For upcoming changes to the application support material see Terms of Reference: Upcoming Changes.

 

To ensure the interests of the City are met and to adequately assess the technical aspects of your proposal, the City requires submission of a number of information items with your application. This page provides definitions and detailed descriptions of the plans, reports and studies the City may require in order to assess development proposals and the completeness of development applications.

Please note that not all of these requirements will apply to your proposal and that the level of detail required for these reports and studies varies widely. Your pre-application consultation meeting will determine the requirement for, and scope of, any plans, reports and studies that must be provided with your initial submission to consider your application complete.

Terms of Reference are being prepared for the following reports/studies. In the interim, the requirements and details of these plans/reports/studies, should you need one, can be addressed during your pre-application consultation meeting.

  • Accessibility Design Standards Checklist
  • Construction Management Plan
  • Environmental Impact Study
  • Erosion/Sediment Control Plan
  • Rail Safety and Risk Mitigation Report

A sample board of select exterior materials may be requested during development review.

Scale

  • 1:50 metric scale

General Details

  • Full colour
  • A minimum building width of three typical bays, including the main building entrance, for the first three-storeys
  • Label exterior design features, exterior materials and window type (e.g. vision glass, spandrel)
  • (For new buildings 1,000 square metres or greater) Show location of signage as part of recognition of the Architect of Record, or primary Design Architect of the building. The lettering for this recognition must cover an area of at least 0.2m by 0.3m, or 0.06 square metres located near the main entrance or prominent façade of the structure.
  • Fenestration patterns and treatment on the first 10 to 12 metres to reduce bird collisions – see Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines for additional information.

Terms of Reference are being prepared for this study. In the interim, the requirements and details of this study should you need one can be addressed during your pre-application consultation meeting.

Alternately, please refer to the City of Toronto Accessibility Design Guidelines.

Effective January 9, 2023

Description

An Air Quality and Odour Study is a technical report that provides a written description of the impact of air emissions, including odour and dust, by the surrounding environment on the proposed development as well as mitigation measures to reduce any negative impacts.

The Study:

  1. Provides a written description of the impact of air emissions from the surrounding environment on the proposed development.
  2. Provides details of all measures proposed to mitigate or reduce the anticipated negative air emission impacts.

This Air Quality and Odour Study is to be prepared, on behalf of the applicant, by a consultant that is either an Air Quality expert or a qualified Professional Engineer.

When Required

If the development includes a sensitive land use, the proximity of the sensitive land use to any industrial land use should be evaluated. Proximity to industrial land uses should be assessed based on the principle of potential influence areas outlined in the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) Guideline D-6 “Compatibility between Industrial Land Uses” (the Guideline). The Guideline provides a classification system for industrial facilities, from Class I (facilities with the lowest potential for emissions) to Class III (facilities with the highest potential for emissions).

Nearby industrial land uses (within 1000 metres of the proposed development) should be classified according to this classification system and listed in the Air Quality and Odour Study Study. If the separation distance for one or more nearby industrial land uses is lower than the potential influence distance in the Guideline (70, 300, and 1000 metres for Class I, II, and III industrial uses respectively), then further assessment is required. Note that separation distance should be evaluated from property line to property line unless ancillary land uses or mandatory setback distances are present, in which case these may be included in the separation distances.

If further assessment is required due to the proximity of industrial land uses, the consultant shall obtain a copy of any Environmental Compliance Approvals (“ECAs” – previously known as Certificates of Approval) issued to the subject industrial facilities.

If these ECAs include an air emission component, the consultant shall obtain a copy of the emission summary table from each of the industrial facilities. These emission summary tables should be examined to evaluate the presence of common contaminants emitted by nearby industrial facilities. If the combined facility ground-level concentrations of any particular compound exceeds 100% of the MOECC limit for that compound, further analysis with respect to that contaminant may be required to assess cumulative impacts from multiple facilities. This analysis could include dispersion modelling or long-term air sampling and monitoring in advance of application approval. The applicant should submit a proposed monitoring plan for the City’s approval, and finalize the plan in consultation with the City. The applicant should not commence monitoring until the City has approved the monitoring plan.

If the nearby industrial facilities have operations that emit odours, as determined by the character of the operations or the presence of odour assessment in the ECA, a community odour survey in the vicinity of the proposed development is required. The applicant should submit a proposed community odour survey plan for the City’s approval, and finalize the plan in consultation with the City. The applicant should not commence the community odour survey until the City has approved the plan.

Additionally, if nearby facilities have significant levels of particulate matter emissions, or a fugitive dust management plan is a condition in the ECA, or the industrial land use contains unpaved roads or outdoor storage piles, a dust monitoring program may be required as part of the Air Quality and Odour Study. Official Plan Section 2.2.4 (Policy 5) requires that development adjacent to or nearby Employment Areas should be appropriately designed, buffered and/or separated from industries as necessary to mitigate adverse effects including those from dust, odour, and air emissions so as to promote safety and security.

An Air Quality and Odour Study may be required for the following planning application types:

  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plan of Subdivision
  • Site Plan Control

Rationale

Official Plan Section 2.2.4 (Policy 5) requires that development adjacent to or nearby Employment Areas should be appropriately designed, buffered, and/or separated from industries as necessary to mitigate adverse effects including those from air emissions, odour, and dust to promote safety and security.

Official Plan Section 3.4 (Policy 21) requires major facilities such as airports, transportation/rail infrastructure, corridors and yards, waste management facilities and industries adjacent to sensitive land uses such as residences, educational and health facilities to appropriately design, buffer, and/or separate the facilities and uses from each other to prevent adverse effects from air emissions.

To assist in identifying potential impacts and mitigative measures, the applicant may be required to prepare an Air Quality and Odour Study in accordance with guidelines established for this purpose. The proponent will be responsible for implementing any required mitigative measures.

In addition to sensitive land uses, the Official Plan in Section 4.6 policies 6 and 7 deals with mitigation of the effects of air emissions among other things in order to create competitive, attractive, highly functional Employment Areas.

Required Contents

During Pre-Application Consultation, City Planning staff will work with the applicant’s consultant to determine if such a Study is required and, if so, the specific requirements of the Study, based on the nature of the proposed application and the context of the study area.

The Study should include, but is not necessarily limited to:

  • A list of industrial land uses within 1000 metres of the proposed development.
  • Classifications per MOECC Guideline D-6 of nearby industrial land uses and their distances to the proposed development.
  • For industrial facilities whose area of influence includes sensitive land uses associated with the proposed development, copies of any issued Environmental Compliance Approvals.
  • Copies of any emission summary tables required as part of the Study process.
  • Methodology and results of air sampling, odour community surveys, and dust sampling required as part of the Study process.
  • Identification and analysis of the impact of air emissions, odour, and dust generated from the immediately surrounding area, including without limiting the foregoing, the operations of airports, transportation/rail infrastructure, corridors and yards, waste management facilities, industries and other air emissions-generating uses on the proposed development.
  • Identification and analysis of the impact of air emissions generated within the proposed development on itself.
  • Recommendations for air emission mitigation, including both potential emission control upgrades at sources and any adjustments to the site plan and architectural design as are necessary to minimize exposure to air emissions, odour, and dust, and to comply with relevant regulations and standards including, if necessary, applying for Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR) registrations or Environmental Compliance Approvals to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

Note: The City of Toronto may wish to hire an outside consultant, at the expense of the applicant, to peer review selected technical reports submitted in support of a development application where there is no in-house expertise available).

Effective May 31, 2023

Purpose/Description

The Arborist Report is a technical document that provides detailed information, including the location, species, size and condition, of individual trees and associated significant vegetation (i.e. shrubs) on private and public lands (such as the boulevards and parks) that may be affected by a proposed development. The Arborist Report assesses all proposed tree and vegetation impacts and identifies tree care methodology along with any specific treatment details to protect and preserve trees before, during and after construction.

A certified arborist professional is required to prepare the report. A certified arborist professional generally includes:

  • An Arborist qualified by the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board (OTAB) or the Ministry of Colleges and Universities
  • A Certified Arborist qualified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
  • A Consulting Arborist registered with the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA)
  • A Registered Professional Forester (RPF)
  • A person with other similar qualifications as approved by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation

When Required

An Arborist Report will be required for the following planning application types where the property contains existing regulated trees and/or regulated trees are located within six metres of all property lines (or all trees within 12 m from all proposed disturbance areas for sites regulated by the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law, Municipal Code Chapter 658). Through the Mandatory Pre-Application Consultation, Urban Forestry staff will determine if such a report is required. The planning application types are:

  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Plans of Condominium
  • Site Plan Control
  • Consent to Sever and/or Variance

Rationale

The Arborist Report aides the development of a Tree Preservation Plan which is required to be submitted concurrently. The Arborist Report is a requirement of Schedule 3 of the Official Plan. Various policies of the City’s Official Plan seek to preserve the long-term growth and increase of the amount of healthy and mature trees within the City. These principles are also reflected in the City’s Toronto Green Standards and various City Council-approved initiatives. The City of Toronto Municipal Code also establishes authority in regulating trees and ravine areas of the City, including the Tree By-law (Chapter 813), Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law (Chapter 658), and the Parks By-law (Chapter 608).

Required Contents

  • Document author and company name (must qualify as an arborist professional as per the Description above) and contact information
  • Date/Revision date
  • Project Address/Location
  • Description of the Scope of Work
  • Tree details in an inventory table, no more than 24 months old at the time of submission, that includes tree species, diameter at breast height (dbh), condition, category and proposed impact (i.e. remove, injure, protect)
  • Schedule for planned site inspections, reporting and review of tree protection and mitigation on the site to be completed by qualified persons throughout construction. (i.e. pre-, during and post-construction oversight)

Description

An archaeological resource assessment identifies and evaluates the presence of archaeological resources also known as archaeological sites. Archaeological resources or sites include the physical remains and contextual setting of any structure, event, place, feature, or object which, because of the passage of time, is on or below the surface of the land or water, and is important to understanding the history of a people or place.

Since 2004 the City of Toronto, Heritage Preservation Services (HPS), has been developing an archaeological management plan (AMP) to govern when archaeological assessments are required within City lands. This planning tool is a predictive model and provides information on which lands are likely to contain archaeological resources and should be subject to an assessment.

When Required

An archaeological  assessment is required for the following application types if the property is on the City’s database of lands containing archaeological potential:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Site Plan Control
  • Consent and/or Minor Variance applications

Whether a property has archaeological resource potential can be confirmed at the searchable database TO maps. Use the map’s legend and activate the archaeological potential tab to search property addresses directly.

An archaeological assessment may also be required if a property is identified on the City of Toronto’s Inventory of Heritage Properties as part of the Heritage Impact Assessment process (See terms of reference for Heritage Impact Assessments).

Rationale

An archaeological assessment is required on lands that hold archaeological potential in order to ascertain the presence or absence of archaeological resources. If these resources are present, the archaeological assessment will evaluate the significance of these resources and outline measures to mitigate the impact of development on these resources. Mitigation measures include on-site preservation and avoidance of the archaeological site entirely, as per the City of Toronto’s Official Plan, 10 (b), or alternatively the site is subject to full documentation and removal.

The archaeological assessment will inform the review of an application by City Planning staff. The rationale for the requirement to provide an archaeological assessment is based on the findings of the City of Toronto’s archaeological management plan together with the legislative authority stemming from: the Ontario Heritage Act, Section 2 (d) of the Planning Act, Section 2.6.3 of the Provincial Policy Statement (2005), Section 3.1.5 Heritage Resources of the City of Toronto’s Official Plan, the Environmental Assessment Act (1997), the Environmental Protection Act, O.Reg.359/09, the Aggregate Resources Act, and the Cemeteries Act.

Required Contents

An archaeological assessment is divided into stages 1-4, as per the Ministry of Tourism and Culture 2011 Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists for land-based archaeology.

The assessment must adhere to both the Standards and Guidelines for work conducted within lands which comprise the City of Toronto.

Stage 1

Background Study and Property Inspection – The consultant archaeologist reviews the geographical and historical information for lands which are part of the development proposal, and completes a detailed land use study. The land use study is to include a review of historical land use and ownership records (e.g. assessment rolls, census records, commercial directories).

For City of Toronto proposals/projects, a property inspection is mandatory and not optional.

Stage 2

Property Assessment – A field examination takes place which may require either a surface or pedestrian survey or test pit surveys of the subject property. Special conditions such as brownfield properties or deeply buried urban contexts will require alternative strategies and should be discussed with Heritage Preservation Services staff in advance of work. If aboriginal archaeological sites may be encountered during Stage 2 work due to proximity to known archaeological sites in the area or local or oral history, First Nations engagement and consultation will be required at Stage 2 assessment. Special conditions should be discussed with HPS staff prior to the assessment being undertaken.

Stage 3

Site Specific Assessment – When potential archaeological sites are identified during the course of Stage 2 work, additional detailed information is obtained through a Stage 3 assessment. This will delineate and evaluate the significance of the site found and make recommendations for appropriate mitigation measures. For some sites, no further work will be recommended at the end of Stage 3. First Nations engagement and consultation will be required should aboriginal archaeological sites be discovered at Stage 3. The City of Toronto’s Official Plan Policy 10 c) states that “indigenous cultural remains should be identified, recorded, protected and preserved” rather than be subject to full archaeological assessment including documentation and removal.

Stage 4

Mitigation of Development Impacts – Stage 4 includes implementing long-term protection strategies for archaeological sites to be impacted by the project. If after full consultation with the City of Toronto, the proponent, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and the consultant archaeologist, protection of the site cannot be achieved, the consultant archaeologist may excavate the site to fully document features and remove artifacts prior to further soil disturbance activities taking place on site.

Additional submission requirements:

Provide two colour copies of all archaeological assessments completed, the Borden registration form if filed, and an electronic copy of all reports in PDF format.

Should the archaeological consultant recommendations include a program of archaeological monitoring during the construction process, an archaeological monitoring and mitigation strategy will be required as a condition of development approval.

Should the assessment result in the discovery of an archaeological site, or significant archaeological resources, the proponent will be required to prepare and implement a commemoration and interpretation strategy as a condition of the development approval.

Comments

Archaeological assessments are to be completed together with any associated mitigation well in advance of any soil disturbance. Archaeological assessments cannot be completed during certain times of the year (i.e. snow cover, frozen ground, excessive rain/wet conditions).

Description

Architectural Control Guidelines are a written and graphic manual providing division direction regarding the achievement of the built form and public realm policies contained in the Built Environment section of the Official Plan (Section 3.1). The Guidelines are a combination of text, plans, illustrative sketches and photos, sections and comparative models or examples that inform the proponent, public and City about the built form, landscape and structures on private lands within new neighbourhoods.

A land owner may choose to use a “Control Architect Process” to achieve the City’s built form objectives and control the quality of work in each phase. Discussions about Architectural Control Guidelines should be held with the Planner and Urban Designer in pre-application consultation meetings to determine the applicability of this form of guideline to the site. This is particularly important on large sites that will take many years to complete.

The Guidelines are written for the Control Architect to use in evaluating the design of buildings and associated landscapes within the area. The Guidelines may be an alternative to individual site plans (for single lots, and building types not normally processed through Site Plan Approval) in parts of the City where it is important for new buildings to blend with existing communities/neighbourhoods, to advance the emerging character of a new or redeveloping community/neighbourhood.  The Control Architect Process and the use of the Architectural Control Guidelines is a standard process for the development industry within the GTA.

When Required

Architectural Control Guidelines may be required for sites with multiple buildings.

  • Zoning By-law Amendments,
  • Plans of Subdivision applications for the development of large sites, or
  • Site Plan Control Applications.

The requirement for, and scope of, the Architectural Control Guidelines should be discussed with the Planner and Urban Designer in pre-application consultation meetings. Architectural Control Guidelines will likely be required for applications incorporating large land areas with a number of parcels or phases within a development, new streets and parks and sites of civic prominence.

d the landowner and implemented through an Architectural Control Process that is managed and paid for by the landowner. They address built form matters and may exceed the provisions of the Planning Act by addressing architectural matters such as materials, colours and detailing in addition to siting and building massing issues. The Guidelines depend upon agreement between the City and the developer regarding the importance of a high quality of architectural design.

When administered properly, the Architectural Control Process can streamline future planning approvals by clarifying design expectations for development and minimizing City staff involvement. In the appropriate agreement (i.e., subdivision agreement) requirements that building permits not be issued for lots under architectural control in advance of certification (in a form acceptable to the City) from a “Control Architect” will be included.

A “Control Architect” administers the Council approved Architectural Control Guidelines on behalf of the City and the developer. The Control Architect is an independent professional responsible for conducting a comprehensive review of each lot to ensure that siting, built form, materials, colours and landscaping, among other things, are in compliance with the approved Guidelines. To avoid potential conflict of interest, it is important that the Control Architect and the Design Architect not be the same individual or firm.

The Guidelines will address the whole of the new neighbourhood or plan of subdivision. Specific types of development, development blocks and/or built form may be specifically omitted at the discretion of the City. Where a contiguous tract of land is divided into several subdivisions or development sites, use of a comprehensive set of Guidelines will be encouraged to achieve architectural consistency within a larger neighbourhood.

The Guidelines will be flexible to accommodate change as it occurs while maintaining intact the essential urban design ideas.

Required Contents

Architectural Control Guidelines should be applied to development as a condition of subdivision or equivalent development approval process. The applicant should develop draft Architectural Control Guidelines as early as possible in the planning process with active participation by City staff. The Architectural Control Guidelines may be attached to or referenced by the applicable subdivision/development agreement. Approval for minor revisions to the Guidelines may be delegated to staff. Where major revisions are needed, Council approval may be required.

Final Architectural Control Guidelines

Architectural Control Guidelines will form part of a subdivision agreement and will consist of the following components (though modification may be required to address the requirements of individual neighbourhoods and districts):

  • Location Plan of the subject property.
  • Structure Plan that identifies the approved lot and block plan lot and block numbers, the visual public realm, priority sites and other lots deserving special/enhanced treatment to support the overall design concept and proposed character, such as: corner lots, T-lots, lots requiring enhanced rear or flanking façade treatment, corner lot fencing and rear lot fencing.
  • Built form principles.
  • Building siting and massing.
  • Built form and siting relationships between different building forms and types (i.e., bungalows, townhouse blocks) and site conditions (i.e., park, reverse lots, public walkway).
  • Implementation and approval process clearly identifying the roles of the Control Architect, the City and the developer and the builder.

More detailed design direction for the following:

  • Elevations: consistency, architectural style, coordination of models, colours and repetition, special elevations (gateway, corner lots, reverse lots, park lots, etc.)
  • Entry features (porches, porticos)
  • Windows and doors
  • Garages and driveways
  • Roofs and chimneys
  • Materials, architectural detail and colours of roofs, walls and foundations
  • Utilities
  • Fences and garden walls (visible to the public realm)
  • Landscaping

Additional built form matters may be included to address contextual and site specific conditions. These matters may include, but are not limited to, cultural or natural heritage, noise attenuation, height restrictions and topographic conditions.

