Effective December 1, 2024 – New Terms of Reference for Conceptual Servicing Plan, Site Servicing Plan, Conceptual Grading Plan, and updated Site Grading Plan.

Terms of Reference Application Support Materials are periodically updated to ensure application requirements are current and reflect changes in legislation, technical requirements and evolving best practices. This page provides notice of these upcoming changes and their effective date.

Description

To show conceptual grading information for the site and building and their relationship to adjacent and surrounding streets, boulevards and properties, as well as grading of site circulation, and grading relationships for the interior and exterior of building(s). The Conceptual Grading Plan must be prepared by a Licenced Professional Engineer specialized in municipal engineering.

When Required

A Conceptual Grading Plan is required for the following application types:

  • Zoning By-law Amendment

Rationale

The authority to require this work is provided by the Planning Act, the City of Toronto Act, the Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement, A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and to support Council-adopted policies and programs.

Required Contents

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a 1:100 or 1:250 scale

General Details

  • Key plan including adjacent street names
  • North arrow
  • Use the Conceptual Site Plan and Topographic Survey as a base (in grey)
  • Legend for all symbols, hatching, shading, and linework
  • Benchmarks complete with description of location and geodetic elevation
  • Names of public streets and/or public lanes abutting the site
  • Site boundaries with existing/new proposed property lines
  • Municipal easements and utility easements that traverse or abut the site
  • Dimensions to boundaries of provincial highways, railway corridors, bridges, and the Toronto and Region Conservation lands in proximity to the site and including required setbacks to such areas to be denoted on the plans

Proposed Site Layout and Grading

  • Footprint of building(s) including the limit of the underground structure
  • Building elevation information including finished floor elevation (FFE), basement floor elevation (BFE), entrance elevation
  • Proposed location of vehicular accesses, internal driveways, and ramps
  • All land to be conveyed to the City including right-of-way and lane widenings, corner roundings, easements and their existing/proposed grades
  • Proposed location of entrances, accesses, and ramps, stairs, doors, and utilities, air intakes/exhausts and their respective grades and elevations
  • Grading information, including existing/proposed elevations at 6 metre intervals along property lines, driveways, sidewalks, walkways and other paved areas
  • Existing grading information external and adjacent to the site to confirm external drainage that currently traverses the site and proposed grading to accommodate external drainage through the site
  • Proposed overland flow routes through the site to their outlets

Contact

For further information please contact:

Development Engineering, Central Review Unit
Engineering & Construction Services Division, City of Toronto
devengcru@toronto.ca

Description

To show how municipal services will be provided to the site and how those proposed services will comply with the City’s policies, guidelines, and standards.

When Required

A Conceptual Servicing Plan is required as part of the Servicing Report submitted in support of the following application types:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment

Rationale

The authority to require the Conceptual Servicing Plan is provided by the Planning Act, the City of Toronto Act, 2006, the Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement, A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Council-adopted policies, guidelines and standards (e.g., Wet Weather Flow Management Policy, levels of protection under Basement Flooding Protection Program, etc.), the City’s Sewers By-law (Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 681) and Water Supply By-law (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 851).

The Conceptual Servicing Plan is a component of the Servicing Report.

Servicing design presented on the Conceptual Servicing Plan must meet all requirements established in the City of Toronto’s municipal engineering design policies, guidelines and standards, including but not limited to, the most recent edition of:

The Conceptual Servicing Plan must also demonstrate compliance with all applicable Provincial legislation (e.g., Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks), applicable regulations, and applicable provincial guidelines/procedures, including but not be limited to:

  • Safe Drinking Water Act;
  • Ontario Water Resources Act;
  • Environmental Protection Act;
  • MECP Procedure F-5-5;
  • Design Guidelines for Sewage Works;
  • Stormwater Management Planning and Design Manual;
  • Environmental Compliance Approval design criteria.

Required Contents

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a 1:100 or 1:200 scale

Official Plan Amendment Applications

General Details

  • Key plan including adjacent street name(s)
  • North arrow indicator
  • Municipal address(es)
  • Reference to source drawings used for existing servicing infrastructure shown on Conceptual Servicing Plan
  • Names of street(s) and/or lane(s) (public and private) abutting the site
  • Site boundaries with existing and new proposed property lines
  • Dimensions to boundaries of provincial highways, railway corridors, bridges, and the Toronto and Region Conservation lands in proximity to the site and including required setbacks to such areas to be denoted on the plans

Proposed Site Layout

  • Footprint of existing to be retained and proposed building(s) including the limit of any underground structure(s)
  • All lands that are intended to be conveyed to the City including new public streets, right-of-way and lane widenings

Existing Public and Private Servicing Information

Existing municipal and private infrastructure abutting, downstream of, or within the site including:

  • Sewers including grade, size, direction of flow, and material
  • Watermains including size and material, valves, and chambers
  • Fire hydrants
  • Existing service laterals
  • Third party utilities (Bell, Rogers, Hydro, gas, etc.)

