full cost recovery or market value of services.

The User Fee Committee will also propose to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee a generic consultation process for the harmonization of user fees by August, 1998.

(5)Staff Support

The User Fee Committee will receive secretariat support from the Clerk's Division and policy support from Parks and Recreation, CAO, Transportation, Works and Community Services staff.

Background:

The User Fee Committee had before it a communication from the City Clerk (June 8, 1998) advising that City Council, at its meeting held on June 3, 4 and 5. 1998, struck out and referred Clause 6, embodied in Report No. 9 of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, headed "Harmonization of User Fees for Recreation Programs", together with all rendered motions, to the User Fee Committee with a request that the User Fees Committee meet as soon as possible to determine how to proceed.

The User Fee Committee also had before it the following communications:

(a)(June 30, 1998) from Councillor Olivia Chow, headed "Consultations with Youth - User Fees"; and

(b)(June 30, 1998) from Mr. Vince Pagano, Chair, Joseph J. Piccininni Community Centre advising of their concern about the impact user fees will have on the community.

Councillor Sandra Bussin, East Toronto and Councillor Howard Moscoe, North York Spadina, appeared before the User Fee Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.

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(Copies of the communications referred to in the foregoing report are on file in the office of the City Clerk.)

3

Other Items Considered by the Committee

(City Council on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998, received this Clause, for information.)

(a)Election of Vice-Chair.

The Economic Development Committee reports having elected Councillor Mario Giansante as its Vice-Chair for the period ending May 31, 1999 and/or until his successor is appointed.

(b)Terms of Reference for the Economic Development Committee.

The Economic Development Committee reports having:

(1)received the following communications from the City Clerk;

(2)referred to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism the report (March 17, 1998) from Councillor Mario Silva, Trinity-Niagara, embodied in Clause No. 1 of Report No. 5 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team which contains suggestions for citizen representation on the Committee to represent various sectors; and

(3)requested the Commissioner to report back to the Committee on an outreach model designed to optimize sector input into the policies, programs and strategic plans of the Economic Development Committee:

(i)(May 25, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that City Council on May 13 and 14, 1998, adopted, as amended, Clause No. 1 contained in Report No. 5 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, headed "Terms of Reference for the Economic Development Committee".

(ii)(July 15, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that City Council on July 8, 9 and 10, 1998, adopted, as amended, Clause No. 1 of Report No. 4 of The Striking Committee, headed "Standing Committee Memberships and Appointments to the Economic Development Committee, Various Boards and Appointments of Interim Co-Chairs of the Storm Water Group", and directed, inter alia, that, until May 31, 1999, notwithstanding the provisions of the Council Procedural By-law, the membership of the Economic Development Committee be increased to provide for the appointment of Councillors Davis and Feldman and, at his or her option, the additional representative from East York.

(c)Black Creek Business Area Association Revitalization Action Plan.

The Economic Development Committee reports having:

(1)received the report (June 19, 1998) from the Director, York Economic Development Office and the Executive Director, North York Economic Development for information; and

(2)concurred with the action taken by the North York Community Council and referred the Black Creek Business Area Association Revitalization Action Plan to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism for reports to the appropriate committee(s) as necessary, with respect to the implementation of projects recommended through the Revitalization Action Plan.

(i)(July 2, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that North York Community Council, on June 24, 1998, recommended that:

(1)the report (June 19, 1998) from the Director, York Economic Development Office and the Executive Director, North York Economic Development Office be received;

(2)the report (June 19, 1998) from the Director, York Economic Development Office and the Executive Director, North York Economic Development Office, and accompanying Black Creek Business Area Association Revitalization Action Plan be forwarded to the Economic Development Committee for information; and

(3)the Black Creek Business Area Association Revitalization Plan be referred to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism for reports to the appropriate committee(s) as necessary, with respect to the implementation of projects recommended through the Revitalization Action Plan.

(ii)(July 6, 1998) from the City Clerk recommending that the report (June 19, 1998) from the York Director, Economic Development Office and the Executive Director, North York Economic Development Office regarding the Revitalization Action Plan for the Black Creek Business Area Association, be forwarded to the Economic Development Committee for information

Lorne Berg, Executive Director of the Black Creek Business Area Association, gave a presentation on the Association's Action Plan.

(d)Proposed Merger of the Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal - Impact on Toronto.

The Economic Development Committee reports having deferred consideration of this matter to its September, 1998 meeting:

(i)(March 30, 1998) from the City Clerk and Urban Environment and Development Committee advising that Urban Environment and Development Committee, on March23 and 24, 1998 directed that the matter of the impact on Toronto of the proposed merger of the Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal be referred to the first meeting of the Economic Development Committee, once it is established;

(ii)(July 13, 1998) from Councillor Ashton recommending that this item be deferred to the September meeting of the Economic Development Committee for deputation by the Bank of Montreal.

(e)General Briefing on Economic Development Committee, Culture & Tourism Department

The Economic Development Committee reports having received an overhead presentation from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism on the divisional structure, program scope, major issues and next steps of his department.

(f)Playground Sites and Waterparks in the City of Toronto.

The Economic Development Committee reports having requested the Chief Building Official and the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism to report to the Economic Development Committee in accordance with the following recommendations contained in a Motion by Mayor Mel Lastman regarding playground sites and waterparks in the City of Toronto, such report to also include statistics relating to safety issues involving playgrounds and playground equipment in the City of Toronto:

"THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Chief Building Official report to the Economic Development Committee on the C.S.A. standards for playground equipment, and the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism report on a phased replacement program for all City playgrounds so that all playgrounds will eventually comply with these new C.S.A. standards; as well as developing a standard city-wide inspection system for all City playgrounds; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism report on implementing eight new children's waterparks. In consultation with the local Councillors, there should be waterparks in the communities of Toronto, Scarborough, York, East York and Etobicoke."

Respectfully submitted,

BRIAN ASHTON,

Chair

Toronto, July 17, 1998

(Report No. 1 of The Economic Development Committee was adopted, as amended, by City Council on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998.)