Final Guidelines will include:

  • Eight bound paper copies of the study for distribution and review by appropriate agencies
  • One digital copy
  • Requests may be made for poster size prints for public meetings

Description

The Avenues as shown on Map two of the Official Plan are important corridors along major streets where reurbanization is anticipated and encouraged. Contextual and appropriate reurbanization of the Avenues will be achieved through the preparation of Avenue Studies. These studies will be undertaken by the City and will set out the terms of reurbanization and include urban design guidelines and a comprehensive zoning by-law for the Avenue. Due to the significant number of Avenues, the program to complete all the studies will take several years. In the meantime, development in Mixed Use Areas on an Avenue prior to the completion of an Avenue Study may proceed provided the applicants of such proposed development undertake an Avenue Segment Review.

As described in policy 2.2.3.3b of the Official Plan, Segment Reviews are required to:

  1. include an assessment of the impacts of the incremental development of the entire Avenue segment at a similar form, scale and intensity, appropriately allowing for distinguishing circumstances;
  2. consider whether incremental development of the entire Avenue segment as identified in the above assessment would adversely impact any adjacent Neighbourhoods or Apartment Neighbourhoods;
  3. consider whether the proposed development is supportable by available infrastructure; and
  4. be considered together with any amendment to the Official Plan or Zoning By-law at the statutory public meeting for the proposed development.

For a more fulsome explanation of the Avenues and the relevant development policies, applicants should refer to Section 2.2.3 of the Official Plan.

When Required

The Official Plan requires that all applicants submit an Avenue Segment Review as part of their Official Plan Amendment and/or Zoning By-law Amendment application package for any proposed development in the Mixed Use Areas on Avenues where an Avenue Study has not yet been completed, and where the Avenues & Mid-Rise Study does not apply.

For applications within areas where a Segment Review has been previously submitted a full Segment Review may not be required. This depends however on when the previous Segment Review was completed, and the applicant’s ability to demonstrate that their proposed development would not alter the findings of the previous Segment Review(s) and that the proposed development would continue to establish a positive precedent for the rest of the Avenue Segment. In these scenarios applicants are encouraged to consult with City Planning staff as early in the development approval process as possible to determine if a full Segment Review is required and the elements to be studied.

 It should also be noted that applications on sites designated Apartment Neighbourhood Areas, do not require a Segment Review but applicants are expected to discuss and address Avenue policies in the associated planning rationale. Further, applications on sites designated Employment Areas and/or on sites designated Mixed Use Areas proposing employment uses without a residential component may not be required to submit a full Segment Review. As with the above, applicants with these scenarios are encouraged to consult with City Planning staff as early in the development approval process as possible.

Rationale

The overall goal of the Avenue Segment Review is to ensure that the proposed development will establish a positive precedent for the future reurbanization of the Avenue, with particular regard to building form, massing and intensity. Acceptance of the review is dependent upon the Segment Review reasonably demonstrating that the proposed development will have no adverse impacts and will establish a positive precedent for the Avenue Segment that is subject to the review. A clear indication as to how the policies of Section 2.2.3.3b) of the Official Plan have been addressed, along with the other Avenue policies and other relevant policies of the Plan is required.

Required Contents

The Official Plan identifies criteria Avenue Segment Reviews are to meet in policy 2.2.3.3b) and specific details regarding content can be found in the sidebar on page 2-16 (Avenue Studies and Development Applications). Although the sidebar refers to the contents of an actual Avenue Study it does state that an application for development on a site where an Avenue Study has not yet been completed will be evaluated through a process that mirrors that of an Avenue Study. In other words, a Segment Review may cover similar study topics but would not produce a specific set of development and design guidelines or an implementing zoning by-law beyond the development site.

Final determination of the boundaries and content of a Segment Review will be determined by City Planning staff based on a review of the area’s context and from discussions with the applicant’s consultant. During pre-application consultation, City Planning staff will work with the applicant’s consultant to determine the specific requirements of the Segment Review based on the nature of the proposed application and the context of the study area.

Determining Avenue Segment Review Boundaries

Generally speaking, the Avenue segment to be reviewed is defined by the context of the area and/or how similar the subject site is to other properties and land uses along the segment. Boundary indicators can include but are not limited to:

  • lands designated as Mixed Use Areas
  • land uses
  • built form
  • zoning
  • land uses along the segment frontage
  • natural and or manmade features that act as a boundary (i.e. ravines, rail lines, roads, highways etc.)
  • lot size and pattern

At a minimum the Segment Review should address an area large enough that the impacts of the proposed development, including the precedent setting (i.e. cumulative) impacts, can be assessed.

General Outline of Contents

  • Purpose and Summary
    • Need to meet OP Avenue policy 2.2.3.3b).
  • Discussion of the Proposal
    • What is being proposed – same as contained in the submitted planning rationale.
  • Policy Context
    • Identify relevant provincial, OP policies and zoning provisions.
  • Avenue Segment Review Boundaries
    • As per 2.2.3.3b;
      • define the boundaries based on indicators above (pictures help).
      • unless there are unique circumstances to the contrary, the depth of the study area should generally be limited to the properties fronting the Avenue or to a reasonable depth.
  • Precedent Projects
    • Applicant to include a table of all projects constructed and/or approved in the segment area over the last 5 years comparing:
      • OP designation;
      • zoning category;
      • lot dimensions;
      • massing;
      • building height (metres and storeys); and
  • Identification of Potential “Soft Sites”
    • “Soft sites” are generally under-utilized and/or vacant sites that front onto the Avenue where opportunities to redevelop to a more intense, urban and transit-oriented land use and built form have been identified.  Examples may include single use and/or auto-oriented strip plazas, car dealerships, gas stations and/or one to two storey mixed-use commercial buildings.
    • Criteria for identifying candidate or “soft sites” could include, but are not limited to: lot size, depth, current use, accessibility to the Avenue (i.e.: site must front or flank the Avenue), interface with neighbouring land uses, ownership and assembly requirements.
    • Note: As per policy 2.2.3.4 of the Official Plan, the underlying land use designations and relevant polices as contained in Chapter 4 of the Official Plan prevail for all sites within the Avenue. Sites with designations that do not permit significant growth (i.e.: Neighbourhood Areas) should not be identified as potential soft sites, and sites designated Employment Areas along the Avenue Segment are intended to support employment intensification.
  • Development Scenario for Potential “Soft Sites”
    • Should be the same or similar to what’s being proposed unless the site or development has unique features that preclude a similar approach. Also, if an identified soft site has an associated development proposal, the Segment Review should incorporate the proposed development’s details (density, height, etc.).
  • Implications for the Segment
    • The Segment Review should identify the following:
      • projected number of residential units and commercial GFA;
      • surrounding land use impacts:
        • i.e. shadow, transition to surrounding neighbourhoods, design and streetscape considerations, pedestrian flow, water, sanitary, stormwater and other related servicing issues;
      • identification of the time horizon each soft site is expected to develop (i.e.: short, medium, long term);
      • transportation report on existing and future conditions, including transit service, walking and cycling environment, site access, opportunities for new links, parking, and bike parking: forecast conditions/impacts; and
      • recommended measures to mitigate transportation impacts. Traffic analysis will be carried out in a manner consistent with the City’s Guideline for Traffic Impact Studies, and other relevant transportation policies, guidelines and criteria. Where transportation planning issues are not be suited to this type of detailed assessment, a strategic review may be considered, in consultation with appropriate City staff;
      • estimate of new worker and residential populations arising from all development scenarios proposed for the site.
  • Community Services and Facilities
    • As part of a Segment Review a Community Services and Facilities Study must be undertaken. (See Terms of Reference for Community Services and Facilities Study).
    • The Segment Review may also suggest recommended actions that the City should consider in order to address any of the identified issues associated with the projected development of the segment. Segment Reviews should also provide maps of services and facilities serving the Segment Review area.
    • In certain cases, applicants may be required to submit stand alone Community Services and Facilities Studies in addition to an Avenue Segment Review. In these situations, the Segment Review may only provide a summary of and reference the larger Community Services and Facilities Study. For further information and assistance on these matters applicants are encouraged to consult with City Planning staff.
  • Conclusions
    • Based on the above, the Segment Review should conclude by addressing the following questions:
      • what does the Segment Review reveal?
      • are the impacts acceptable and/or can they be mitigated?
      • are there any recommended mitigation methods?
      • is the proposed form, scale and intensity of development appropriate for the site and area?
      • has it been reasonably demonstrated that the development will establish a desirable and positive precedent for the Avenues segment?

Comments

In addition to a hard copy, applicants should also submit a PDF version of their Segment Review.

  • Heritage Character Area
  • Transit City route
  • Sidewalk Widths
  • Setback requirements (4.8 or 6m)

Description

The Block Context Plan is prepared in cooperation with adjacent landowners that shows how the physical form of the proposed development fits within the existing and planned context and conforms to the policies of the Official Plan and implementation tools including site specific and other guidelines.

When Required

A Block Context Plan may be required to support the following applications for development:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Site Specific Zoning By-law
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Site Plan Control

The Block Context Plan may be required if, but not limited to, one of the following criteria are met:

  • Sites within a policy area such as Secondary Plan, Precinct Plan Context Plan or Area Specific Policy, where a layout of the public realm, building massing, heights, densities or massing of the proposal provides changes to the planned context.
  • Sites proposing a change in land-use or sites that have multiple land uses.
  • Sites with multiple landowners.
  • Large sites over 1 hectare.
  • Sites with two or more buildings, on-site park dedication, and/or a new public street(s).
  • Sites with a context of large open spaces and few public streets and parks including “Tower in the Park” Apartment Neighbourhood sites and mixed use shopping centres.
  • Sites adjacent to heritage or natural features, ravines, woodlots, the waterfront or public parks.
  • Sites with proposed new, alterations to or adjacent to a higher order transit station.
  • Sites where the development potential on adjacent properties may be impacted by or could be integrated into the proposed site.

The Block Context Plan will be integrated with but separate from the Planning and Urban Design Rationale, and other required studies including transportation studies, community service studies, shadow, wind studies and 3D perspective views.

Rationale

The Block Context Plan provides a conceptual and comprehensive idea of development on the block and a framework to evaluate proposed development. It will inform Official Plan Amendments, rezoning, plans of subdivision and other planning processes. The Block Context Plan will illustrate and analyze the development proposal in both existing and planned context for an area larger than the development site itself, regarding the layout and design of public streets and other pedestrian and cycling connections, parks and open spaces and built form issues such as building type, location, organization and massing.

Required Contents

During pre-application consultation, City Planning staff will work with the applicant’s consultant team to determine if a Block Context Plan is required and the specific requirements of the Plan, based on the nature of the proposed application and the context of the application. The area of the study generally will be the rest of the block where the application is considered as well as all parcels across each of the streets on the perimeter of that block. The boundary of the study area and variations of the study area will be discussed with the applicant in pre application meetings.

The Block Context Plan will include clear writing, supporting drawings, diagrams, plans, sections and three dimensional massing images, and perspectives as appropriate.

The plan will include an inventory, assessment and understanding of the physical features of the existing site context including recently approved and active development applications.

The study will include an inventory of planned context including land use designations, existing zoning envelopment and other relevant planned context from site specific or city wide guidelines including Tall Building, Midrise Buildings and Townhouse and Low-Rise Apartment Buildings guidelines, streetscape manual, DIPS, etc.

The plan will demonstrate how the proposal is in conformity with OP policy, anticipates community needs and contributes to good planning and urban design.

Items to be addressed in the Block Context Plan include but are not limited to:

  • the existing topography and a conceptual grading plan
  • the location of natural features including mature trees and vegetation and strategies to protect them;
  • the layout and design of existing and proposed streets in plan and section including dimensions for sidewalks, trees and other street furniture in order to achieve Complete Streets;
  • the location of existing and required parks;
  • the location of existing and proposed open spaces including POPS, school yards and other accessible open spaces;
  • the pedestrian circulation network including public sidewalks and other walkways through existing and planned parks, accessible open spaces including midblock connections and other forms of POPS;
  • the location of existing and future public destinations including parks, schools, transit, community services and retail streets;
  • existing and proposed cycling routes, on public and private land;
  • the location of existing or potential cultural heritage resources and strategies to protect them;
  • existing and possible locations for public art;
  • the pattern of existing and proposed building types;
  • the layout of development parcels including setbacks and building entrances;
  • proposed service areas including public lanes, service courts, shared driveways, ramps and loading areas;
  • building massing including heights, step-backs and tall building elements;
  • density and heights illustrating shadow impacts, transition in scale between areas of differing intensity of use and spacing dimensions between buildings on a block;
  • phasing of development.

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a standard scale (i.e. 1:100, 1:200, 1:500) and preferably at same scale as Site Plan Drawing

General Details

  • Legal description
  • Based on original with stamp and initials of an Ontario land surveyor all existing construction (up-to-date and showing distances from lot lines), including underground vaults
  • Boundaries, dimensions and site area calculations of the parcel(s) of the site
  • Boundaries and dimensions of any abutting lands in which the applicant has an interest
  • Municipal address of buildings on or adjacent to the site
  • Spot elevations along the boundary of the site and in adjacent public boulevards
  • Ravine by-law limit, if applicable
  • Underlying lot fabric, including lot and registered plan numbers (part lot control exemption applications only)

Easements, Reserves, Widenings

  • Location, width and area of any rights-of-way and easements affecting the site and any elements within the easements; (identification of any widenings)

Site Circulation, General Parking, Accessible Parking and Driveways

  • Location, width and names of all roads or highways within or abutting the site

Public & Private Servicing Information

  • Location of existing above and below grade utilities within the adjacent street boulevard (Site Plan Control Applications only); location of any fire hydrants on property or in close proximity to property

Landscaping, Grading & Retaining Walls and Lighting

  • Location of all vegetation, watercourses, natural features, artificial features; including Municipal appurtenances and paved areas on or adjacent to the site
  • Location and grade of all existing trees including trees on adjacent properties within six metres of the subject site’s property lines

Effective May 11, 2023

Description

A Community Services and Facilities (CS&F) Study may be required to identify existing and future levels of social infrastructure required to support growth. The purpose of the CS&F Study is to ensure that up-to-date information regarding CS&F is provided to inform recommendations and decision-making with regards to required new, expanded, or improved CS&F to ensure coordination and availability of such CS&F along with proposed growth as it occurs, in support of Provincial Policy Statement, Growth Plan and Official Plan policy direction.

When Required

CS&F Studies may be required in relation to the following planning applications for developments generally containing 150 to 200 or more residential units:

  • Official Plan amendments
  • Zoning By-law amendments; and/or
  • Plans of Subdivision.

The City Planning Division will determine whether a CS&F Study is required for one or more of the above applications with regard for the following:

  • The application is of a significant scale which may potentially impact the adequacy of community services and facilities, and require the provision of new, expanded, or improved community services and facilities.
  • The proposed development is located in an area with few existing community services and facilities.
  • Little information is known about the capacity of existing community services and facilities in the area of the proposed development.
  • The planning application results in the development of a new neighbourhood where little or no residential development currently exists.
  • The proposed development is, or is part of, a “large site” (being generally greater than 5 hectares).  In this situation, City staff would also conduct a CS&F Strategy (based on the findings of a CS&F Study) in order to inform the range of facilities needed to support new development.

Pre-Application Consultation

CS&F Studies will be prepared by the applicant, their agent or consultant. During Mandatory Pre-Application Consultation, City Planning Policy staff will work with the applicant and/or their consultant to determine the specific requirements of the CS&F Study based on the scale of the proposed application and the context of the Study Area.

Rationale

At both the provincial and municipal level, planning policy recognizes CS&F, as integral and foundational community elements within local communities to support the achievement of complete communities.

Section 3.2.2 of the Official Plan addresses the quality of life and well-being of Toronto’s communities.  The Policies of Section 3.2.2 of the Official Plan calls for adequate and equitable access to community services and local institutions, and sets out a policy framework that, among other things, encourages the inclusion of community service and facilities as part of private development. Official Plan Policy 2.3.1.7 also identifies that community and neighbourhood amenities will be enhanced where needed by improving and expanding facilities, creating new facilities and adapting existing services to changes in the need of the neighbourhood. The Official Plan also directs the evaluation of adequacy of community services, facilities and local institutions to support new development in growth areas such as the Downtown, Centres, Avenues, Regeneration Areas, Secondary Plan areas and other areas of the City where new neighbourhoods will be established with a comprehensive planning framework that reflects City-wide goals as well as the local context that includes the provision of CS&F.

The intent is to coordinate new development with the provision of CS&F (whether new, expanded or improved) to be phased into an area with the timing in line with approved future residential or in some cases commercial development to be available to the future residents to support complete communities.  This will allow for communities to have access to CS&F as they emerge, therefore contributing to the resident’s quality of life.

Required Contents

The required contents of the CS&F Study are the responsibility of the applicant that meet the terms of reference.  The applicant must confirm and finalize what components of the terms of reference are to be satisfied based on the application type and information known regarding CS&F in a given area. The applicant should obtain this information from the assigned City Planning Policy planner prior to the initiation of the CS&F Study and prior to the submission of an application to the City.

City Planning Policy staff will provide a letter of introduction to help consultants who are undertaking CS&F studies, to access staff, information and data sources of various City divisions, public agencies and social service providers. A list of relevant plans, policies and studies has been provided in Section 3 of this terms of reference, Facilities Inventory and Analysis by Sector. Staff may also provide additional documents for consideration as relevant.

The contents of a CS&F Study include, but are not limited to, the following:

 1. Demographic Profile of the Study Area

The demographic profile should provide the following key statistics from the most recent Federal Census data available at the time of the study. The profile should show change (if any) over time and identify key trends compared to the City of Toronto for the following:

Key Demographic Categories Data and Analysis
Total Population and Population Change Population change from last census
Population as a percentage of total by age cohort (0-14 children); (15-24 youth); (25-64 working age); (65+ seniors)
Percentage of the population specifically age 0-4 years to determine early years child care space generated by development The calculation is (Population estimate) X (% of children ages 0-4) X 50%.

 

Percentage of the population living alone
Household size Family composition, including families by type, number of children, private household by type and size
Median household income
Housing tenure-percentage of apartment buildings >5 storeys and percentage of single detached units Housing includes: occupied private dwellings by structural type, period of construction and tenure
Percentage Immigrated by most recent period of immigration (last 5 years) Immigration population, including population by period of immigration, recent immigrants by selected countries of birth or the most recent census period (top five countries), number of immigrants in neighbourhoods in the Study Area and number and type of language spoken, population mobility status
Labour force including labour force by occupation and labour force by industry; and
Educational Attainment Socio-economic characteristics (highest and lowest level of education attained by residents in the Study Area, labour force participation


2. Development Activity

Identify recently approved and active development applications within the CS&F Study Area, summarizing:

  • Location by address
  • Status (under review, approved and/or constructed)
  • Type (residential, mixed-use, or non-residential)
  • Tenure
  • Gross Floor Area
  • Number of Units by type
  • Projected Population Yield

3. Facilities Inventory and Analysis by Sector

The Facilities Inventory and Analysis by Sector should include a map (or maps) showing services and facilities serving the study area in which the development application is located. The inventory and analysis should identify facility and capital needs described in approved Facilities Master Plans, Implementation Strategies, existing City CS&F studies and reports, and policy documents for each of the five sectors described below. It should discuss the anticipated impact of the proposed development on demands and service needs or gaps within the Study Area.