Proposed Public Servicing Information

Proposed municipal infrastructure abutting, downstream of, or within the site including:

  • Conceptual service connections to municipal sewers and watermains
  • Conceptual new municipal infrastructure
  • Modifications and/or upgrades to existing municipal sewers and watermains
  • Third party utilities (Bell, Rogers, Hydro, gas, etc.)

Zoning By-Law Amendment Application

General Details

  • Key plan including adjacent street name(s)
  • North arrow indicator
  • Title block including City of Toronto Application Number, full municipal address(es)
  • Reference to source drawings used for existing servicing infrastructure shown on Conceptual Servicing Plan
  • Names of street(s) and/or lane(s) (public and private) abutting the site
  • Site boundaries with existing and new proposed property lines
  • Municipal and private easements that traverse or abut the site
  • Dimensions to boundaries of provincial highways, railway corridors, bridges, and the Toronto and Region Conservation lands in proximity to the site and including required setbacks to such areas to be denoted on the plans

Proposed Site Layout

  • Footprint of existing to be retained and proposed building(s) including the limit of any underground structure(s)
  • Building elevation information including height of building, finished floor elevation (FFE)
  • Proposed location of entrances, vehicular accesses, internal driveways, and ramps
  • All land that are intended to be conveyed to the City, including new public streets, right-of-way and lane widenings, corner roundings, easements.

Existing Public and Private Servicing Information

Existing municipal and private infrastructure and abutting or within the site including:

  • Sewers including grade, size, direction of flow and materials
  • Watermains including size and material, valves, and chambers
  • Fire hydrants
  • Existing service laterals
  • Third party utilities (Bell, Rogers, Hydro, gas, etc.)

Proposed Public Servicing Information

Proposed municipal infrastructure abutting or within the site including:

  • Conceptual service connections to municipal sewers and watermains
  • Conceptual new municipal infrastructure
  • Modifications and/or upgrades to existing municipal sewers and watermains
  • Third party utilities (Bell, Rogers, Hydro, gas, etc.)

Contact

For further information please contact:

Development Engineering, Central Review Unit
Engineering & Construction Services Division, City of Toronto
devengcru@toronto.ca

Attachment 1 – Servicing Requirements for Different Built Forms

The following potable water, storm and sanitary sewer servicing requirements apply to all new development applications in the City of Toronto, excluding residential developments of less than 5 dwelling units. These requirements apply in addition to and separate from any other municipal by-law or legislative requirements, including but not limited to those under the Toronto Municipal Code Chapters 681 and 851 or the Ontario Building Code.

Residential, Residential Mixed-Use, or Commercial Office Point Tower Developments

Every point tower shall have its own independent service connection to the municipal potable water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities. For clarification, this applies regardless of any shared podium structures, common underground parking structures, or anticipated ownership structures (including all forms of condominium ownership). Any podium that provides a base for more than one point tower shall also have its own independent service connection to the municipal potable water, storm, and sanitary sewer services.

Residential or Residential Mixed-Use Townhouse Developments

Every anticipated standard or common-elements condominium corporation shall have an independent servicing connection to the municipal potable water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities.

Unless otherwise notified in writing at the time of application, staff will review all townhouse applications on the assumption that they will form part of one standard or one common-elements Condominium Corporation. If any party, including but not limited to the applicant and all subsequent owners of the development, applies for more than one condominium corporation encompassing any or all of the development, different service connections, including revised plans and studies, may be required by the City at the sole cost to the condominium applicant.

All Other Commercial and Industrial Development

Every parcel of land that will be separately conveyable requires its own servicing connection to the municipal potable water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities. In this situation, each condominium corporation will be considered one parcel of land.

Unless otherwise notified in writing at the time of application, staff will review all commercial and industrial applications on the assumption that they will form part of one parcel of land. If any party, including but not limited to the applicant and all subsequent owners of the development, applies to sever or condominiumize any part of the development, different service connections, including revised plans and studies, may be required by the City at the sole cost to that applicant.

