January 11, 2000

To: Policy and Finance Committee

From: City Clerk, Planning and Transportation Committee

Subject: Exempting Non-Profit Housing from Planning Application Fees, Building Permit Fees and Parkland Dedication Requirements

Recommendations:

The Planning and Transportation Committee, at its meeting on January 10, 2000, recommended the adoption of the joint report (December 21, 1999) from the Acting Commissioner of Urban Development Services and the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, subject to:

(1) amending Recommendation (1) to read:

"(1) Council exempt the following non-profit housing developments from the building fees payable under By-law No. 163-1998 and the parkland dedication requirements under By-law No. 30152 of the former City of North York:

· a 24 unit non-profit housing development at 647-657 Lawrence Avenue West;

· 30 St. Lawrence Avenue; and

· 1070 Queen Street East;

and, if possible, that the waiving of the permit fees for these projects be changed to a deferral of fees if deemed feasible during the course of discussions, and that the approval of the waiver of fees in no way imply that the project be subject to any lower design landscaping or site plan standards than any private sector project;

and in view of the financial impact inherent in Recommendation (1), the Committee forwards this matter to the Policy and Finance Committee for consideration and report to Council for its meeting on February 1, 2000.

The Planning and Transportation Committee reports, for the information of Policy and Finance Committee, having:

(1) recommended to Council for its meeting on February 1, 2000, the adoption of Recommendations (3) and (4) of the confidential report (December 6 ,1999) from the City Solicitor;

(2) requested the City Solicitor to report directly to Council on the concept of reducing permit and similar fees to a nominal amount rather than waiving or deferring them, and to include in his report any suggested clarifying amendments to the recommendations which he feels may be necessary;

(3) with respect to non-City owned sites, requested the Commissioner of Urban Development Services and the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services to convene a meeting as soon as possible with interested members of the Planning and Transportation Committee, representatives from the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, the Co-op Housing Federation of Toronto, the Co-op Housing Foundation - Ontario Branch and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to discuss the establishment of a policy that would defer all planning application fees, building permit fees and parkland dedication payment requirements for non-profit housing projects, and would include the following provisions:

(a) fees and payments would accrue as a liability against the building with interest, all to be recoverable in the event the building is sold or converted to a profit based status;

(b) Council, at the time of sale or conversion, to review conditions to determine if it wishes to continue to defer these fees;

(c) the value of all payments that have been deferred be calculated for each project and the sponsoring agency be made aware of the subsidy being provided by the City in this regard; and

(d) that this be an interim policy to be reviewed after 5 years in order to determine its success in encouraging the construction of non-profit affordable housing;

and requested the Commissioner of Urban Development Services to report to Planning and Transportation Committee on the outcome of this meeting;

(5) requested the Acting Commissioner, Urban Development Services to report to the Planning and Transportation Committee on:

(a) the following motions placed by Councillor Moscoe:

(i) that parkland dedication be on a site-by-site basis accomplished through the regular planning application process;

(ii) for the purposes of By-law 163-1998, a deferral should be construed as if the full building permit fees have deemed to have been paid;

(c) any appropriate new housing projects he may identify after having conducted a review of new housing projects.

Background:

At its meeting on January 10, 2000, the Planning and Transportation Committee gave consideration to the joint report (December 21, 1999) from the Acting Commissioner of Urban Development Services and the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism requesting to waive the building permit fees and the payment in lieu of providing parkland for a 24 unit non-profit housing development at 647-657 Lawrence Avenue West (Site Plan Application UDSP-99-117) and exempt all non-profit housing from planning application fees, building permit fees and parkland dedication payment requirements, and recommending that:

(1) Council exempt a 24 unit non-profit housing development at 647-657 Lawrence avenue West from the building fees payable under By-law No. 163-1998 and the parkland dedication requirements under By-law No. 30152 of the former City of North York;

(2) Council adopt a policy to waive all planning application fees, building permit fees and parkland dedication payment requirements for non-profit housing projects. The same definition of "non-profit housing" as was used in the development charges by-law (By-law No. 476-1999) should be used for the purpose of the waiver of these fees and payments; and

(3) Council direct City officials to not collect planning application fees, building permit fees and parkland dedication payment requirements for non-profit housing projects and authorize City officials to undertake any necessary action to give effect to the foregoing.

The Committee also had before it a confidential report (December 6, 1999) from the City Solicitor.

The Committee's action is as noted above.

City Clerk

Christine Archibald/ed

Item 11

Also sent to: Acting Commissioner, Urban Development Services

City Solicitor

c.c.: Commissioner, Community & Neighbourhood Services

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

John Di Lallo, Manager, Urban Development Services