Community services and facilities serve the needs of the local population and support complete communities. CS&F study inventories should include (but are not limited to) the following sectors:

3.1 Elementary and Secondary Schools

Provide capacity, full time enrolment and utilization rates for schools in the Study Area for both the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board, as well as projected number of elementary and secondary students from the proposed development. Please contact the school boards for most recent and updated numbers and estimated students. Each school board web site contains a list of schools and locations.

3.2 Public Libraries

Provide a summary of Toronto Public Libraries (TPL) within the service radius of the proposed development, and any capital needs identified in the TPL Facilities Master Plan for those branches. The primary service area of a neighbourhood branch library is a 1.6 kilometre radius, and District branches serve a 2.5 kilometre radius.

A listing of all libraries is included on the TPL Web page and includes a description of collections, opening hours, location and features such as WIFI and computer workstations:

The TPL Facilities Master Plan (FMP) was completed in 2019 with consideration of current planning work being undertaken across the City and related future growth.  The Plan sets out TPL’s capital investment priorities to 2028, as well as longer term requirements (30-year roadmap) to account for planning.

3.3. Child Care Centres

Provide a full listing of licenced child care centres located within the Study Area, overall capacity and vacancies, and indicate if each centre accepts a fee subsidy. Also provide the estimated number of child care spaces resulting from the proposed development. The calculation is (Population estimate) X (% of children ages 0-4) X 50%.

The Council approved Toronto Licensed Child Care Growth Strategy (2017-2026) is the key strategic framework to guide growth and has a vision to serve 50% of children aged 0 to 4 years by 2026. Toronto Children’s Services web page contains a list of licensed Child Care Centres including capacity and whether fee subsidy is provided.

3.4. Community and Recreation Centres; Arenas; and Swimming Pools

Provide a full listing of public Community and Recreation Centres, arenas and swimming pools in the Study Area. The Parks Forestry and Recreation Facilities Master Plan (PFR FMP) establishes a Community Recreation Centre (CRC) City Wide Service provision level of 1 CRC per 34,000 within a 2 to 2.5 KM radius.

The Council approved Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) Facilities Master Plan FMP (2019-2038) guides investment in parks and recreation.  This plan should be used to determine if any capital improvement investment has been targeted towards the Study Area.

An implementation strategy was adopted by Council in 2019 to prioritize and provide timelines to recommended facility projects across the city.

Community Recreation – Part of Parks, Forestry and Recreation this Division provides a list of community centres and other recreational facilities including pools, lawn bowling, ice rinks and parks.

3.5. Human Services

Provide a full listing of Human Services facilities in the Study Area. Human Services are non-profit community organizations that operate out of various spaces and facilities. This listing should identify the organization name and type (e.g. employment services, newcomer/settlement services etc.), location, and whether the facility within the study area serves the local population and/or is a district or regional office.

These organizations can be found on the Toronto 211 web page.

For further information please contact:

Deanna Chorney
Manager, Policy Strategic Initiatives, Policy & Analysis Division, City of Toronto
communitypolicy@toronto.ca

Description

A technical report that provides a written description of the land use compatibility of sensitive land uses, including residential uses, where permitted or proposed outside of and adjacent to or near to Employment Areas or within the influence area of major facilities.

The report will identify any existing and potential land use compatibility issues and will identify and evaluate options to achieve appropriate design, buffering and/or separation distances between the proposed sensitive land uses, including residential uses, and nearby Employment Areas and/or major facilities. Recommended measures intended to eliminate or mitigate negative impacts and adverse effects will be addressed in the applicant’s Planning Rationale where one is required.

This report will be used to assist City Council in making its decision concerning the proposed sensitive land uses, including residential uses, and will be peer reviewed by the City at the cost of the applicant.

The report:

  1. Provides a written description of:
  • any potential land use compatibility impacts by type (i.e.: traffic, noise, vibration, and emissions, including dust and odour) and the severity, frequency and duration of such impacts, as may be appropriate for each type, that may cause an adverse effect on the proposed development;
  • any existing approval or other authorization from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), such as an Environmental Compliance Approval or a registration in the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry, for major facilities whose influence areas include any portion of the applicant’s property and the extent to which the proposed development may affect the major facilities’ compliance with applicable environmental policy, regulations, approvals, authorizations and guidelines, including the noise provisions of the City’s Municipal Code;
  • within the immediate area of the proposed development, the history of any complaints received by the City and MOECC;
  • reasonable potential intensification, operational changes and expansion plans for existing major facilities and the potential for new employment uses to be established in the Employment Areas and the potential impacts of such changes;
  • the potential land use compatibility issues the proposed development may create that could have a negative impact on the integrity of adjacent or nearby Employment Areas and major facilities. Impacts on the integrity of Employment Areas and major facilities shall be considered based on the potential:
    • effects on major facilities’ compliance with applicable environmental policy, regulations, approvals, authorizations and guidelines, including the noise provisions of the City’s Municipal Code;
    • increased risk of complaint and nuisance claims;
    • operational constraints for major facilities;
    • constraints on major facilities to reasonably expand, intensify or introduce changes to their operations;
    • constraints for new major facilities to reasonably be established in the Employment Area;
    • the extent of non-compliance with land use separation requirements for existing employment uses in the vicinity, including propane storage and distribution facilities, if applicable; and,
    • the extent to which the applicant of the proposed development and businesses within the nearby Employment Area and/or major facilities have exchanged relevant information where applicable and to the extent appropriate. This would include the written undertakings given to affected businesses that any information regarding their processes, emissions data and expansion plans not already part of the public record would be treated on a confidential basis.
  1. Identifies and evaluates options to achieve appropriate design, buffering and/or separation distance to prevent or mitigate potential adverse effects from traffic, noise, vibration, and emissions and to address the matters in Policy 2.2.4.5. This would include details on the following:
  • At-Source Mitigation: Technology that businesses in Employment Areas and/or major facilities may consider implementing to mitigate adverse effects;
  • Buffers: Physical structures, building design elements or distance separation that could be incorporated into the site design of the proposed sensitive land uses, including residential uses, to mitigate adverse effects and negative impacts;
  • At-Receptor Mitigation: Technologies, building materials, design features etc. that could be incorporated both on-site and within the built structure of proposed sensitive land uses, including residential uses, to mitigate negative impacts and adverse effects;
  • Other: Any other potential techniques, strategies and approaches not identified above, including but not limited to, warning clauses, environmental easements, agreements with major facilities to secure at-source and at-receptor mitigation and classifying lands as a Class 4 Area in accordance with the requirements of the MOECC “Environmental Noise Guideline, Stationary and Transportation Sources – Approval and Planning Publication NPC-300”, as amended or replaced from time to time.
  1. Recommends the methods to secure the recommended mitigation techniques to ensure that such mitigation is installed, performs as intended and will be maintained to ensure land use compatibility.

The Land Use Compatibility/Mitigation Study is to be prepared on behalf of the applicant by a Consultant (or Consultants) that is/are fully accredited, qualified and/or certified in the relevant matters being evaluated and recommended (for example air quality assessments should be performed by an engineer fully accredited in such field, etc.).

When Required

A Compatibility/Mitigation Study may be required to support the following applications for sensitive land uses, including residential uses, where permitted or proposed outside of and adjacent to or near to Employment Areas or within the influence area of major facilities:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Site Plan Control

Rationale

Official Plan Section 2.2.4 (Policy 5) requires that sensitive land uses, including residential uses, where permitted or proposed outside of and adjacent to or near to Employment Areas or within the influence area of major facilities, should be planned to ensure they are appropriately designed, buffered and/or separated from Employment Areas and major facilities.

Official Plan Section 2.2.4 (Policy 6) refers to the possible requirement of a Compatibility/Mitigation Study in the circumstances identified in Section 2.2.4 (Policy 5). The Compatibility/Mitigation Study will be addressed in the applicant’s Planning Rationale.

Required Contents

During pre-application consultation, City Planning staff will work with the applicant and the applicant’s consultant(s) to determine if such a Study is required and, if so, the specific requirements of the Study, based on the nature of the proposed application and the context of the study area.

The Study should, but not be limited to:

  • Provide details of assessment criteria.
  • Provide details regarding the methodology used and assessment locations.
  • Discuss how the proposed development is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, is in accordance to the Planning Act (as amended), and conforms to The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, as such policy and regulations may be amended or replaced from time to time, as it applies to the planning and development of sensitive land uses in proximity to Employment Areas.
  • Discuss all of the required technical details listed in the “Description” for the Study as listed above.
  • Identify and analyse the potential impact current, future and reasonable potential operations and activities of the nearby Employment Areas and/or major facilities may have on the proposed development.
  • Identify and analyse the impact the proposed development may have on the current and reasonable future operations and activities of the nearby Employment Areas and/or major facilities. This will include an assessment of all existing approvals or other authorizations from the MOECC, such as an Environmental Compliance Approval or a Registration in the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry for major facilities whose influence area includes any portion of the applicant’s property. It will also include a description of the extent to which the proposed development may affect the existing approvals or other authorizations from the MOECC, such as an Environmental Compliance Approval or a Registration in the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry.
  • Identify and analyse any complaints received by the City and/or the MOECC concerning nearby Employment Areas and/or major facilities.
  • Recommend mitigation measures for incorporation into the proposed development, Employment Areas and/or the major facilities.
  • Demonstrate how the recommendations adhere to all MOECC minimum standards for noise, dust and odour as set out in all applicable environmental legislation, regulations and guidelines and how the recommendations allow for Employment Areas to be planned/used for their intended purpose.

Peer Review

The objective of the peer review is to provide Council with an independent, expert, third party assessment of the potential land use compatibility issues as well as the proposed mitigation measures. The purpose is to assist Council in making fully informed land use planning decisions.

The peer reviewer will provide to the City, at the cost of the applicant of the proposed development, a report that will include the following:

  • Cover letter signed by the lead reviewer who is/are fully accredited, qualified and/or certified in the relevant mitigation topic(s) being reviewed and discussed (for example air quality assessments should be performed by an engineer fully accredited in such field, etc.), the cover letter should highlight key findings, conclusions and any recommendations;
  • Executive Summary;
  • Table of Contents;
  • General overview of the proposed development;
  • An assessment of the proposed development’s context and relationship to nearby Employment Areas and/or major facilities and if this is consistent with what is identified in the applicant’s materials;
  • An assessment of the land use compatibility issues (current and future) as identified by the applicant;
  • An assessment of the appropriateness of the applicant’s methodology and data;
  • An assessment of the applicant’s recommended mitigation measures, in particular, the ability to meet all MOECC minimum standards for noise, dust and odour as set out in all applicable legislation, regulations and guidelines and how the recommendations allow for Employment Areas to be planned/used for their intended purpose;
  • An assessment of the applicant’s stated impact of the proposed development on the current, reasonable future and potential operations and activities of the nearby Employment Areas and/or major facilities; and,
  • Conclusions and recommendations of the peer reviewer that will provide a professional opinion on whether:
    • the proposed mitigation measures for the proposed development meet or are equivalent to the ‘best practices’ within the industry;
    • it has been demonstrated that the recommended mitigation will provide that there are no compatibility issues due to the possibility of adverse effects.

Effective January 24, 2023

Description

A 3D model of the proposed development to allow staff to evaluate the physical impacts of the proposal. The model is integrated into the City’s context model and is used to evaluate the impacts of the scale of the proposed development and its sun/shadow impacts. The model in context will be used by staff for the review of the application.

When Required

Building Mass Model is required for all developments, regardless of height, for the following application types:

  • Official Plan Amendments
  • Zoning By-law Amendments
  • Site Plan Control applications

Building Massing Model is required for illustrating and reviewing the proposal in its existing and planned context. The requirement for, and scope of this work, should be discussed with the Planner and Urban Designer in pre-application consultation meetings.

Rationale

To achieve the goals of Official Plan Policies:

3.1.2.3 “New development will be massed to fit harmoniously into its surroundings and will respect and improve the local scale and character. It will minimize the impact on neighbouring buildings and open space by:

  1. massing new building to frame adjacent streets and open spaces in a way that respects the existing and/or planned street proportions;
  2. creating a transition in scale to neighbouring buildings;
  3. providing adequate privacy, sunlight and sky view ensuring adequate separation between building walls; and
  4. minimizing shadows and uncomfortable wind conditions on neighbouring properties and open space.”

3.1.2.4 “New development should be massed to define the edges of streets, parks and open spaces at good proportion and locate taller buildings to ensure adequate access to sky view, sunlight and appropriate pedestrian level wind conditions for the proposed and future use of those spaces.”

Required Content for Building Mass Model

Details for the submission of the Model are as follows:

  • name the file with the project’s address for example: “3Dmass1961SoutherlandSt.file”
  • ZIP file for large files (submission must not exceed 75MB)
  • Metric scale
  • The model should be in City’s geographic coordinate system, NAD 1983 CSRS MTM 10 or WGS 84 and positioned geographically correctly
  • Level of Detail 2 (LOD2) model that includes:
    • Building envelope only/external structure and ensure that all polygons are closed
    • Relevant layers ONLY (landscaping component if it is a major architecture piece)
    • Include the Property Survey Information in model with dimensions and Average Grade @ sea level
  • Separate elements onto different layers and then create a “block” or “group”.
  • Delete all hatching but leave any polygons or polylines needed.
  • Convert all Building Information Modeling components/objects to Polygonal modeling objects
  • To snap your model into context the City requires:
    • Property Survey Information with dimensions and Average Grade @ sea level
    • street name label
    • curbs, parking and ingress/egress
    • underground parking outline with entrance/exit
    • building outlines and minimum setbacks with dimensions
    • loading areas/docks

Format of the Model

Preferred:

  • SKP – SketchUp 2020 or earlier

Acceptable:

  • DWG – AutoCAD 2020 or earlier
  • OBJ – Wavefront Technologies
  • DAE – COLLADA interchange format
  • WRL – Virtual Reality Modeling Language interchange format

Do NOT encrypt drawings with password protection.
Notes for AutoCAD files:

  • Do not xref any files (bind xref files with the insert option under the bind command).
  • Ensure that all the work is saved in model space.
  • Your file may be converted into Microstation.

Please organize the model into 3 layers:

  • Envelope
  • External Structure Element
  • Property Survey Information

City-wide context modelling is available on the Open Data – 3D Massing page in four formats.

Questions Regarding the Building Mass Model

If you have any questions regarding digital submissions please contact your Planner.

Technical concerns may be directed to Graphics+Visualization, Urban Design – City Planning Representatives

Links

Open Data – 3D Massing

Notice of Proposed Development Application and Public Meeting Sign

Purpose

To show the proposed ground floor and key elements of the site plan in context, with adjacent street(s) and properties, including site circulation for pedestrians and vehicles, conceptual grades, and proposed hard and soft landscaping on site and on the adjacent street(s) and properties. A streetscape and landscape concept for the space between the proposed building and the curb, on the site and adjacent site, may also be requested.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • Existing buildings shown in dashed line if demolished, and proposed development including the ground floor of the proposed building(s)
  • Distinguish between parts (or all) of the existing building to be conserved, from new building elements in plan, if appropriate. Indicate with notes and graphics which parts are proposed to be conserved in place and which parts would be reconstructed
  • All property lines, abutting streets and building footprints on adjacent properties
  • All driveways and parking areas on site and on adjacent properties
  • Above grade structures and parts of the buildings which overhang the ground floor including cantilevers, canopies, balconies, etc.
  • Existing/proposed underground structures and ramps
  • Dimensioned relationships of the proposed buildings above and below grade to property lines
  • General concept for grading including the existing/proposed elevations at property lines, along driveways (indicating slope), pedestrian sidewalks and walkways and building entrances
  • Identify grades, as per applicable Zoning By-law definition

Easements, Reserves and Widenings

  • Existing/proposed reserves, easements and/or road widenings
  • Ravine by-law limit, top of bank setback and location of trees to be retained (note: the City’s Geospatial Competency Centre staff located at 18 Dyas Rd. (gcc@toronto.ca) can plot the ravine and natural protection limit on drawings/plans); Include the 10 metre setback or buffer area
  • Location, dimensions and details of any watercourses and any significant features or delineation lines such as flood lines, fill lines, limits of buffer zones as they relate to natural heritage

Site Circulation – Pedestrian, Bicycle, Vehicular Driveways, Servicing and Parking

  • General location and dimensions of existing/proposed pedestrian circulation in the street and boulevard and on site, including sidewalks, walkways, patios, stairs and ramps
  • General location and dimensions of existing/proposed bicycle circulation, parking, and access to parking and storage (indoor and outdoor)
  • General location and dimensions of publicly accessible areas on site and within the building, including parks and open spaces, POPS, walkways, mid-block connections, pedestrian mews, etc.
  • General location and dimensions of existing/proposed vehicular circulation in the road allowances and on site including driveways, curb cuts, ramps, laneways, surface parking, loading and service areas
  • Location of existing or proposed transit stops, access to transit, including station entrances
  • Grading information for ramps and walkways, including AODA requirements

Waste Disposal Facilities

  • General location and dimensions for all loading and service areas, including access to these areas
  • General location and dimensions of facilities for at grade storing and handling of garbage, recyclable material and organic waste

Fire Code Requirements

  • Location of existing/proposed fire hydrants located within the municipal boulevard and/or on the subject property, existing/proposed fire routes, servicing the hydrant and existing/proposed Siamese connection location(s), if required

Hard Landscape – Grading, Retaining Walls, Fences and Railings

  • General location of landscape and architectural elements such as retaining walls, fencing and rails on site and in the public boulevard adjacent to the site
  • General concept for grading including the existing/proposed elevations at property lines, along driveways (indicating slope), pedestrian sidewalks, walkways, ground floor and at building entrances, including the relationship of grades along the right-of way, from the property line to curb face
  • Spot elevations, as appropriate

Soft Landscape and Planting

  • General location of soft landscape and plantings on the site and on adjacent road allowance, including location of proposed street trees
  • Location and identification of trees protected under City by-laws; including trees on adjacent properties within 6 metres of the subject site
  • Location of tree protection zones (where trees are being retained and protected)

Concept Streetscape Diagrams

  • In plan and section, show the streetscape concept for the proposed site and adjacent sites, showing hard and soft landscape, between the ground floor of the building and the curb, including setbacks, ground floor uses
  • Location of all above and below grade utilities, the proposed location of the soil trench meeting Toronto Green Standard (30m³ per tree), overlaid on the Public Utility Plan (in grey)

Terms of Reference are being prepared for this study. In the interim, the requirements and details of this study should you need one can be addressed during your pre-application consultation meeting.

Description

Conveyance Policy and the Peer Review Process

In February 2015, City Council approved the Policy for Accepting Potentially Contaminated Lands to be Conveyed to the City under the Planning Act (the Conveyance Policy). The Conveyance Policy updates and consolidates the City’s previous procedures and criteria, including the Peer Review Process, and applies when land is to be conveyed to the City as part of a planning application or where below-grade easements are required for new municipal infrastructure.