Other Forms of Development, Including Phased Development and Phased Condominiums Under Part Xl of the Condominium Act

Every building shall have its own independent servicing connection to the municipal water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities, regardless of any shared podium structures, common underground parking structures, or anticipated ownership structure (including all forms of condominium ownership).

Description

To show detailed existing and proposed grading information for the site and building, and their relationship to adjacent and surrounding streets, boulevards and properties. The Site Grading Plan must be prepared by a Licenced Professional Engineer specialized in municipal engineering.

When Required

A Site Grading Plan is required for the following application types:

  • Site Plan Control Approval

Rationale

The authority to require this work is provided by the Planning Act, the City of Toronto Act, the Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement, A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and to support Council-adopted policies and programs. The Site Grading Plan should be prepared alongside the Site Servicing Plan to support the Servicing Report, and where required, the Stormwater Management Report. The Site Grading Plan is also a statutory requirement for Site Plan Control under subsection 114(5) and (11)(a) of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 as part of a complete application.

Required Contents

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a 1:100 or 1:250 scale

General Details

  • Use the Site Plan and Topographic Survey as a base (in grey)
  • Key plan including adjacent street names
  • North arrow
  • Municipal address(es)
  • Legend for all symbols, hatching, shading, and linework
  • Benchmarks complete with description of location and geodetic elevation
  • Names of public streets and/or public lanes abutting the site
  • Site boundaries with existing/new property lines
  • Municipal and private easements that traverse or abut the site
  • Dimensions to boundaries of provincial highways, railway corridors, bridges, and the Toronto and Region Conservation lands in proximity to the site and including required setbacks to such areas to be denoted on the plans.

Proposed Site Layout

  • Footprint of building(s) including the limit of the underground structure
  • Building elevation information including finished floor elevation (FFE), basement floor elevation (BFE), entrance elevation
  • Proposed location of entrances, accesses, vehicular accesses, internal driveways and ramps, stairs, doors, and utilities, air intakes/exhausts and their respective grades and elevations
  • All land to be conveyed to the City including right-of-way and lane widenings, corner roundings, easements
  • Integrate proposed landscaping works as shown on landscaping plans submitted with the application clearly identifying the boulevard and streetscape design and their respective grades and elevations relative to the building and the adjacent street or lane

Existing Grading Information

  • Existing grading information of:
    • external and adjacent to the site to confirm external drainage that currently traverses the site
    • adjacent street(s) and lane(s) every 10 metres to the centreline of each street or lane
    • abutting properties
  • Existing grading information to show accommodation of any external drainage that traverses the site under the current condition
  • Existing grading and elevation of:
    • Top elevation of catchbasin(s), area drains, and maintenance holes, and gutters
    • Top and bottom elevation of curbs and curb depression
    • Existing Retaining walls (elevation for top and bottom of walls, both sides)
    • Top of bank, bottom of bank, and stable top of bank
  • Existing Overland flows routes including:
    • Delineated and direction of flow routes as arrows
    • Spill points and elevation(s)
    • Along adjacent public streets and/or lanes
    • external overland flow routes
    • drainage patterns on adjacent properties clearly delineated as arrows

Proposed Grading Information

  • Proposed grading information to show accommodation of any external drainage that traverses the site under proposed conditions
  • Proposed grading information, including existing/proposed elevations at 6 metre intervals along property lines, driveways, sidewalks, walkways and other paved areas
  • Grading and elevation information for:
    • Top elevation of catchbasin(s), area drains, and maintenance holes, and gutters
    • Top and bottom elevation of curbs and curb depression, including curb restoration, limit and transition
    • Proposed Retaining walls (elevation for top and bottom of walls, both sides)
    • Proposed boulevard/sidewalk widening or narrowing and their proposed grades and impact on curb height
    • Proposed modifications (including widenings) to existing public road(s) and/or lane(s) and their proposed grades to ensure positive drainage
  • Grading and slope information for:
    • Driveways: 2% to 8%
    • Sidewalks and walkways: 2% to 4%
    • Boulevards and landscaped areas: 2% to 4%
    • Lay-by lanes within public street to identify positive drainage to maintain road drainage
    • Ditches and swales: top (flow depth), bottom, slope (direction of flow), cross- section
  • Details for proposed retaining walls:
    • Protective barrier/guard for walls higher than 0.6 metres
    • Cross-sections with elevations (bottom and top of wall) for walls over one (1) metre in height
    • Structural Engineering certification of any proposed retaining walls or caissons
  • Ponding/surface storage elevation information:
    • Location and limit to be delineated as hatching on drawing
    • Storage volume
    • Maximum ponding/water level during 100-year storm event
    • Proposed spill location
  • Overland flows:
    • Delineated and direction of flow routes as arrows
    • Spill points and elevation(s)
    • If there are any changes to existing overland flow routes, that they are directed away from adjacent properties, existing buildings, and proposed buildings
    • Existing external overland flow routes to be maintained or reduced
    • Existing drainage patterns on adjacent properties clearly delineated as arrows and identified as either unchanged or reduced