The Peer Review Process requires the applicant to submit to the City’s Peer Reviewer documentation regarding the environmental conditions on the lands to be conveyed or below-grade easements. The Peer Reviewers are Qualified Persons (QPs) hired by the City. The environmental work and reporting is to be carried out by a QP hired by the applicant in accordance with the requirements of the Conveyance Policy. The submission is peer reviewed only for the land that is to be conveyed to the City or below-grade easement. This documentation should be submitted to the City in conjunction with the development application or as soon as the requirement for land conveyances/below-grade easements to the City is known.

The owner is responsible for all costs associated with the Peer Review Process, including the City’s administrative fees. The Peer Review Process is administered by the Engineering & Construction Services Division.

The current overall requirements for accepting land conveyances and below-grade easements are detailed in Attachment 1 (Conveyance Policy), and summarized in Table 1, of the Staff Report as approved by City Council on February 11, 2015.

Note: This document is intended as a guidance document only. The Conveyance Policy contains detailed environmental requirements for land conveyances and below-grade easements.

Records of Site Condition

Records of Site Condition (RSCs) filed with the Ministry of Environmental and Climate Change (MOECC) require the property owner to demonstrate that the property meets regulated soil, sediment and groundwater standards.

As a condition of the City’s approval, a submission of a Letter of Acknowledgement of Filing of the Record of Site Condition (RSC) issued by MOECC confirming that the RSC has been prepared and filed in accordance with O. Reg. 153/04 will be required by the City, if applicable.

When Required

When the Peer Review Process is Required

The Peer Review Process may be required when land is to be conveyed to the City or below-grade easements for new municipal infrastructure are required as part of a planning application.

The Peer Review Process MAY be required for the following planning application types (see Peer Review exemptions below):

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Consent to Sever
  • Site Plan Control Approval
  • Minor Variance

The Peer Review process is ALWAYS required for the following planning application types:

  • Plan of Subdivision

Exemptions to the Peer Review Process

There are certain circumstances when land conveyances to the City and below-grade easements are exempt from the Peer Review Process. The following are cases when the Peer Review Process is NOT required (not applicable to Plan of Subdivision applications):

  • For current Residential/Parkland/Institutional (R/P/I) lands being conveyed with no change to a more sensitive use that are less than or equal to (<) 100 m2.
  • For current Residential/Parkland/Institutional (R/P/I) lands being conveyed with no change to a more sensitive use that are more than 100 m2 AND are less than or equal to (<) 1.0 m in width.
  • For current Industrial/Commercial/Community (I/C/C) lands being conveyed with no change to a more sensitive use that are more than 100 m2 AND are less than or equal to (<) 1.0 m in width.

When Filing a Record of Site Condition is Required

  • For Site Plan, Consent to Sever, Minor Variance, Zoning Amendment and Official Plan Amendment Applications, as well as, below-grade Easements: A RSC is to be filed in accordance with provincial legislative requirements, i.e. when land use is to change to a more sensitive use as defined by O. Reg. 153/04
  • For Subdivision Applications: A RSC is to be filed in accordance with provincial legislative requirements for ALL conveyances, regardless of the change in land use

Exemptions for Filing a Record of Site Condition

  • Exemptions specified in O. Reg. 153/04

The current overall requirements for accepting land conveyances and below-grade easements are detailed in Attachment 1 and summarized in Table 1 of the Staff Report as approved by City Council on February 11, 2015 (the link is provided in Description section above).

Rationale

Section 3.4 of the Official Plan implicitly supports the clean-up of contaminated sites for reducing the risks to life, health and safety, property and ecosystem health.

The Council-approved Policy for Accepting Potentially Contaminated Lands to be Conveyed to the City under the Planning Act, February 2015, which updates and consolidates the City’s procedures and criteria for the acceptance of potentially contaminated lands conveyed to the City as a condition of a Planning Act application approval.

References:

Required Contents

For all land conveyances to the City or below-grade easements that are not exempt from the Peer Review Process, the owner of the land must undertake the appropriate environmental site assessment (ESAs), site remediation or risk assessment and the filing of a RSC, if required (see ‘When Required’ section).

All work and reporting is to be completed by the applicant’s Qualified Person (QP), and will be Peer Reviewed by an environmental consultant selected by the City (Peer Reviewer) and paid for by the applicant.

The environmental  reports and documents which will be Peer Reviewed by the Peer Reviewer include some or all of the following depending on site-specific requirements:

  • Phase I ESA
  • Phase II ESA
  • Remediation/ Verification Report
  • Pre-submission Form
  • Risk Assessment Report
  • Certificate of Property Use (including required supporting documents)
  • MOECC Letter of Acknowledgment of a Record of Site Condition

The QP must also submit the following as per the Conveyance Policy templates:

  • Qualified Person Preliminary Statement Letter
  • Reliance Letter

Approaches for Cleaning Up or Managing of Contaminated Sites

Contaminated land may be remediated using a Full Depth Generic approach or a Risk Assessment approach under the provisions of Ontario regulation 153/04 as amended under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act (OEPA).

Full Depth Generic Approach

If a Full-depth Generic approach is used, the site condition standards in effect are the more stringent of: the site condition standards of the intended land use or the standards of the most sensitive adjacent land use.

Risk Assessment Approach

If a Risk Assessment approach is used, site-specific standards are developed based on unique site characteristics.  The City’s Peer Reviewer DOES NOT typically review or comment on the risk assessment methodology or risk exposure calculations.

The Peer Reviewer DOES review and comment on the Proposed Risk Management Plan (and Risk Management Measures, if any) and draft Certificate of Property Use conditions (if any) to ensure compliance with the current Conveyance Policy.

At the end of the investigation and remediation or risk assessment process, the acknowledged Record of Site Condition issued by the MOECC must be submitted PRIOR to the City’s approval.

Comments

Refer to Ontario Regulation 153/04, Records of Site Condition, and the above references.

Purpose

To show the proposed development site and building footprint in the broader physical context.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:2000 scale

General Details

  • Include an area of approximately a 500 metre radius surrounding the site, or as appropriate, to give a clear indication of the proposal in its context
  • Generally show the dimensions for the footprint and property lines of the proposed development in relation to adjacent and surrounding building footprints, property lines, streets, parks and open spaces, natural features and land uses
  • Label all streets, parks and open spaces
  • Additional direction for inclusion in the Context Plan (and in coordination with the Block Context Plan) should be provided at Pre-Application

Description

A draft Official Plan Amendment identifies proposed changes to the Official Plan required to permit a proposal.

A review of the relevant Official Plan policies including information/rationale as to how and why an amendment to the Official Plan is required should be addressed in the required Planning Rationale.

When Required

A draft Official Plan Amendment is required if a proposal seeks to use, alter or develop a property in a way that does not conform to the Official Plan.  This includes a proposal seeking to add permission(s) to a land use designation’s permitted uses and/or amend Official Plan policy.

A draft Official Plan Amendment is required as part of a complete application under the Planning Act, and shall be submitted with an Official Plan Amendment application.  The draft Amendment may be included as an appendix in the required Planning Rationale.

Rationale

The Official Plan is a blueprint for how Toronto will grow to the year 2031. It describes the location and provides policies for new housing, employment, parks, office and retail areas, community services and other land uses. The Official Plan also establishes policies for the built environment, for improvements to the City’s hard services (such as transit, roads, sewers, etc.) and for the protection of the City’s natural environment.

Proposals are evaluated against the policies and criteria of the Plan.  Any change to the Official Plan to permit a proposal requires an Official Plan Amendment application.

Required Contents

A draft Official Plan Amendment shall follow the template including the appropriate amendment format required to address the proposal’s non-compliance with the Official Plan.

Draft Approval Certificate

Include the Draft Approval Certificate on each plan submitted at time of application

Draft Approval Certificate for Draft Plan of Condominium

  • location and number of units to be sold, on a floor-by-floor basis
  • all common elements (i.e., corridors, lobbies, elevators, etc.)
  • location and number of parking spaces, if they are to be sold separately
  • location and amount of landscaped open space and common recreation space

Section 51(17) of the Planning Act requires that plans show the following information, as appropriate:

Ownership Information and O.L.S. Signature

  • name of registered owner, signature and date signed
  • name of Ontario Land Surveyor, signature and date signed

Legal Description and Property Details

  • legal address of the property
  • boundaries of the land proposed to be subdivided, certified by an Ontario Land Surveyor
  • locations, widths and names of the proposed highways within the proposed subdivision and of existing highways on which the proposed subdivision abuts

Purpose and Use of the Lots and Adjoining Lands

  • purpose for which the proposed lots are to be used
  • existing uses of all adjoining lands
  • approximate dimensions and layout of proposed lots
  • natural and artificial features, including municipal appurtenances, such as buildings or other structures or installations, railways, highways, watercourses, drainage ditches, wetlands and wooded areas within or adjacent to the land proposed to be subdivided
  • availability and nature of domestic water supplies
  • nature and porosity of soil
  • existing contours or elevations as may be required to determine the grade of the highways and the drainage of the land proposed to be subdivided

Servicing Information

  • municipal services available or to be available to the land proposed to be subdivided
  • nature and extent of any restrictions affecting the land proposed to be subdivided, including restrictive covenants or easements

Key Plan

  • on a small key plan, on a scale of not less than one centimetre to 100 metres: all of the land adjacent to the proposed subdivision that is owned by the applicant or in which the applicant has an interest; every subdivision adjacent to the proposed subdivision; and the relationship of the boundaries of the land to be subdivided to the boundaries of the township lot or other original grant of which the land forms the whole or part

Final Approval Certificate

  • Include the Final Approval Certificate on each plan submitted for registration

Final Approval Certificate for Draft Plan of Condominium

Draft Plan of Subdivision (S. 51(17) of the Planning Act requires plans to show the following information)

 Draft Approval Certificate

  • Include the Draft Approval Certificate on each plan submitted at time of application

Draft Approval Certificate for Draft Plan of Subdivision

Ownership Information and O.L.S. Signature

  • name of registered owner, signature and date signed
  • name of Ontario Land Surveyor, signature and date signed

Purpose and Use of the Lots

  • purpose for which the proposed lots are to be used
  • existing uses of all adjoining lands

Legal Description and Property Details

  • legal address and legal description of the property
  • boundaries of the land proposed to be subdivided, certified by an Ontario Land Surveyor
  • locations, widths and names of the proposed highways within the proposed subdivision and of existing highways on which the proposed subdivision abuts, including proposal reserves
  • approximate dimensions and layout of proposed lots
  • natural and artificial features, including municipal appurtenances, such as buildings or other structures or installations, railways, highways, watercourses, drainage ditches, wetlands and wooded areas within or adjacent to the land proposed to be subdivided
  • the availability and nature of domestic water supplies
  • the nature and porosity of the soil
  • existing contours or elevations as may be required to determine the grade of the highways and the drainage of the land proposed to be subdivided
  • the municipal services available or to be available to the land proposed to be subdivided
  • nature and extent of any restrictions affecting the land proposed to be subdivided, including restrictive covenants or easements

Key Plan

  • on a small key plan, on a scale of not less than one centimetre to 100 metres, illustrate all of the land adjacent to the proposed subdivision that is owned by the applicant or in which the applicant has an interest; every subdivision adjacent to the proposed subdivision; and the relationship of the boundaries of the land to be subdivided to the boundaries of the township lot or other original grant of which the land forms the whole or part

Final Approval Certificate

  • Include the Final Approval Certificate on each plan submitted for registration

Final Approval Certificate for Draft Plan of Subdivision

 

Effective July 1, 2023

Description

A draft zoning by-law amendment is a document that directs how lands, buildings or structures are used for specific purposes. The draft amendment describes the lands to which the amendment applies, lists recitals of the Ontario Planning Act, specifies additions or changes to the zoning map or overlay maps, lists site specific regulations, and specifies prevailing by-laws and sections.

When Required

If a property owner wants to develop a property in a way that is not permitted by the zoning by-law, they must apply for a Zoning By-law Amendment Application. A draft zoning by-law amendment is required as part of a Zoning By-law Amendment Application.

Rationale

A draft zoning by-law amendment provides a preliminary framework for amendments to the zoning by-law that are required to permit the development, including use of certain sections of the Ontario Planning Act, like temporary use or holding symbol provisions.

Required Contents

The draft zoning by-law amendment must be submitted using one of the templates listed below. The selection of the template will be based on whether the lands are within City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013 (By-law 569-2013 herein) or not, and if City Council or the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) is the approving authority. The Zoning By-law Amendment Writing Guide can help inform the selection of the appropriate template. The templates reference the “Commercial Residential (CR) Zone” as this is the most common zone for proposed developments.

  • Lands-In Regular – This template is intended for lands that are within By-law 569-2013, and it considers the most common By-law 569-2013 amendments.
  • Lands-In Complex – This template is intended for lands that are within By-law 569-2013, and it considers a more extensive range of zoning considerations for a development.
  • Lands-In OLT – This template is intended for lands that are not within By-law 569-2013 (they appear shaded in grey on the zoning map). The template provides a format for bringing the lands into By-law 569-2013 and it considers the most common By-law 569-2013 amendments. This template is the same as the “Lands-In Regular” template modified to reference Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) recitals;
  • Lands-In Blank – This template is intended for lands that are within By-law 569-2013, and it is intentionally left blank. This template is included as an additional option where the author would like to have more flexibility, but still retain the document formatting of the other templates;
  • Lands-Out Blank – This template is intended for lands that are not within By-law 569-2013 (they appear shaded in grey on the zoning map). The template provides guidance on bringing the lands into By-law 569-2013. This template is included as an additional option where the author would like to have more flexibility, but still retain the document formatting of the other templates.
  • Lands-Out Regular – This template is intended for lands that are not within By-law 569-2013 (they appear shaded in grey on the zoning map). The template provides a format for bringing the lands into By-law 569-2013 and it considers the most common By-law 569-2013 amendments;
  • Lands-Out Complex – This template is intended for lands that are not within By-law 569-2013 (they appear shaded in grey on the zoning map). The template provides a format on bringing the lands into By-law 569-2013 and it considers a wider range of zoning considerations for a development;
  • Lands-Out OLT – This template is intended for lands that are not within By-law 569-2013 (they appear shaded in grey on the zoning map). The template provides a format for bringing the lands into By-law 569-2013 and it considers the most common By-law 569-2013 amendments. This template is the same as the “Lands-Out Regular” template modified to reference Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) recitals;
  • Removal of the Holding Symbol – This template is intended for lands that are within By-law 569-2013 that require the removal of the holding symbol (H).

Disclaimer – Templates

The Zoning By-law 569-2013 templates are provided for the purpose of consistent drafting of zoning by-law amendments and are intended to provide preliminary guidance at the time of preparation.  Additional guidance on the use of the zoning by-law amendment templates is provided in the Zoning By-law Amendment Writing Guide. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of these templates, however, for legal and planning application purposes the templates are not a substitute for the verification of applicable Official Plan policies, including site and area specific policies, former general zoning by-law requirements, and all amendments to By-law 569-2013 that may apply to a development.

Zoning By-law Amendment Writing Guide

The Zoning By-law Amendment Writing Guide provides preliminary guidance in preparing a zoning by-law amendment and to assist the author in avoiding common errors. The Writing Guide provides guidance on how to correctly structure a by-law amendment, use correct terms, and create zoning diagrams. Review of the Writing Guide prior to submitting a zoning by-law amendment is optional but encouraged.

Description

The EMF Management Plan is a technical document (or plan) that provides an analysis of the electromagnetic fields (EMF) on the site of a proposed development that is within or abuts a hydro corridor. The EMF management plan identifies no-to-low-cost EMF exposure reduction measures based on the analysis.

Depending on the complexity of the project the EMF Management Plan must be prepared by a qualified individual as outlined in the Guidance Manual.

When Required

An EMF management plan is required for the following application types:

  • All Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Amendments and Plan of Subdivision applications for residential, school or day nursery uses where the subject site is within or abuts a hydro corridor
  • All new high-voltage transmission lines or increases in the capacity of existing transmission lines in the City of Toronto.

Rationale

The authority to request an EMF management plan is provided by Toronto City Council’s decision to adopt a policy of prudent avoidance to reduce childhood exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in and adjacent to hydro corridors with transmission lines.

Toronto City Council Decision Document (Meeting 23 July 15, 16 and 17, 2008).

Required Contents

An EMF Management Plan, in accordance with the EMF Management Guidance Document, should include the following elements:

  • An assessment of the magnetic fields on the subject lands based on current conditions. The field strengths should be determined by conducting magnetic field surveys when electrical transmission lines, distribution lines and equipment are operating under normal conditions.
  • An assessment of sources of magnetic fields within a proposed development.
  • An assessment of the magnetic fields on the subject lands based on future conditions where the influences on the magnetic fields may be changed by the addition/removal or operational modification of electrical transmission lines, distribution lines and equipment. This may be done by modifying the survey data to account for the altered conditions or by modeling to determine the impact of new/repositioned electrical lines or equipment on magnetic field levels.
  • Listing and description of strategies to reduce magnetic field exposures to children.

The Guidance Manual contains information on the required contents of an EMF Management Plan as well as procedures to prepare an EMF Management Plan.

Effective May 1, 2022

Description

The Energy Modelling Guidelines outline the energy modelling and reporting requirements under the Toronto Green Standard (TGS). These guidelines provide instructions and information on supporting documentation that is required for submission. The guidelines allow for a clear understanding of the energy conservation measures to be applied to the new development, and the simulation process that is undertaken to achieve the energy performance claimed.

When Required

For Site Plan Applications with proposed buildings that follow Part 3 of the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and are greater than 2000 m2 Gross Floor Area.

Applicants should follow the Energy Modelling Guidelines and submit the required documentation prior to Site Plan Approval to demonstrate the minimum Tier 1 level of performance in accordance with the TGS Operational Emissions and Energy requirements.

Exemptions

  • To maintain consistency with the OBC SB10 Section 1.2. Application, industrial and warehouse buildings are exempt from the energy performance requirements. The applicant is required to provide building classification(s) confirmation to receive an exemption.
  • For buildings that follow Part 9 of the OBC, refer to the energy requirements for low-rise development for Version 2 (page 6-7), Version 3 and Version 4.

Required Content

Refer to the following guidelines based on the application submission date for required content:

Version Site Plan Application Submission Date
Energy Modelling Guidelines Version 4 On or after May 1, 2022
Energy Modelling Guidelines Version 3 Between May 1, 2018, to April 30, 2022
Energy Modelling Guidelines Version 2 Between January 1, 2014, to April 30, 2018

Contact

Contact City’s Environment and Energy Division at EnergyReview@toronto.ca for questions or discuss your project in more detail.

Effective May 1, 2022

Description

The Energy Strategy explores opportunities for new development to achieve net zero emissions in keeping with TransformTO and the Toronto Green Standard Council-approved targets. The Strategy identifies and evaluates opportunities to reduce energy demand and emissions, including embodied carbon, and to be resilient to climate change. It recommends technically and financially viable solutions for further analysis and implementation during Site Plan Control approvals. The findings and recommendations will inform subsequent development applications and later studies including building energy modelling and associated infrastructure.