Contact

For further information please contact:

Development Engineering, Central Review Unit
Engineering & Construction Services Division, City of Toronto
devengcru@toronto.ca

Description

To show how the site will be provided with municipal services and that those services comply with the City’s policies, policies, guidelines and standards.  The Site Servicing Plan includes information to allow for technical review of the proposed site servicing.

When Required

A Site Servicing Plan is required for the following application types:

  • Site Plan Control

Rationale

The authority to require this work is provided by the Planning Act, the City of Toronto Act, the Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement, A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Council-adopted policies and programs (e.g., Wet Weather Flow Management Policy, levels of protection under Basement Flooding Protection Program, etc.), the City’s Sewers By-law (Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 681) and Water Supply By-law (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 851). The Servicing Plan is a component of the Servicing and Stormwater Management Report(s) set out in the regulations under the Planning Act and Schedule 3 of the City’s Official Plan and is also a statutory requirement for Site Plan Control under subsection 114(5) and (11)(a) of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 as part of a complete application.

Servicing design presented on the Site Servicing Plan must meet all requirements established in the City of Toronto’s municipal engineering design principles and guidelines, including but not limited to, the most recent edition of:

And ensure compliance with all applicable Provincial (e.g., Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks) acts, and regulations in effect, including but not be limited to:

  • Safe Drinking Water Act;
  • Ontario Water Resources Act;
  • Environmental Protection Act;
  • MECP Procedure F-5-5;
  • Design Guidelines for Sewage Works;
  • Stormwater Management Planning and Design Manual; and
  • Environmental Compliance Approval design criteria.

Required Contents

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a 1:100 or 1:200 scale

Site Plan Control

General Details

  • Key plan including adjacent street names
  • North arrow
  • Title block including full municipal address, and City of Toronto Engineering & Construction Services signature block
  • Benchmarks complete with description of location and geodetic elevation
  • Reference to source drawings used for existing servicing infrastructure
  • Legend identifying all symbols, hatching, shading, and linework used within the plan
  • Use the Site Plan and Boundary and Topographic Survey as a base (in grey)
  • Names of streets and/or lanes (public and private) abutting the site
  • Site boundaries with existing and new property lines
  • Municipal and private easements that traverse or abut the site
  • Engineering drawings must be signed, stamped, and dated by a Professional Engineer

Site Servicing Drawing Notes

Proposed Site Layout

  • Footprint of building(s) including the limit of the underground structure
  • Building elevation information including finished floor elevation (FFE), basement floor elevation (BFE), entrance elevation
  • Proposed location of entrances, vehicular accesses, internal driveways, ramps, and air intakes/exhausts.
  • All land to be conveyed to the City including road and lane widenings, corner roundings, right-of-ways, easements
  • Integrate proposed landscaping works as shown on landscaping plans submitted with application

Existing Public and Private Servicing Information

Existing public and private infrastructure abutting or within the site including:

  • Sewers including grade, size, direction of flow, and material
  • Watermains including size and material, valves, and chambers
  • Fire hydrants
  • Maintenance holes complete with inverts and top elevations
  • Catchbasins and ditch inlets complete with inverts and rim elevations
  • Existing service laterals
  • Existing services to be disconnected
  • Existing third party utilities (Bell, Rogers, Hydro, gas, etc.)

Proposed Public and Private Servicing Information

Proposed public and private infrastructure abutting or within the site including:

  • Proposed service connections:
    • The design must include the required number of service connections for potable water, storm and sanitary connections as specified within Attachment 1 – Servicing Requirements for Different Built Forms
    • Size, length, slope, material for all storm, sanitary, and water services with reference to the City standards and design criteria for connections
    • For sites with multiple connections per the City’s Servicing Requirements, each connection to be labelled with a corresponding municipal/tower/building reference
    • Fire service connection(s)
    • Invert information for sewer service connections at property line and at point of connection to the City mains
    • Connection method and standard denoted at City main connection point
    • Horizontal clearances to other services and utilities including the proximity of street trees, utility poles, landscaping features
    • Minimum depth of cover for all service connections
    • Hydraulic grade line elevation of the City sewer at point of connection
    • Cross-sections of all service connections to show vertical clearance from crossing sewers, watermains, and other utilities
    • Deflection of existing watermain to accommodate sewer connection requires compliance with MECP Procedure F-6-1
  • Any proposed private on-site servicing, sewer and water works, including size, slope, length, material of such private services
  • Control and on-site maintenance holes including
    • size, reference to City standard drawings and specifications, top elevation, and invert elevations
    • safety platforms
    • drop structures
  • Catchbasins, area drains, ditch inlets including rim and invert elevations
  • Stormwater management facilities including:
    • Type, location, and size
    • Maximum water level and required and proposed total storage volume for quantity and water balance
    • Access port for maintenance with access lid and hatch details
    • Emergency overland flow outlets
    • Inlet and outlet pipe locations with elevations and sizes
    • Orifice or vortex valve controls and details
    • Overflow mechanisms
    • Monitoring systems for shared stormwater management facilities (sampling port/maintenance hole)
    • All stormwater management 100-year high water ponding elevations at catchbasins labelled
    • Water quality units and manufactured treatment device (MTD) including make, model, and connection details
    • Horizontal separation dimensioned between building footings and soakaway pits or infiltration galleries. Cross section to demonstrate highest seasonally recorded ground water elevation and bedrock elevation.
    • Rooftop storage details including location and number of drains and controlled flow
    • Cross-sections and dimensions including elevation for top and bottom of the facility footprint area
  • Groundwater sampling ports
  • Water meter chambers and valve boxes with reference to City standard drawings and specifications
  • Water meter, backflow preventer, detector assemblies, and meter room or chamber with reference to the applicable City standard drawings and specifications
  • Schematic of the metering configuration shown in conformance with Water Servicing and Metering Manual.
  • Proposed siamese/fire department connections with dimensioning to nearest hydrants
  • Proposed third party utilities (Bell, Rogers, Hydro, gas, etc.)

Contact

For further information please contact:

Development Engineering, Central Review Unit
Engineering & Construction Services Division, City of Toronto
devengcru@toronto.ca

Attachment 1 – Servicing Requirements for Different Built Forms

The following potable water, storm and sanitary sewer servicing requirements apply to all new development applications in the City of Toronto, excluding residential developments of less than 5 dwelling units. These requirements apply in addition to and separate from any other municipal by-law or legislative requirements, including but not limited to those under the Toronto Municipal Code Chapters 681 and 851 or the Ontario Building Code.

Residential, Residential Mixed-Use, or Commercial Office Point Tower Developments

Every point tower shall have its own independent service connection to the municipal potable water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities. For clarification, this applies regardless of any shared podium structures, common underground parking structures, or anticipated ownership structures (including all forms of condominium ownership). Any podium that provides a base for more than one point tower shall also have its own independent service connection to the municipal potable water, storm and sanitary sewer services.

Residential or Residential Mixed-Use Townhouse Developments

Every anticipated standard or common-elements condominium corporation shall have an independent servicing connection to the municipal potable water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities.

Unless otherwise notified in writing at the time of application, staff will review all townhouse applications on the assumption that they will form part of one standard or one common-elements Condominium Corporation. If any party, including but not limited to the applicant and all subsequent owners of the development, applies for more than one condominium corporation encompassing any or all of the development, different service connections, including revised plans and studies, may be required by the City at the sole cost to the condominium applicant.

All Other Commercial and Industrial Development

Every parcel of land that will be separately conveyable requires its own servicing connection to the municipal potable water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities. In this situation, each condominium corporation will be considered one parcel of land.

Unless otherwise notified in writing at the time of application, staff will review all commercial and industrial applications on the assumption that they will form part of one parcel of land. If any party, including but not limited to the applicant and all subsequent owners of the development, applies to sever or condominiumize any part of the development, different service connections, including revised plans and studies, may be required by the City at the sole cost to that applicant.

Other Forms of Development, Including Phased Development and Phased Condominiums Under Part Xl of the Condominium Act

Every building shall have its own independent servicing connection to the municipal water and sewer services, including all associated stormwater management facilities, regardless of any shared podium structures, common underground parking structures, or anticipated ownership structure (including all forms of condominium ownership).