When Required

The Energy Strategy applies to new development including residential, non-residential and/or mixed use and may apply to industrial development:

in association with the following application types:

  • Official Plan Amendment;
  • Zoning By-Law Amendment; or
  • Plan of Subdivision

Rationale

The NZ Emissions Strategy contributes to the Council approved TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and GHG Emissions by 2040 target (IE26.16). Official Plan policies 3.4.1c), 3.4.19 and 3.4.20 support and encourage the reduction of: energy consumption and GHG emissions and carbon-based fuel sources in development and redevelopment, consistent with international, national and Toronto’s GHG reduction targets and commitments.

The Strategy evaluates:

  • Building design and construction options that optimize daylighting and solar radiation, maximize envelope thermal performance and durability, and minimize embodied carbon in material selection.
  • Opportunities for on-site renewable electricity (e.g. solar PV) and low carbon thermal energy sources, including geo-exchange, sewer heat recovery, and low carbon thermal energy networks (i.e. district energy).
  • Approaches to climate resilience, including location of critical equipment, and backup power during extended grid disruptions.
  • Partnerships with energy developers (i.e. third-party utilities), and electricity distribution options offered by Toronto Hydro.
  • Capital cost premiums, operating cost savings, and potential incentives in order to recommend technically and financially viable solutions for implementation.

Required Contents

This section presents minimum requirements for completion of the Strategy and is not exhaustive. The applicant is encouraged to discuss the required contents with Environment & Energy Division staff prior to submitting the report.

  1. Net Zero Operational EmissionsFor each Tier, explain the approach to meeting the Toronto Green Standard performance requirements, and show all calculations:
    Building Type

     

    Total Energy Use Intensity (kWh/m²) Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (kWh/m²) Greenhouse Gas Intensity (kgCO2/m²)
    Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier  1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
    Multi-unit Residential Buildings (≥ 4 Storeys) 135 100 75 50 30 15 15 10 5
    Multi-unit Residential Buildings
    (< 4 Storeys)
    130 100 70 40 25 15 15 10 5
    Commercial Office Buildings 130 100 65 30 22 15 15 8 4
    Commercial Retail Buildings 120 90 70 40 25 15 10 5 3
    Mixed Use Buildings(90% residential, 5% retail, 5% commercial) 134 100 74 49 29 15 15 10 5
    All Other Building Types Tier 1: ≥25 per cent improvement above SB-10, 2017

    Tier 2: ≥35 per cent improvement above SB-10, 2017

    For phased development, project the anticipated Site Plan Application dates for each phase, taking the minimum performance requirements at that time into account in the report. Please note that the Tier 1 minimum performance requirements have been revised such that the GHGI target of 10 kg/m2 will apply in 2025, and 5 kg/m2 will apply in 2028. (See City Council Decision on IE26.16 “TransformTO – Critical Steps for Net Zero by 2040”, specifically item 1. a.)

    1. Identify and evaluate opportunities to minimize total energy use intensity (TEUI) and thermal energy demand intensity (TEDI), through:
      1. Massing and form options that minimize heat loss, and optimize daylighting and solar radiation.
      2. Enclosure design and construction that minimizes heat loss and infiltration. The architect/envelope consultant will outline strategies pertaining to the glazing and thermal bridging.
      3. Waste heat recovery from within the building.
      4. High efficiency equipment, appliances, and domestic hot water systems.
      5. Best practices for commissioning, metering, and air tightness testing.
    2. Identify and evaluate opportunities to minimize greenhouse gas emissions intensity (GHGI), through:
      1. Low carbon heating and cooling systems, including but not limited to geo-exchange, drain-water heat recovery, solar thermal, and heat pumps.
      2. On-site solar PV electricity production.
      3. Connection to an existing thermal network or to a planned new thermal network, or development of a new thermal network for multi-building proposals.
      4. Integration of large-scale thermal energy storage and sources, including but not limited to lake water cooling, trunk sewer heat, and data centre waste heat.
      5. Micro-grid(s) to maximize local energy production and increase resiliency.

    The applicant will work with an energy developer on a preliminary analysis of low carbon heating and cooling solutions and report back to the Environment & Energy Division in the initial or a subsequent resubmission. Applicants proposing a total gross floor area of 100,000 square metres or more are required to evaluate development of an on-site thermal network (district energy system). Please note that this work is to be performed by the energy developer and may be included in an appendix section of the report.

    If low carbon heating and cooling solutions are deemed not technically or financially viable at present, the applicant will evaluate future-proof design options (i.e. low-carbon ready). Refer to the Design Guidelines for Low Carbon Thermal Energy-Ready Buildings PDF for more information.

    The applicant will also engage Toronto Hydro to discuss electrical distribution system design options to support decarbonization and resilience.

  2. Low Embodied Carbon
    1. Conduct a Material Emissions Assessment for the structure and envelope in accordance with the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building Standard Version 3, or later, methodology for the Upfront Carbon lifecycle stage (A1-5). Identify low-carbon sustainable material alternatives to the proposed structure or envelope for use in the building project.
      1. Following the CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Standard v3 or later embodied carbon tracking methodology, calculate the total embodied carbon in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO2e) and express the building average in kgCO2e/m2 for the cradle-to-substantial completion (upfront emissions) lifecycle stage (A1-A5) and complete a contribution analysis by building assembly or material type for the proposed building.Follow the CaGBC standard’s object of assessment which is as follows:
        INCLUDE: envelope and structural elements including footings and foundations, complete structural wall assemblies (from cladding to interior finishes, including basement), structural floors and ceilings (not including finishes), roof assemblies, stairs, and parking structures.EXCLUDE: Excavation and other site developments, partitions, building services (electrical, mechanical, fire detection, alarm systems, elevators, etc.), fixtures and fitting, surface parking lots, and associated building site improvements.
      2. Complete and submit the Embodied Carbon Reporting Template and include the LCA software used, input assumptions, and results of the preliminary assessment identifying what changes were made to the proposed buildings in order to minimize the embodied carbon impact and further reductions.
    2. All proposed development on a site with an existing building subject to demolition should be evaluated to: identify opportunities for reuse of demolition waste; and assess embodied emissions from materials.
  3. Climate Resilient Buildings
    1. Identify and evaluate opportunities for backup power systems that will improve the resilience of the development to area-wide power outages, especially for multi-unit residential buildings. This includes meeting all emergency power (life safety) requirements, as well as providing for 72 hours (at a minimum):
      1. Domestic water (hot and cold);
      2. Elevator service; and
      3. Space heating, lighting and receptacle power to a refuge area (e.g. central common area/amenity space/lobby).Discuss options for backup power generation, including non-fossil fuel technologies (e.g. solar PV with battery storage).
    2. Identify locations for critical equipment so that building operations are not disrupted during extreme weather events.
    3. Identify future-proof HVAC system designs for 2050 projected temperatures and humidity levels. Refer to the Minimum Backup Power Guidelines for Multi-Unit Residential Buildings for more information.
  4. Analysis, Preferred Scenario, and Recommendations
    1. Calculate energy use, thermal energy demand, operational GHG emissions, and embodied carbon content for the proposed development according to the specific scenarios.
      1. Include in calculations the energy use and emissions of existing buildings (if any are part of the development site) using available utility data and best estimates of embodied carbon.
    2. Estimate the contribution(s) of the identified on-site and off-site low-carbon solutions towards achieving net zero emissions.
    3. Estimate the capital cost premium and operational cost savings for the scenarios over 30 years, including any partnerships with energy developers. Evaluate potential incentives, including:
      1. Partial Development Charge refund for achieving Toronto Green Standard Tier 2 or better.
      2. Potential grants, loans, or other financing supports.
      3. The ability to reclaim saved mechanical space for additional gross floor area and/or amenity space.
    4. Based on the completed analysis, state the preferred scenario and conclude with recommendations and next steps to facilitate implementation. For developments not being designed to achieve net zero emissions, discuss retrofit strategies to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

Format of the Report

  • Executive summary
  • Calculations, including data and assumptions, for existing buildings and new development (soft copy spreadsheet – Microsoft Excel format)
  • Graphs of expected energy and GHG emissions (Microsoft Excel format)
  • Conclusions / Recommendations
  • Appendices: supporting documentation, references, etc.

Contact

For further information please contact:

New Development & Renewable Energy
Environment and Energy Division, City of Toronto

Metro Hall
55 John Street, 2nd floor
Toronto, ON M5V 3C6
EnergyReview@toronto.ca

Reference Documents

Terms of Reference are being prepared for this study. In the interim, the requirements and details of this study should you need one can be addressed during your pre-application consultation meeting.

Terms of Reference are being prepared for this study. In the interim, the requirements and details of this study should you need one can be addressed during your pre-application consultation meeting.

Purpose

To illustrate the layout of structures, entrances, rooms, windows and servicing elements on each floor of the proposed building, including the ground floor and below-grade floors.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • All floor plans for typical and non-typical floors showing the layout of rooms, entrances, windows and servicing elements like elevators, stairs, service stacks, etc.
  • Label floor(s) and provide the gross floor area (GFA) and gross construction area (GCA) for each floor
  • Distinguish between parts (or all) of the existing building to be conserved from new building elements in all applicable floor plans, if appropriate. Indicate with notes and graphics which parts are proposed to be conserved in place and which parts would be reconstructed
  • Show the location, dimensions and area (in m2) of indoor and outdoor private and shared amenity areas, including balconies, rooftop patios, and any other publicly-accessible areas, as well as how they are accessed and how indoor and outdoor areas are connected
  • Provide the area (in m2) of non-residential spaces on all applicable floor plans
  • Label type of units within residential buildings (e.g. bachelor, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, etc.) and provide the area (in m2) for each unit
  • Show location, size and configuration of both indoor and outdoor amenity spaces for children and families, such as children’s play areas
  • Show location, size and configuration of pet-friendly facilities, such as dog washing and grooming stations
  • All property lines and/or road widenings

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure

  • Interior walkways and corridors, stairs, escalators, elevators, etc.
  • Location and dimensions of indoor and outdoor bicycle parking and storage facilities, as well as shower and change facilities, where required
  • Existing/proposed grades on floor plan(s) that include bicycle storage and circulation

Site Circulation – Driveways, Servicing and Parking

  • Location, dimensions and details of existing/proposed vehicular circulation on site including driveways, ramps, laneways, parking, loading and service areas
  • Location, dimensions and details regarding parking areas, including parking spaces, drive aisles, vehicular ramps, car share locations, electric vehicle charging stations, etc.
  • Provide a breakdown of the existing/proposed total parking supply (e.g. residential, visitor)

Waste Disposal Facilities

  • Location and dimensions of garbage/recycling/organics storage, sorting and compaction facilities including garbage chutes and tri-sorters

Fire Code Requirements

  • Show fire control panel location/details

Public and Private Servicing

  • Location, dimensions and details for all loading spaces on site
  • Provide dimensions and layout of corridors for loading, moving or servicing, including circulation

Geotechnical Study

Dec 2017

Description

A Geotechnical Study is an objective, science-based sub-surface investigation study, prepared by a qualified expert (Geotechnical Engineer/Consultant) that analyses soil and bedrock composition to determine its structural stability and its ability to accommodate development. The study will be used to guide land use planning, the design and construction of buildings, municipal roads and services as well as to determine feasibility for infiltration of groundwater, if it is part of the proposal.

When Required

The Community Planner will inform the applicant that a Geotechnical Study is required.

These studies or reviews may be required for the following types of applications:

  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment;
  • Plans of Subdivision;
  • Consent to Sever; and
  • Site Plan Control

Geotechnical Studies are required for the design and construction of municipal roads and all developments.

The detailed design of any infiltration facilities will be based on site specific percolation tests. The number of tests will be dependent on the size of the facility and the different types of soils conditions found within the proposed facility foot print zone of influence.

Note: In addition to a Geotechnical Study a Hydrological Review is also required.

The applicant is responsible for the preparation and cost of these studies.

Rationale

To provide an assessment in the event that there may be significant challenges in the conceptual designs, land requirements, detailed design, and construction stages of a development and to supplement Stormwater Management Reports.

Required Contents

The following is a general outline of information to be included in the Studies/Reviews:
Identification of subsurface conditions including:

  • Soil, bedrock (if required), and groundwater characteristics
  • Locations of investigation on site and servicing plans
  • Factors of safety, feasibility and risk assessment
  • Mitigation measures and monitoring programs where necessary
  • Recommendations regarding below grade water tight structure(s) and/or requirement of PWDS Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) from Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) where applicable.

Comments

A Geotechnical Study shall be prepared by a qualified expert who is in good standing and who is a licensed Professional Geotechnical Engineer. The signed, stamped and completed Study report must be submitted to the City, and the engineer signing the study report shall take professional responsibility for its content and the accuracy of the information contained therein.


Hydrological Review

August 2018

Hydrological Review Summary Form

Description

A Hydrological Review, within the City’s context, is a review of the subsurface hydrologic and geologic conditions in an area or location to determine the quality and quantity of groundwater that may be required to be discharged to the City sewage works as a result of a proposed development.

When Required

The Hydrological review may be required for the following types of applications:

  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment;
  • Plans of Subdivision;
  • Consent to Sever; and
  • Site Plan Control

The applicant is responsible for the preparation and timely submission of the Review.

Rationale

The Hydrological Review aims to provide the City and the Developer information to complete a technical review for the proposed development site to address the issues pertaining to groundwater quality and quantity in accordance with the proposed options of disposal.

The applicant shall ensure that, at a minimum, the reference materials listed below are used in the preparation of the Hydrological Review:

  • Ontario Water Resources Act
  • Ontario Regulation 387/04. “Water Taking Regulation” (A Permit to Take Water (PTTW) from the MOECC may be required).
  • Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 681 – Sewers

Minimum Required Contents

The Review area shall encompass the land area covering the largest possible zone of influence that could result from the proposed groundwater taking.

The Hydrological Report shall include at a minimum, the following information:

Introduction/Background
  • Location and ownership of the property.
  • Proposed number of building structures.
  • Proposed sub-grade depth of the development and sub-surface structure area (square meters)
  • Land use classification of proposed building(s) (commercial, residential etc.).
  • Consulting firm and qualified person responsible for completion of the Hydrological Review, when it was performed and an outline of the scope of the work
  • Characterization of the hydrological setting (i.e., a brief description of the local and regional physiographic features and the groundwater flow direction).
Study Area Map
  • A map showing locations of all identified on-site and off-site wells, boreholes, buildings, property boundaries, watercourses, and drainage features within the study area.
  • Hydrological cross-sections with geology, borehole locations and water level measurements
Geology and Physical Hydrology
  • Borehole logs with accurate geological description:
  • All boreholes and wells shall be geo-referenced horizontally (coordinates) to a maximum tolerance of 0.1 meters to the North American Datum of 1927 – 1974 Adjustment (for compatibility with COSINE) and are projected to a Modified Transverse Mercator projection in Zone 10 (NAD27-74 Adj. MTM 10);
  • All borehole surfaces and top of well casings shall also be geo-referenced vertically to a maximum tolerance of 0.01 meters to the Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1928, Pre 1978 Adjustment (CGVD28-Pre78 Adj.);
  • Table of hydro stratigraphic units and their properties.
  • If satellite access for GPS survey is restricted, survey can be completed with total station equipment.

A site-specific hydrological model with site-specific hydrological information describing:

  • Soil materials, including thicknesses, composition, and
  • The bedrock
  • Identify all underlying aquifers and aquitards.
  • Proximity to nearby surface water.
Wells

A minimum of five groundwater wells shall be installed at locations that represent the entire proximity of the site. If that site is larger than 30m x 30m additional groundwater wells shall be installed and the qualified professional will use professional judgment to determine the number of additional wells required. It is required that the wells be installed with a minimum of 3.8 cm diameter and 2 meters below the lowest elevation in the proposed building structure(s). Additionally, one well is to be drilled to a minimum depth of 10 m below the lowest elevation in the proposed building structure(s), or to bedrock, whichever is shallower. For sites with physical restrictions or smaller and site-specific sites pre-consultation with City Staff may be required to decide on the number of wells required.

Static Water Level Analysis

Static groundwater level measurements shall be monitored at all wells located within the property for a minimum of 3 months with measurements taken every 2 weeks for a minimum of 6 measurements. The intent is for the qualified professional to use professional judgment to estimate the seasonally high groundwater level. Water levels can be measured manually or using pressure transducers and data loggers, or similar instrumentation. All water levels shall be presented as geodetic elevations referenced to a City of Toronto, or Canadian Geologic Survey benchmark.

Pump Test/ Drawdown Analysis

Pumping tests may require a PTTW from the MOECC and discharge approval from Toronto Water if extracted groundwater is proposed to be discharged into the City’s sewage works. At minimum, the following are to be considered:

  • The testing shall be carried out for at least 24 hours if applicable
  • Ensure the discharge from the pumping test(s) will not have a negative impact on the site’s neighboring environment or City sewage work;
  • All observation well(s) shall be monitored using digital devices.
  • Pumping test data, graphs, and a summary of the pumping test data and analysis.
  • The discharge flow rate(s) shall be monitored using digital devices
  • If any other method other than a pump test is used, provide detailed explanation of rationale.

Static groundwater level shall be monitored at all pumping and observation wells several times prior to and after the pumping test to measure the recovery.

Slug test can be done to estimate hydraulic conductivity in certain circumstances. Developments where no construction dewatering or long-term groundwater management is required, slug tests are acceptable for each well. If any other method other than pump test is used or should a shorter time period be proposed detailed explanation of the rationale for the change is to be provided and agreed by City staff.

Water Quality

The report needs to include a baseline water quality review. The water quality must be analyzed for all the parameters listed in Chapter 681-Sewers of the Toronto Municipal Code. Non-filtered sample(s) must be collected from the proposed groundwater source(s). Water quality data must be analyzed by a Canadian laboratory accredited and licensed by Standards Council of Canada and or Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation. A true copy of the analysis report, Certificate of Analysis and a chain of custody record for the sample must be included with report. The water quality data must be collected within nine (9) months prior to the date of submission.

Private Water Drainage System (PWDS)

If the property proposes a PWDS then the Review shall summarize the post-construction groundwater discharge to the City’s sewage works from the proposed development. The Review shall clearly identify the proposed construction methods (ex. open cut, caisson wall) for the sub-structure. If the proposed sub-structure construction method is not available during the Review preparation then the Review shall be prepared identifying groundwater infiltration quality, quantity and peak discharge flow rate for all of the proposed construction methods. The Review shall include the total subfloor drain area, and information regarding the estimated total volume per day from the subfloor drain, and the perimeter drains.

Groundwater Extraction and Discharge

In order to evaluate the capacity of the City sewage works, the Review shall provide the following detailed information:

  • Flow Rate (L/min) and Total Volume (L/day) for short-term (construction dewatering)
  • Flow Rate (L/min) and Total Volume (L/day) for long-term drainage of groundwater from the PWDS
  • Proposed maximum Pump Peak Flow Rate from PWDS (L/min) as proposed by Mechanical Consultant
  • If watertight structure (structure that has not included a private water drainage system) is to be incorporated as part of the proposed development, additional information will be required.
  • If on-site containment (infiltration gallery/dry well etc.) is to be incorporated as part of the proposed development additional information will be required.
Evaluation of Impact should be undertaken by both the Geotechnical Engineer and the Hydrogeologist

The impact(s) of groundwater taking and discharging should be determined based on the maximum possible area of influence-using actual field testing data. Investigation should be performed to determine any adverse impacts as suggested below:

  • Negative impacts to City’s sewage works in terms of quality and quantity, including existing infrastructure.
  • Negative impacts to the natural environment.
  • Impacts to land stability.
Proposed Mitigation Measures and Monitoring Plan

If it has been determined that there will be a negative impact to the natural environment, City’s sewage works, or the land stability, as a result of groundwater taking and discharging, the Review shall identify the following:

  • The extent of the negative impact.
  • Details of the existing or pre-construction state of all the infrastructure, City sewage works and natural environment within the affected zone.
  • The proposed mitigation and monitoring plan.

In the event that a proposed mitigation plan is recommended, subsequently, a follow-up report is required confirming that the affected zone has been returned to its pre-development condition prior to the groundwater taking and discharging.

Comments

Hydrological Review shall be prepared by a qualified person who is in good standing and a licensed Professional Geoscientist or exempted Professional Engineer as set out in the Professional Geoscientists Act of Ontario. The signed, stamped and completed Review report must be submitted to the City, and the qualified person shall take professional responsibility for its content and the accuracy of the information contained therein.

The Hydrological Review Summary Form must be completed and submitted by the Qualified Professional who prepared the Hydrological Review. The completed summary form must be attached to the Hydrological Review.

Purpose

The conservation of the City of Toronto’s cultural heritage resources is a matter of public, municipal and provincial interest.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is an independent professional and objective study undertaken at the earliest stage of project planning, design, construction and development activity necessary to inform a project’s design with the goal of conservation.

The purpose of the HIA is to assist in the understanding of the cultural heritage value of each existing or potential heritage resource on a site, adjacent to a site or within a Heritage Conservation District (HCD), and apply relevant heritage conservation policies and standards in the analysis of the impact of development on its cultural heritage value, and develop mitigation measures to protect it. Within the City of Toronto’s application process and complete application requirements, the purpose of the HIA is also to inform decisions of City staff and City Council and to guide the creation of a Conservation Plan or any other Council approved condition.

Policy Context

  • The Provincial Policy Statement; Section 2.6 Cultural Heritage and Archaeology
  • A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe; Section 4.2.7 Cultural Heritage Resources
  • City of Toronto Official Plan

Description

The HIA will demonstrate an understanding of the cultural heritage values and attributes of existing and potential onsite heritage resources, adjacent heritage properties and within or adjacent to Heritage Conservation Districts.  It is strongly recommended that a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) be prepared by the applicant at a project’s inception to ensure a rigorous inventory and understanding of the site’s values and attributes early in the design process. The City of Toronto has developed a Terms of Reference to assist with the purpose and content of a CHER. It is also strongly recommended that the results of the CHER be shared with the City for discussion at the earliest opportunity to avoid unnecessary delays.

Where City Council has previously adopted a Statement of Significance through municipal designation, using criteria set out in Ontario Regulation 9/06, the HIA must be based on the Council approved statement of cultural heritage values and attributes. Properties designated prior to 2005 will be subject to review and by-law amendment as necessary.

The HIA will also demonstrate, in its analysis and conservation strategy, an understanding of all applicable provincial and municipal policies, HCD plans and recognized professional heritage conservation standards in Canada including, but not limited to, the Standards and Guidelines for Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.  In keeping with the Standards and Guidelines, minimal intervention will be the guiding principle for all work.

The study will, using both written and graphic formats, provide a description of the proposed development or site alteration, a detailed review of the impact of the proposed work on the cultural heritage values and attributes of the existing, potential and adjacent heritage properties (cultural heritage values and attributes that have already been determined by the City or, when unavailable, identified within a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report) from a conservation perspective. The HIA will also recommend alternative development options and mitigation measures to ensure the best possible conservation outcomes.

The HIA, which must be prepared by a qualified heritage conservation professional as demonstrated through membership in the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals, will address “existing and potential heritage properties” which are those properties that are:

  • designated under Parts IV and V of the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA)
  • added to the Register by City Council, known as “listed” properties
  • identified as having cultural heritage value or interest through a preliminary site assessment or planning study
  • identified by the community, City staff or local Councillor

In addition, it is recommended that applicants pre-screen any building 40 years of age or older on the development site as a routine part of pre-application due diligence, especially if demolition will be proposed.

The required conservation strategy will be presented in detail to inform the decisions of City staff and City Council and to guide the creation of a Conservation Plan and/or any other Council approved conditions. Conservation strategies will take into account the existing condition of cultural heritage resource(s) and the constructability of the proposal. It is expected the project team will have undertaken sufficient investigation to confirm the capacity of the heritage resource to withstand the proposed intervention.

Where there is the potential to affect known or potential archaeological resources an Archaeological Assessment will be undertaken as an additional study prepared by a licensed archaeologist.

Standards and Practices

The HIA must be impartial and objective, thorough, complete and sound in its methodology and application of Ontario Heritage Act evaluation criteria, the City of Toronto Official Plan Heritage Policies and the Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and be consistent with recognized professional standards and best practices in the field of heritage conservation in Canada and the CAHP Code of Conduct.

The HIA must be prepared by qualified professional members in good standing with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP) who possess applied and demonstrated knowledge of accepted standards of heritage conservation, historical research, identification and evaluation of cultural heritage value or interest, analysis and mitigation.

The HIA must include all required information and be completed to the satisfaction of the City as determined by the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning or it will be considered incomplete for application or other purposes.

The HIA may be subject to a peer review if deemed appropriate by the Senior Manager.

When Required

An HIA is required as a part of a Complete Application for the following application types, if the development site contains one or more properties that are listed and/or designated on the City of Toronto’s Heritage Register:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Site Plan Control

Note: Site Plan Control applications that have been subject to a recent and/or concurrent OPA/ZBA application will not require an HIA.

An HIA may be required for the following additional application types:

  • Consent and/or Minor Variance applications for any property on the Heritage Register
  • Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, Plans of Subdivision, Site Plan Control and/or Consent and/or Minor Variance applications adjacent to a property on the Heritage Register. Adjacency is defined in the Official Plan and may go beyond contiguous properties
  • Heritage Permit applications for any property designated under Part IV (individual) or Part V (Heritage Conservation District) of the OHA.

Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER)

A Cultural Heritage Evaluation is required within the HIA for the following properties, where applicable:

  • Designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the OHA prior to 2006
  • Listed on the City’s Heritage Register under Section 27 of the OHA

A CHER is strongly encouraged to be prepared for properties of potential heritage value:

  • Not on the City’s Heritage Register but identified as having cultural heritage value through professional site assessments or planning studies
  • Believed to have cultural heritage value as identified by the community, City staff or local Councillor
  • Buildings and/or structures that are 40 years or older

A Cultural Heritage Evaluation within an HIA, or as part of a CHER is not required for properties that are:

  • Subject to a Notice of Intention to Designate under Section 29 of the OHA
  • Designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the OHA after 2006
  • Designated under Part V, Section 42 of the OHA

The City’s Terms of Reference for a CHER is available as a separate document. It is recommended that applicants contact Heritage Planning to discuss heritage potential on the subject property prior to application submission. Evaluation of cultural heritage resources prior to project planning is strongly encouraged.

With regard to Part IV, Section 29 properties, the HIA should append the Notice of Intention to Designate or the designation by-law, where applicable. With regard to Part V, Section 42 Districts, identification of the Heritage Conservation District and its associated Heritage Conservation District Plan (if applicable) should be identified, but is not required to be appended to the HIA.

An HIA that does not use the Council adopted statement of significance as the basis to assess impact will be deemed incomplete.

Evaluations may be subject to Peer Review where deemed appropriate by the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

Required Contents

To confirm application requirements it is advisable to discuss your project in advance with Heritage Planning staff during preliminary consultation meetings and consult the City of Toronto’s Municipal Code.

Where conditional approval has already been granted under the OHA, document requirements should be discussed with heritage planning staff.

The HIA will be submitted in hard copy and PDF format along with any other required application material and will include the following headings and information, in the order presented below (at minimum):

Statement of Professional Qualifications

A Heritage Professional is a person who has specialized knowledge in the conservation and stewardship of cultural heritage and is supported by formal training and/or work experience. The professional must be a registered member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals and in good standing. The background and qualifications of the professional(s) completing the HIA must be included in the report.

Provide confirmation that the Professional conforms to accepted technical and ethical standards and works in accordance with the regulations and guidelines of their specialty heritage fields and jurisdictions of practice and confirms the information included in the HIA or CHER is accurate and reflects their professional opinion.

Executive Summary

This section includes a summary of the project as a whole; a summary of the property’s determined heritage values and attributes, including conclusions related to the evaluation of properties undertaken through the CHER; a summary of the proposed conservation strategy and a summary assessment of the impact of the proposed development or site alteration on the cultural heritage values and attributes of all on-site and adjacent heritage properties, including properties on the site that are not on the heritage register but which have been subject to evaluation either within the HIA or as the subject of a CHER.

The Executive Summary will also outline proposed mitigation measures and will include a clear statement of opinion about the appropriateness of the work as proposed, with specific reference to all applicable policies and guidelines.

Property Owner

Owner name and full contact information, including e-mail address(es)

Owner’s Representative or Agent

Name and full contact information, including e-mail address(es), for any representative or agent acting on behalf of the owner accompanied by proof of owner consent

Location Plan

Location of the development site and the subject heritage property/properties shown on:

  • City’s property data map
  • Aerial photograph
  • Maps and photographs must depict the site boundary within a 300 metre radius, or as appropriate, in order to demonstrate the existing area context and identify adjacent heritage resources. Maps to be to a metric scale (i.e. 1:100, 1:200, 1:500)

Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER)

Following the City of Toronto’s Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) Terms of Reference, this section will include the identification and evaluation of existing and potential properties on the development site, as required.

Where a property is subject to a notice of intention to designate under Section 29 of the OHA, designated under Part IV of the OHA after 2006 or designated under Park V of the OHA, the HIA must rely on the heritage values and attributes of the property which have already been determined by City Council.

It is expected the CHER will be prepared in the early stages of the design and development process, prior to determining what changes may be appropriate. It is recommended that the CHER be submitted as a separate document prior to its incorporation into the HIA and prior to the submission of a development application so that the heritage values can be confirmed.

Confirm all that apply:

  • Evaluation of a property designated under Part IV, Section 29, of the Ontario Heritage Act prior to 2006 and date evaluation was completed.
  • Evaluation of a property listed on the City’s Heritage Register under Section 27 of the Ontario Heritage Act and date evaluation was completed.
  • Evaluation of a property previously identified as having cultural heritage value through professional site assessments or planning studies and date evaluation was completed.
  • Evaluation of a property believed to have cultural heritage value as identified by the community, City staff or local Councillor and date evaluation was completed.
  • Evaluation of a property over 40 years old and date evaluation was completed.

Description of On-site Heritage Resources

This section will include a description of existing and potential cultural heritage resources within the development site, and shall include:

  • Description of each property in its location on the site and any associated buildings, structures and/or landscapes. The description needs to include reference to all structures; buildings; age, location, type of construction, heritage attributes, building elements, features and / or remains; building materials; architectural style, type or expression and finishes; floor plan; natural heritage features; landscaping and archaeological resources as applicable.
  • For each listed property, the existing Statement of Significance, Reasons for Listing and/or Reasons for Identification as adopted by City Council describing each property’s cultural heritage value. Include the City Council inclusion dates and relevant details. This information can be obtained from the Heritage Planning office or online.
  • For each Part IV or Part V designated property on the site, the existing Statement of Significance, Reasons for Designation describing each property’s cultural heritage value and heritage attributes and/or the established cultural heritage value or contribution as described in the relevant HCD Plan. Include the associated designation by-laws and City Council inclusion dates and details. This information can be obtained from the Heritage Planning office or online.

Historic Photographs

Historic photographs should be provided where available. If historic photographs cannot be located, it must be confirmed that the noted sources below have been checked and historic photographs were not present.

At minimum, the resources that must be consulted include:

  • Toronto Archives
  • Toronto Public Library
  • Historical society archives

Current Photographs/Images

Current photographs/images taken within 3 months of the application submission date showing the existing condition, context, attributes and other features of existing and potential heritage resources on the property that are unobstructed by landscaping, vegetation, vehicles, etc. The context includes other buildings and existing landscaping (mature trees, fences, walls, driveways) on the subject property.  Photographs will include the following:

  • Each building elevation
  • Each heritage attribute or draft (CHER) heritage attribute affected by the proposed works
  • Existing context including other buildings on and adjacent to the site and existing landscaping
  • Interior heritage attributes described in the Part IV designation by-law or the CHER, where applicable
  • Photographs of the property as seen from the public realm around the property including each public right of way, lane, or shared driveway, park and publicly accessible open space, as appropriate to the site
  • Photographs showing the relationship of the site to the adjacent properties

Description of Surrounding Neighbourhood Keyed to a Context Map

Provide a detailed narrative of the surroundings of the site with particular attention to subject street frontages or block faces, subject property and opposite side of the street frontage(s). Be sure to reference architectural styles, profiles and ages of buildings and describe the existing “sense of place” where discernible and key to a context map.

Description of Adjacent Heritage Properties (if applicable)

Using the definition of “adjacency” in the City’s Official Plan, this section must provide a description of each heritage property/resource adjacent to the development site, including:

  • Description of the property in its location adjacent to the site, including any buildings, structures and/or landscapes or landscape features.
  • Part IV or V designation dates and details.
  • Existing Statement of Significance or Reasons for Designation describing the property’s cultural heritage value. This information can be obtained from the Heritage Planning office.
  • Photographs to include:
    • Photographs taken within 3 months of the application submission date of each elevation of the resource on the adjacent heritage property.
    • Aerial photographs showing the relationship of the adjacent properties to the development site.
    • Available historic photographs that show the adjacent buildings in relation to the application site, or confirmation that none were available from the noted sources.

Condition Assessment

The condition assessment should not rely solely on a visual inspection. Recommended methods for determining the condition of the resource(s) include a structural engineering analysis, a geotechnical study, non-destructive and destructive testing where underlying conditions might be obscured by architectural elements, signage or other physical barriers.

Destructive testing may be subject to approval. Please consult the heritage planner assigned to your application to confirm testing requirements needing a preliminary review.

Written description and high quality colour photographic documentation of each existing and potential heritage resources on the development site in its current condition and a detailed visual and written description of the physical condition of the resources including, but not limited to:

  • The roof (including chimneys, roofing materials, etc.)
  • Each building elevation including windows, doors, porches and decorative elements
  • Foundations
  • Each heritage attribute identified in an existing Statement of Significance or a CHER including landscape features where applicable
  • Structural stability of the building
  • Other aspects of the site as appropriate

Description of Proposed Development or Site Alteration

In this section, the plans, drawings, specifications and a description of the site alteration must include all new development on and alterations and interventions to each designated and/or listed and/or potential heritage property on the development site.

The drawings and specifications should also show any internal heritage attributes described in the designation by-law and show any proposed changes to them.

If no changes are being proposed to a specific building, structure or heritage attribute on the subject property a written confirmation of this and confirmation of its proposed conservation can be provided instead of including proposed plans, sections and elevations of that specific building, structure or heritage attribute.

  • A written itemized and detailed description of all alterations and interventions affecting the cultural heritage value and attributes of each onsite existing and potential heritage property and adjacent heritage property with a clear narrative of what is proposed to be conserved, altered, visually or physically impacted or demolished and/or removed.
  • Existing plans, sections and elevations showing the current condition of each property with any buildings, structures and attributes proposed to be demolished or removed identified in RED and/or altered in BLUE.
  • Proposed plans, sections and elevations showing any attributes proposed to be demolished, removed or reconstructed in RED and new construction and alterations in BLUE.

Demolition

Separate approval under the Ontario Heritage Act is required for any property designated under Part IV or V where the demolition or removal of a building, structure and/or attribute is proposed.

60 days’ written notice of intention to demolish a building or structure on a listed property must be submitted to the Chief Planner, consistent with the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 103.

  • Confirm if NO demolition or removal is proposed.
  • Where the demolition and/or removal of a building, structure and/or heritage attribute is proposed on an existing Part IV heritage property, a written description will explain the reason for the proposed demolition and/or removal and how it conserves the cultural heritage value and attributes of the property as described in the designation by-law or the CHER and how it conserves the integrity of the property.
  • Where the demolition and/or removal of a building, structure and/or heritage attribute  is proposed on a Part V designated property within a Part V designated district, a written description will explain the reason for the proposed demolition and/or removal and how such demolition and/or removal conserves the cultural heritage values and heritage attributes of the relevant Heritage Conservation District and describe how the proposal is not contrary to the objectives of that HCD Plan and how the proposal does not conflict with that HCD Plan.
  • Where the demolition and/or removal of a building or structure on a listed heritage property is proposed, a written description will explain the reason for the proposed demolition and/or removal and how it conserves the cultural heritage value of the property as described in the reasons for listing or the CHER and conserves the integrity of the property.
  • Where the demolition and/or removal of a building or structure on a potential heritage property is proposed, a written description will explain the reason for the proposed demolition and/or removal.

Analysis of the Impact of Development or Site Alteration

In this section, a clear and objective analysis of the impact of all alterations and interventions, (direct and indirect), that affect the cultural heritage value and attributes as described in the designation by-law or approved CHER of each existing, potential and adjacent heritage property or HCD is required.

  • An itemized and detailed analysis of the impact of and rationale for all alterations and interventions proposed affecting the cultural heritage value and attributes of each existing, potential and adjacent heritage property applying all relevant policies including the City of Toronto Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
  • A description of and rationale for the primary conservation treatment(s) based on the Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
  • An itemized and detailed analysis of and rationale for all alterations and interventions proposed affecting the cultural heritage value and attributes of each existing, potential and adjacent heritage property using all applicable guidelines in the Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
  • Using the definition of “integrity” in the City of Toronto Official Plan, provide a description and analysis of the impact of the development/site alteration on the integrity of each existing, potential and adjacent heritage property.
  • An analysis of the visual impact of the design of the new development on, and a description of the efforts to ensure mitigate the impact and ensure its compatibility with, the heritage value, attributes and character of each existing, potential and adjacent heritage property or HCD.

Engineering Considerations

In the case of partial in situ or façade-only retention, temporary removal or relocation of a building or structure of an onsite existing or potential heritage resource, or when a compromised structure is part of the reason for the proposed works, an engineering study must be undertaken by a Professional Engineer that confirms the feasibility of the proposed strategy in the context of the development/site alteration. An engineering study may also be requested in other circumstances.

A vibration or other site management related study may be requested to assess any potential impacts to adjacent heritage resources.

The study should consider (at minimum) overall site alterations, construction access, buried utilities, right-of-way management and construction/conservation methodologies. Recommendations must be based on a detailed understanding of the current condition of the resource(s) being conserved as described in Section 12.

Limited invasive testing of existing heritage fabric and other forms of ground investigation are strongly recommended at the earliest stages of the project. Purely visual inspection will not be an acceptable basis for decision-making.

A statement from a professional engineer confirming feasibility of a strategy that involves façade retention, temporary removal or relocation. Conservation strategies with engineering considerations must include this statement or the HIA will be deemed incomplete.

Mitigation

Mitigation measures and/or alternative options are important components of the HIA as they describe ways to avoid or reduce negative impacts on the cultural heritage resources. Mitigation might also be achieved through modifications to the design of project as a whole, for example exploring alternative parking arrangement the modification of supporting caisson walls and other shoring and bracing strategies that supports greater retention of built fabric, exterior walls, interior attributes and in situ preservation etc.

  • A detailed and itemized description of recommended mitigation measures that will best conserve the cultural heritage values and attributes of each existing, potential and adjacent heritage resource. Note: Potential heritage resources are defined in Section F above. Adjacent properties are defined in Section 3.1.5 of the City of Toronto Official Plan.
  • If mitigation measures and/or alternative development options are not warranted because the cultural heritage values and attributes are being conserved, describe and provide a rationale for no recommendation.
  • Where significant interventions occur, describe and provide a rationale for the alternative development approaches and mitigation measures that were explored but not recommended in this HIA.

Conservation Strategy/Summary

Itemized summary of the conservation strategy detailed in the previous relevant sections.

Statement of Professional Opinion

  • A conclusive and objective statement of professional opinion about the compliance of the project with all relevant municipal and provincial policies and respect for recognized professional standards and best practices in the field of heritage conservation in Canada.
  • If, in the opinion of the heritage consultant, a development proposal does not comply with all applicable policies or respect recognized professional standards and best practices in the field of heritage conservation as reflected in all applicable guiding documents, a full analysis will be provided explaining the reasons for why this conclusion has been drawn.

Links

Description

A Housing Issues Report provides information and analysis on the impacts of proposed development on the City’s supply of affordable and mid-range rental housing and tenants.

Applicants are encouraged to use the Housing Issues Report and rental data table templates. For a copy of the templates, please email Community Policy.

When Required

A Housing Issues Report is required when development proposes to demolish, intensify, convert or sever existing rental housing sites, or develop sites greater than five hectares with new residential uses.

Development application types that involve one or more of the above proposals, requiring a Housing Issues Report include:

  • Official Plan Amendments;
  • Zoning By-law Amendments;
  • Rental Housing Demolition and Conversion applications; or
  • Plan of Condominium applications.

For details, see Official Plan, Housing section 3.2.1; Official Plan Application Requirements schedule 3; and Municipal Code Chapter 667.

Required Contents

  1. Summary of proposed dwelling units including: number, tenure, bedroom type and minimum, maximum and average unit sizes.
  2. Number of existing dwellings by tenure and the proposed development in terms of units retained, demolished or converted to non-residential uses.
  3. Summary of existing and proposed indoor and outdoor amenity or common spaces, vehicle parking, bicycle parking and storage lockers.
  4. Records and minutes of any meetings with tenants held prior to submitting an application.
  5. Proposed consultation with tenants during the application review process including: methods; timing; locations; key questions; and details of how feedback will be analysed and used to inform an evolving development proposal.

Additional requirements based on application type

Intensification of Existing Rental Housing, Official Plan Policy 3.2.1.5

If the proposal involves retaining existing rental dwellings units within a redeveloped site, also provide:

  1. Proposed improvements to the existing rental housing buildings and lands.
  2. Proposed means of mitigating construction impacts on existing tenants in the form of a construction mitigation plan.
  3. Summary of total number of rental units by type and rent classification.
  4. Building plans of the existing building, including plans illustrating the location of common tenant spaces
  5. Confidentially email Community Policy a rental data table of existing rental dwelling units as of the month of application, provided for each unit: unit number; bedroom type; rent charged.
Demolition of Existing Rental Housing, Official Plan Policy 3.2.1.6 & 3.2.1.7

If the proposal includes demolition of existing rental or social housing dwelling units also provide:

  1. Summary of existing rental dwelling units, including total number of units by: tenure; bedroom type; rent classification; and number proposed to be retained and demolished.
  2. Details of the replacement of demolished rental units, in table form: a list of replacement units with rent classifications; and a comparison of new units with existing units by bedroom type and average size.
  3. The period which replacement units will be secured in terms of rents and tenure.
  4. For phased development applications, details of when replacement units will be ready for occupancy compared to the other residential units in the proposal.
  5. As-built floor plans of existing rental dwelling units.
  6. A proposed tenant relocation and assistance plan to lessen hardship and assist the affected tenants, including provision of alternative accommodation, returning to replacement units and other assistance.
  7. Confidentially email Community Policy a rental data table for existing rental dwelling units as of the month of application, providing for each unit: building address; unit number; size; bedroom type; rent charged; separate charges for utilities, parking, and other service and amenities; initial occupancy date, or end date of last occupancy; and names of tenancy agreement-holders.
Conversion to Condominium or Non-Residential Uses, and Consent for Severance Under Section 53 of the Planning Act and Official Plan Policy 3.2.1.8

For a list of required information, please email Community Policy.

Residential Development of Sites Five Hectares or Greater, Official Plan Policy 3.2.1.9

An affordable housing strategy will be submitted that addresses how the proposal will contribute to a full range of housing and how affordable housing will be provided.

Details on the proposed affordable housing strategy will include the following:

  1. Details on the proposed affordable housing, including location, bedroom types and typical sizes, total gross floor area, and tenures.
  2. Details on when the affordable housing would be provided in relation to the market housing.

Purpose

To provide information and details for the hard and soft landscaping on site and on adjacent streets and boulevards, using the Site Plan drawing as a base. This includes tree preservation plans, details and materials for paving, location, types, size and planting details for proposed trees, shrubs and other plants. Soil volumes to meet City of Toronto Green Standards will be indicated. Plan will show the materials, dimensions and construction details for hard and soft landscape elements including paving, furniture, seating, fences, rails, pergolas, retaining walls and other features and planting details.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • Existing/proposed elevations at property lines, driveways and building entrances
  • Existing/proposed easements and encroachments
  • Indicate in plan and section, existing/proposed pedestrian clearway widths
  • Identify all improvements to adjacent public boulevards and sidewalks, including but not limited to: trees, shrubs, hedges, plantings or other ground cover, permeable paving materials, street furniture, ramps, waste and recycling containers, lighting and bicycle parking and storage facilities
  • Label all paving materials and provide design details for paving and other hard landscape elements on the site and in adjacent boulevard
  • Label materials and provide schematic construction details of significant hard landscaping elements, including furniture, seating, fences, railings, screen walls, living walls, retaining walls, play equipment and weather protection elements (sun and wind screens)
  • Plant lists keyed to locations on the site, including the species, size, height, and root condition of all trees shrubs and plants, indicating native species
  • Planting details of proposed trees, shrubs and other plants
  • Indicate in plan and section, soil volumes for trees and other plantings to meet Toronto Green Standard
  • Soil is retained on-site or adjusted or replaced with soil of equal or better quality
  • Provide approved City of Toronto Soil Specification for new soil on site and in the boulevard (soil of equal or better quality)
  • Location, size, number and species of existing trees that are to be retained/protected under the City’s Tree by-laws (including trees on adjacent properties within six metres of the subject site’s property lines)
  • Tree protection plan notes for trees being protected, including those in ravine protected areas, adjacent to public streets and City-owned property
  • The location of and dimensions of any design features which promote sustainability and effective stormwater management and delineate which of these would be assumed by the City (i.e. within the boulevard or on private property)

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Accessible and Landscaped Roofs

For roof(s) which are wholly or in part landscaped, including green roofs, provide Landscape and Planting Plans for each level of roof with landscape, including:

  • Proposed rooftop hard and soft landscaping in plan with location, dimensions and materials of paved areas including walkways and patios, as well as furniture, seating, planters, lighting, railings and other  elements including weather protection (sun and wind screens)
  • Dimensioned cross-sections showing hard and soft landscaping elements, including materials, soil depths, volumes and insulation for planters
  • Plant lists and planting details for all plant material, including location of plant material, species, number of plants, size, height, and root condition for all plants, indicating native species
  • Location and details of roof lighting fixtures (also shown on Lighting Plan)
  • Relevant cross sections and dimensions for green roofs and/or cool roofs

Landscape and Planting Plan for Sites subject to Heritage Approval

  • Provide additional level of detail in the Landscape and Planting Plan for applications that include heritage considerations. These plans are to be cross referenced with any lighting and landscape plans approved under the Ontario Heritage Act

Purpose

To provide detail about lighting on the site and accessible roof areas, including the location and type of lighting fixtures proposed on the exterior of the building and on the site. Vertical photometric overlays will show proposed lighting levels. This drawing will demonstrate compliance with appropriate City standards, including City of Toronto Accessibility Guidelines, Toronto Green Standard and Bird Friendly Guidelines.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Detail

Using the Site Plan or Landscape and Planting Plan as a base, include:

  • Location and type of lighting fixtures
  • Images and specifications of the lighting fixture(s)
  • Vertical photometric overlay at 1.5 metres above grade (overlaid on the Landscape Plan)

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Lighting Plan for Sites subject to Heritage Approval

  • Provide additional level of detail in the Lighting Plan for applications that include heritage considerations. These plans are to be cross referenced with plans approved under the Ontario Heritage Act

Effective March 15, 2023

Description

A Methane Gas Study identifies and evaluates the possible presence of methane at a proposed development site within the vicinity of a closed municipal landfill. It also provides potential mitigation measures that may be required to be undertaken based on a site assessment to be carried out by the applicant. A Methane Gas Study is comprised of a subsurface field investigation and a resulting subsurface gas investigation report.

When Required

The Methane Gas Study, including a subsurface investigation, is required for any proposed development sites on or within 500 metres (or within a previously determined area of influence) of a known or suspected closed (former) municipal landfill in accordance with Official Plan Policy 3.4.23.

The intent of a Methane Gas Study is as a screening-level investigation.  It may be required for the following planning application types:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Draft Plan of Subdivision
  • Site Plan Control Approval

Where a Methane Gas Study is required in accordance with the Official Plan, this should be discussed during the pre-application consultation or the application submission process.

Rationale

The Methane Gas Study will assess and identify the potential adverse impacts, and identify and implement any measures required to remediate or mitigate the possible presence of methane. Depending on the results of the subsurface investigation, further actions may be required by the City.

Landfill gas is a natural byproduct of the decomposition of organic material in landfills. It contains about 50% methane (CH4) and 50% carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as trace amounts of other gases. Methane gas is an odourless gas that can be produced by decomposition of waste or organic materials. It can accumulate in enclosed spaces, and possibly near building footings and basements/underground structures. Methane does not pose a human health risk, but is flammable at the lower explosive limit (LEL) of 5% by volume.

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Guideline D-4-1 Assessing Methane Hazards from Landfill Sites provides guidance on methane gas assessments and protective facilities. Land Use on or Near Landfills and Dumps (formerly Ministry of Environment Policy 07-07) recommends site conditions to be assessed for landfill gas in the vicinity of a landfill or dump.

The City of Toronto’s Solid Waste Management Services Division (SWMS) manages closed historical landfills located across Toronto. Applicants must conduct the necessary investigation, as well as implement and monitor proper control measures when required, to address potential risk.

Required Contents

Subsurface Field Investigation

A qualified person (as defined in Ontario Regulation 153/04) (“Qualified Person”) is required to be retained by the applicant to conduct the necessary assessments for the Methane Gas Study, including the subsurface field investigation for the possible presence of methane gas at the property. The investigation must provide coverage across the entire property, and be carried out such that the possible presence of methane gas can be adequately assessed. The key threshold used for the assessment is 1% by volume (20% of LEL). A minimum of two rounds of gas testing is required.

The Qualified Person should have experience with landfill/methane issues and/or investigations and have the expertise required to undertake a scope of work having the following minimum requirements:

  • The subsurface gas investigation should be intrusive; actual monitoring or sampling of the gas must occur; a desk top study/records review does not meet this requirement.
  • The subsurface gas investigation should provide spatial coverage across the property as decided by the Qualified Person. The investigation does not have to be extensive, although a single testing location will be insufficient. Generally, a minimum of three testing locations is required; this would apply to smaller urban development sites and should vary with the size of a (larger) property.
  • All subsurface landfill gas testing should be conducted above the static ground water table.
  • Certified/calibrated industry standard equipment for in situ landfill gas testing is recommended (Landtec GEM 2000, Landtec GEM 5000, Eagle 2, etc.).

SWMS should be consulted on the above items if required.

The above requirements represent a minimum scope of work.  The Qualified Person has discretion and is expected to design a program with necessary investigations and assessment on a site-specific basis that allows the Qualified Person to conclude that there is low risk of methane gas at the property.  This could include additional testing locations, more rounds of testing over a longer period of time (to include frozen ground conditions), characterization of gas, etc.

Methane Gas Study Report

Once the subsurface gas investigation is completed, a Methane Gas Study Report, that includes the results of the subsurface gas investigation, shall be provided to the City along with a certified letter that is signed and stamped by the Qualified Person, to state whether or not the investigation indicates that methane gas is detected at or above 1% volume in air, at any subsurface location on the property.

In the event that methane gas is present at the property above 1% volume, the Methane Gas Study Report shall identify any measures required to remediate or mitigate the possible presence of methane and the manner of implementation of such measures.

Minimum Format/Content of the Report

  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction, background and methodology
  • Investigation and result
  • Scaled site plan/map, table with measured gas values, etc.
  • Conclusions and recommendations
  • Mitigation plan and approach (if applicable)

Additional Requirements and Peer Review

The City may require additional testing, modifications to the subsurface field investigation, and peer review of the Methane Gas Study Report. Peer review is generally not required for routine investigations but may be required by the City if elevated methane concentrations are detected at a property, at larger spatial area across the property, or for review of the conceptual or detailed design of engineered gas controls.

Contact

For further information please contact:

SWMS Development Review
Solid Waste Management Services Division, City of Toronto
swmdev@toronto.ca

References

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) Guidelines:

Description

An objective, science-based study, prepared by a qualified expert, of a proposed development’s potential impact on the natural heritage system shown on Map 9 of the City of Toronto Official Plan (2006) and ways to mitigate negative impacts on and/or improve the natural heritage system.

Rationale

The authority to request this study is provided by the Planning Act, the 2005 Provincial Policy Statement and the 2006 Toronto Official Plan.

The Provincial Policy Statement specifies that natural heritage features and areas shall be protected for the long term and that the diversity and connectivity of natural features and the long-term ecological function and biodiversity of natural heritage systems should be maintained, restored or where possible, improved.

The Toronto Official Plan environmental policies recognize the importance of protecting, restoring and enhancing the natural ecosystem which includes the natural heritage system.  Policy 3.4.10 states that development is generally not permitted in the natural heritage system illustrated on Map 9.  Where the underlying land use designation provides for development in or near the natural heritage system, development will recognize natural heritage values and potential impacts on the natural ecosystem as much as possible; and minimize adverse impacts and, when possible, restore and enhance the natural heritage system.

When Required

All proposed development in or near the natural heritage system will be evaluated to determine the potential for the development to adversely impact the natural heritage system (policy 3.4.12).  If it is likely that the development will have negative impacts on the natural heritage system then a Natural Heritage Impact Study may be required to assess these impacts and identify measures to mitigate impacts and/or improve the natural heritage system.

A Natural Heritage Impact Study is required in the following circumstances:

  • for any proposed undertaking on lands within the natural heritage system that are particularly sensitive as shown on Map 12 of the Official Plan (see OP policy 3.4.13); and
  • prior to permitting development in or on lands adjacent to certain provincially significant natural heritage features as defined by the Ministry of Natural Resources (e.g., wetlands, areas of natural and scientific interest) and the City of Toronto (e.g., significant woodlands and valley lands) (see OP policy 3.4.14).

Natural Heritage Impact Studies may be required for the following types of applications:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment (or combined)
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Consent to Sever
  • Site Plan Control

The Community Planner will inform the applicant if a Natural Heritage Impact Study is required.  The applicant is responsible for the preparation and cost of the study.

Required Contents

1.0 Background/Context

The following information will be included in the study:

  1. Development site location/address/ownership;
  2. Description of the proposed development including location of existing and proposed buildings, structures, driveways, parking areas, landscaping, site grading and drainage, underground services and related easements, and other site alteration.
  3. Map(s) showing the locations of the proposed development elements, the Natural Heritage System, the Ravine By-law, the Valley and Steam Corridor and natural heritage information as indicated below.

2.0  Identification of Natural Heritage Features and Functions

The natural heritage issues to be addressed will be scoped in consultation with City/agency staff, consultants and through review of site specific information.

Where applicable, the following aspects of the natural heritage system will be addressed:

  • terrestrial natural habitat features and functions including wetlands and wildlife habitat;
  • known water courses and hydrologic features and functions;
  • significant physical features and landforms;
  • riparian zones or buffer areas and functions;
  • vegetation communities and species of concern; and
  • significant aquatic features and functions

Key natural heritage information will be shown on a map in relation to the proposed development including:  the limit of the natural heritage features and functions; the location of top-of-bank; the drip line of significant vegetation; the location of any provincially or locally significant features such as wetlands, areas of natural and scientific interest (ANSI’s) and environmentally significant areas.

The City of Toronto has a natural heritage inventory database which includes information on natural heritage features and functions.  The information can be made available to the applicant for the site and surrounding area.  Information from Natural Heritage Impact Studies will be used to update the natural heritage inventory database.

Information on flora and fauna may need to be collected over a three season period (spring, summer and fall) in order to be complete.

In some areas, the location of top-of-bank has already been determined by the TRCA; in other areas its location must be determined/confirmed through site specific field investigation in consultation with TRCA and City staff and may require the landowner/proponent to prepare surveys or geotechnical studies.

Natural heritage features and functions of interest may be located on or near to the site.  The term near may require interpretation and will depend on the nature of the development (e.g., scale, extent of site alteration) as well as the proximity and type of natural heritage.

3.0  Impact Identification and Analysis

The impacts of the proposed development, both during construction and after completion, on the natural heritage features and functions will be identified and assessed.

Specific impacts may include the number and location of trees or amount of natural or naturalized vegetation to be removed, grade changes, area of stream bed to be disturbed, nature of changes to surface and subsurface runoff, amount of habitat   removal/fragmentation/encroachment.  Temporary impacts during construction may include habitat disruption, sediment transport and diversion of water flows.  Impacts associated with ongoing occupation of the development may include increased noise and lighting, dumping of organic waste.

4.0  Responses to Impacts

The measures that will be taken to mitigate negative impacts, both during construction and after completion, on the natural heritage features and functions identified in section 2.0 and the effectiveness of these measures will be specified.  Where possible, adverse impacts will be avoided rather than mitigated.  Mitigation proposals will be specific enough to allow evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures.

Development will be set back from the following locations by at least 10 meters, or more if warranted by the severity of existing or potential natural hazards:

  • the stable top-of-bank of valleys, ravines and bluffs;
  • other locations where slope instability, erosion, flooding or other physical conditions present a significant risk to life or property; and
  • other locations near the shoreline which may be hazardous if developed because of flooding, erosion or dynamic beach processes.

Minor additions or alterations to existing development, replacement structures and accessory structures are exempt from this requirement.

Reducing or eliminating impact is preferred over mitigation.  In some cases the development will need to be modified to avoid negative impacts.  Monitoring and further mitigation may be required or may be part of impact management.

The study will describe any measures that will be taken to improve natural heritage features and functions, including measures to compensate for lost features or functions and enhancements to the natural heritage system.  As much as possible, improvements will be accommodated in or adjacent to existing natural heritage features on-site before off-site locations are considered.  Plans for natural heritage improvement must be approved by the City.

5.0  Conclusions/Recommendations

Summarize the findings, identify residual impacts that cannot be avoided or fully mitigated.  Recommend conditions for development approval including monitoring, if appropriate.

Comments

Applicants should discuss the purpose, scope and content of the Natural Heritage Impact Study with appropriate City and agency staff before commencing the study.

The Natural Heritage Impact Study should be prepared early in the planning process to ensure that the constraints and opportunities associated with natural heritage on or near the site are known and can inform the development. City and agency staff will provide input to the terms of reference and review the report.

The Natural Heritage Impact Study should be coordinated with other studies related to fulfilling the following requirements:

  • City of Toronto Ravine By-law (Chapter 658 of the Toronto Municipal Code)
  • City of Toronto Tree By-law (Chapter 813, Article III of the Toronto Municipal Code)
  • City of Toronto Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan
  • TRCA’s Development, Interference with Wetland’s and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation (Ontario Regulation 166/06)
  • The recommendations of local studies such as Watershed Studies, Rouge Management Plan, etc.

Where possible, one coherent assessment of impacts related to the natural heritage should be prepared rather than a series of separate studies.

The principles and criteria which will be used to evaluate the Natural Heritage Impact Study and its recommendations are those set out in the Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statement, City’s Official Plan, and other relevant documents such as the Wet Weather Flow Management Policy.

Description

A technical report that provides a written description of the impact of noise generated by a proposed development on the surrounding environment, the impact of noise from the surrounding environment on the proposed development and the impact of noise from the proposed development on itself as well as mitigation measures to reduce any negative impacts.

The report:

  • provides a written description of:
    • the impact of noise generated by a proposed development on the surrounding environment;
    • the impact of noise from the surrounding environment on the proposed development and;
    • the impact of noise from the proposed development on itself.
  • Details of all measures proposed to mitigate or reduce the anticipated negative noise impacts.

This Noise Impact Study is to be prepared, on behalf of the applicant, by a Consultant that is either an accredited Acoustic expert or a qualified Professional Engineer.

When Required

Noise Impact (Feasibility and/or Detailed Assessment) Studies may be required to support  the following applications for developments:

  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Site specific zoning by-law
  • Site Plan Control
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Consent to Sever

Noise impact Studies may also be a requirement of a site specific zoning by-law.

The requirement for a Noise Impact Study may be a condition of initial approval of the proposed development.

Rationale

Official Plan Section 2.2.4 (Policy 6) requires that development adjacent to or nearby Employment Districts should be appropriately designed, buffered and/or separated from industries as necessary to mitigate adverse affects including those from noise to promote safety and security.

Official Plan Section 3.4 (Policy 21) refers to the possible requirement of a study in cases where uses such as airports, transportation/rail infrastructure, corridors and yards, waste management facilities and industries are adjacent to sensitive land uses such as residences, educational and health facilities to appropriately design, buffer, and/or separate the facilities and uses from each other to prevent adverse effects from noise:

To assist in identifying impacts and mitigative measures, the proponent may be required to prepare studies in accordance with guidelines established for this purpose. The proponent will be responsible for implementing any required mitigative measures.

In addition to sensitive land uses, the Official Plan in Section 4.6 (Policy 6(f)) deals with mitigation of the effects of noise among other things in order to create competitive, attractive, highly functional Employment Areas.  In addition, Section 3.2.3 (Policy 3) requires that the effects of nearby development including noise be minimized as necessary to preserve the quality of parks and open spaces.

4.1 (policy 2 and 3 (b)), 4.6 (Policy 6(i) (iv) and 7 (b))

Required Contents

During pre-application consultation, City Planning staff will work with the applicant’s consultant to determine if such a report is requires and, if so, the specific requirements of the Study, based on the nature of the proposed application and the context of the study area.

The Study should include, but is not necessarily limited to:

  • Details of assessment criteria
  • Methods and assessment locations and the appropriate figures and charts showing the detailed results including how the development complies with the City of Toronto Noise By-Law (Chapter 591 of the Toronto Municipal Code) and any other published criteria, guidelines and acceptable noise levels at similar land uses in the City of Toronto including the Ministry of the Environment’s (MOE) minimum standards for noise impacts for stationary uses, road and rail traffic, and air traffic, as applicable.
  • Identification and  analysis of the impact of noise from the proposed development on adjacent streets, parks and properties
  • Identification and  analysis of the impact of all noise generated from the immediately surrounding area, including without limiting the foregoing, the operations of the airports, transportation/rail infrastructure, corridors and yards, waste management facilities, industries and other noise generating uses on the proposed development
  • Identification and  analysis of the impact of all noise generated within the  proposed development on itself
  • Recommendations for noise mitigation and any adjustments to the site plan and architectural design, as are necessary to comply with relevant regulations and standards including the need for filing  Certificates of Approval (Air & Noise) to the Ministry of the Environment

Note: The City of Toronto may wish to hire an outside consultant, at the expense of the applicant, to peer review selected technical reports submitted in support of a development application where there is no in-house expertise available).

Effective June 1, 2022

Description

A Pedestrian Level Wind Study (‘Wind Study’) is a technical report that provides a model and written description of the wind impact of a development. The Wind Study will inform and direct the development design to be wind responsive, and ensure that wind conditions in and around the development are appropriate at various times of the year. The City’s Pedestrian Level Wind Study Guide document provides additional requirements.

Rationale

A Pedestrian Level Wind Study deals with the mechanical and safety effects of wind on people and how conducive it is to pedestrian use of outdoor areas in the city. The purpose of the Study is to reduce undesirable wind activity, allow proper air circulation and to create comfortable spaces that encourage outdoor pedestrian usage throughout the year. Thermal comfort is further addressed in Official Plan policies.

  • 3.1.2.1 “Development will be located and organized to fit with its existing and planned context. It will frame and support adjacent streets, lanes, parks and open spaces to promote civic life and the use of the public realm, and to improve the safety, pedestrian comfort, interest and experience, and casual views to these spaces from the development by: f) providing comfortable wind conditions and air circulation at the street and adjacent open spaces to preserve the utility and intended use of the public realm, including sitting and standing”
  • 3.1.2.13 “Outdoor amenity spaces should: d) provide comfortable wind, shadow and noise conditions;”
  • 3.1.3.10 “The tower portion of a tall building should be designed to: d) limit and mitigate pedestrian level wind impacts.”
  • 3.2.3.3 “The effects of development from adjacent properties, including additional shadows, noise, traffic and wind on parks and open spaces will be minimized as necessary to preserve their utility.”
  • 3.1.1.18 “New parks and open spaces will be located and designed to: c) provide a comfortable setting with wind and sunlight conditions that promote use and enjoyment of the space for community events and by users of all ages and abilities;”

When Required

The City will require a Wind Study for a Zoning By-law Amendment if the triggers below are met.

The City may require a Wind Study for the following application types:

  • Official Plan Amendment (if the triggers below are met)
  • Site Plan Control Application

Triggers

“Triggers” refer to properties or circumstances of a project, such as (but not limited to) the scale, massing, height, location, density of surroundings and proximity to important areas, are known to be contributing factors for noticeable wind impacts surrounding a proposal under review. The City’s Pedestrian Level Wind Study Guide document identifies categories of triggers, including: height related to geographical location, and additional (special) conditions such as context.

If the application meets the conditions specified under the list of triggers, then Wind Study/Studies would be required for the project.

Project height triggers are classified into three levels – Low, Moderate and High– and are related to the location of the project. A Wind Study will be required for developments over six storeys / 20 metres in height. Following the Height Trigger classification of the project, if one or more of the following apply to the project, the project will shift to the next higher Trigger Level.

  • Projects with two or more buildings that are six storeys / 20 metres in height or taller.
  • Projects with a building(s) that is six storeys / 20 metres in height or taller, and located on the waterfront, adjacent to parks and ravines, other open spaces, cultural and natural heritage areas, schools, playgrounds and outdoor recreational spaces, and other areas deemed pedestrian sensitive at the discretion of the City of Toronto.

Required Contents

A written report documenting the Wind Study and conclusions must be provided. The report must comply with the requirements and format provided in the Pedestrian Level Wind Study Guide document. Template A should be located at the front of the report.

The report should include the following:

  1. Project Context Scenarios / Massing Scenarios
  2. Areas of Interest
  3. Design Criteria
  4. Documentation

If applicable/required, Peer Review.

a. Project Context Scenarios / Massing Scenarios

Wind Study reports should present the following scenarios:

  • Existing Scenario: existing site and all existing context, including surrounding buildings, significant topographic features, developments under construction and projects that were approved for construction in the last 5 years.
  • Proposed Scenario: Proposed project within its context.
  • Mitigation Scenario(s), if required: Undesirable wind conditions should be mitigated primarily with changes to the building siting and massing. Where mitigation is required to achieve appropriate pedestrian wind comfort levels, mitigation measures should be implemented to the Proposed Scenario in order to demonstrate the benefits of the mitigation strategies.
  • Phasing Scenario(s), if applicable: Where the site construction is phased, there is a need to assess interim design phases, to avoid adverse conditions before subsequent buildings are added to the site. The City may ask for the study of different design phases for the site.

b. Areas of Interest

  • Wind Studies will focus on the public realm and shared open space(s) on the site and adjacent to the site. Wind Studies should also review wind impacts on outdoor amenity spaces.

c. Design Criteria

  • Comfort and Safety Criteria must be met for all development applications and should comply with City standards.
  • Pedestrian wind comfort and safety assessment shall be done for four seasonal periods.

d. Documentation

The study may include the following:

  • Long-term meteorological data that was used for calculation
  • Documentation of all relevant scenarios and the physical context being modelled.

Peer Review

If the City is not satisfied with the level of experience demonstrated by the consultant or wishes to verify the results of a study, a peer review of the Wind Study may be required by the City. The cost of the peer review is to be borne by the applicant.

General Details

  • Illustrating the proposed development from an adjacent street location at the height of a pedestrian showing the building, major building entrances and adjacent built form
  • Bird’s eye perspectives may be requested

Effective August 16, 2022

Description

The Planning Rationale provides an overall planning framework for understanding the proposal from the applicant’s point of view. This document is intended to help the applicant organize and substantiate the application and to assist staff in the review of the proposal to expedite the City’s responses.

Depending on the complexity of the application, the information requirements can be addressed in a letter of several pages or a longer report. The material can be prepared by the owner, the agent, the applicant or a member of the consultant team, depending on the nature of the application.

When Required

A full Planning Rationale is required for the following applications:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Plans of Condominium (conversion of existing rental housing to condominium only)
  • Significant Site Plan Control applications

A Covering Letter is required for the following applications:

  • Plans of Condominium (new condominiums)
  • Smaller Site Plan Control applications
  • Part Lot Control Exemption
  • Plan Revisions
  • Consent

Rationale

The Planning Rationale is required to:

  • Provide a clear understanding of the proposal;
  • Provide an opportunity at the outset to establish why the proposal should be considered and approved;
  • Highlight information specific or particular to the proposal (i.e., special history, different circumstances); and
  • Assist civic officials in undertaking their analysis and preparing reports on the application.

Required Contents

The Planning Rationale shall contain:

  • Description of the proposal, overview, major statistics (i.e., height, density, parking), relevant phasing issues, site and contextual considerations.
  • Process steps/approvals required (i.e., Zoning, Site Plan Control, Land Division, Condominium).
  • Context – built form and land use
  • Site description
  • Site’s planning history such as previous approvals, legislative references, relevant authorities (i.e., Site Plan Control Agreements, site specific By-law) with copies of relevant documents.
  • Planning Rationale, if applicable, should address relevant Provincial Policy Statement and Planning Act considerations; relevant Official Plan policies (Metroplan, former municipal OP, Toronto Official Plan) including information/rationale as to how and why Official Plan policy is being addressed by the proposal; with relevant Zoning By-law information, areas of compliance and non-compliance and why.
  • Analysis and opinion as to why the proposal is good planning, including issues of impact.
  • Summary and conclusions.
  • For Zoning By-law Amendments, the results of the Preliminary Project Review should be provided or a list prepared detailing the potential amendments to the Zoning By-law; a formatted draft Zoning By-law Amendment is not required for a complete application.

The Covering Letter for Plans of Condominium involving new condominiums, smaller Site Plan Control, Part Lot Control and Consent applications shall contain:

  • Description of the proposal, overview, major statistics (i.e., height, density, parking), relevant phasing issues, site and contextual considerations.
  • Site description and surrounding land uses/context/built form.
  • Site’s planning history such as previous approvals, legislative references, relevant authorities (e.g. Site Plan Control Agreements, site specific By-law) with copies of relevant documents.

In addition, the Covering Letter for Plan of Condominium applications should provide a description and background on the type of application (i.e., leasehold, common elements, phased, vacant land, standard) and on any related planning approval process or on any unusual circumstances (i.e., strata plan). The letter should identify whether the application is the same as the approved Site Plan and if there have been any changes, what those changes are and why. If there was no previous planning process including Site Plan Control approval, the letter should explain the circumstances (i.e., conversion of rental).

In addition, the Covering Letter for Consent applications shall contain:

  • Active development applications on the site.
  • Discussion how the proposal meets Section 51(24) of the Planning Act.
  • Analysis and opinion as to why the proposal does not require a plan of subdivision, is good planning, including issues of impact.

Comments

Avenues

Should an application be submitted in a Mixed Use Area on an Avenue (as illustrated on Map 2 of the Official Plan) prior to the City undertaking or completing an Avenue Study for the surrounding area, the Planning Rationale should address the issues outlined in Policy 2.2.3 (3b) of the Official Plan, as well as the Council approved Avenues and Mid-Rise Buildings Study.

Major Facilities

Should an application be submitted seeking to locate sensitive land uses such as residences and educational and health facilities adjacent to major facilities such as airports, highways, railway corridors and waste management facilities, the Planning Rationale should address the issues outlined in Policy 3.4.18 of the Official Plan.

Employment Lands

Should an application be submitted seeking to implement the Official Plan permissions for large scale, stand alone retail stores or power centres on major streets bordering an Employment Area (as illustrated on Map 3 of the Official Plan), the Planning Rationale should address the issues outlined in Policy 4.6 (3a and 3b) of the Official Plan.

Downtown Plan

Should an application be submitted in Mixed Use Areas 1, Mixed Use Areas 2, Mixed Use Areas 3 and Regeneration Areas within the Downtown Plan area (as illustrated on Map 6A of the Official Plan) applicants will be required to submit a Complete Community Assessment as described in the Toronto Development Guide Glossary of Terms.

Effective December 1, 2023

Purpose

To record the physical details and statistics of the site and development proposal for the application type, in terms of the existing, retained, proposed and total uses, areas, setbacks, buildings, units and other project components.

General Details

The required details and statistics of the development proposal include but are not limited to:

  • Existing land use
  • Total lot area
  • Date of construction of the existing building
  • Number of buildings
  • Ground Floor Area
  • Residential and Non-Residential Gross Floor Areas
  • Landscaped Open Space and Paved Surface Area
  • Height of Tallest Building
  • Minimum Setbacks
  • Residential Units by Tenure and Quantity
  • Breakdown of Project Components by Type of Use
  • Residential Component by type and number of bedrooms and typical unit sizes
  • Parking and Loading Spaces including breakdown of parking space allocation by use
  • Location of and number of Parking Spaces
  • Site Access and Site Services

When Required

A completed Project Data Sheet will be required as part of a Complete Application for the following planning application types:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plan of Subdivision
  • Plan of Condominium
  • Site Plan Control

Requirements

  • Complete all fields of the Project Data Sheet form that describe the proposal and are applicable to the subject Planning application.
  • The project data provided should correspond to any submitted Floor Plans and related plans.
  • The file must be submitted in its original PDF format with the requisite information filled into the standard PDF form.
  • Do not edit the PDF form. Do not submit the PDF form as a scan or as a PDF of a scanned file. Do not submit the PDF form with any password protection or file restrictions.
  • If the completed PDF form has not been filled out with the requisite information, or is submitted with any password protection, any restrictions, is a scan or a PDF of a scanned file, or is not submitted in a useable and accessible format as directed in the form and the Project Data Sheet Terms of Reference, the Project Data Sheet form, as part of the Completed Application Form, will be deemed incomplete as part of a Complete Application.

Submitting the Project Data Sheet in its original format is necessary to enable capture of the information that has been recorded and to assess development proposals and the completeness of development applications. Part of this information will also be utilized to address the City of Toronto’s compliance with Planning Act R.S.O. 1990 and O. Reg 73/23: Municipal Planning Data Reporting.

These Terms of Reference are Applicable as of October 1, 2018.

Description

The Public Consultation Strategy Report is a complete application submission requirement brought about by amendments to the Planning Act on July 1st, 2016. The requirement is referenced in Planning Act  Regulations 178/16, 179/16 and 180/16. This statutory requirement is intended to “get the applicant thinking” in a pro-active manner about:

  • How to build “trust” in the area impacted by the proposal;
  • Who the audience or “public” is who will be impacted by the proposal; and
  • Ensuring that the public’s voice is heard, evaluated and recorded as part of the Development Application review process.

The public consultation strategy proposed should be reflective of the location, complexity, scale and nature of the proposal and may be prepared by the owner, the agent, the applicant, or a member of the consulting team.

Municipal Record

The Public Consultation Strategy Report needs to be deemed complete by the municipality within 30 days of receipt of the application. Even after the Report is deemed complete however, applicants are encouraged to view the Report as a “living document” that may need to be updated and revised in collaboration with planning staff, at a later time in the Development Application review process, in order to stay relevant during the entire process.

All public consultation outcomes, whether initiated by the applicant or the City, will be documented and become part of the municipal (Council) record that informed Council in making the decision to approve or refuse the application.

When Required

The Public Consultation Strategy Report is a complete application requirement for the following application types:

  • Official Plan Amendments
  • Zoning By-law Amendments
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Plans of Condominium (“Vacant Land” type only)

Note: Before submitting a Development Application for review to the City, applicants are encouraged to meet with City staff at a pre-application consultation to discuss the proposal to get a clearer understanding of what is required, including consulting with staff with regard to the Public Consultation Strategy Report complete application requirement.

Consultation Costs

City Planning staff will hold at least one community meeting in the area affected by the application, in addition to the minimum statutory meeting requirements of the Planning Act, for proposed Official Plan and/or Zoning By-law amendments prior to approval (as required by Section 5.5.1 of the Toronto’s Official Plan). The City will continue with its policy of asking the applicant to pay for the distribution of notices beyond 120 meters, when requested by Council to do so, in association with this community meeting.

Unless otherwise agreed to, the cost of any other public consultation referenced in the Public Consultation Strategy Report will be at the expense of the applicant.

Report Requirements

The Public Consultation Strategy Report will include the following:

1.   Purpose of Consultation

What the applicant wishes to accomplish in engaging and consulting with the public with regard to the proposal.

2.   Key Messages

Key messages the applicant would like conveyed to the public during the consultation process with regard to the proposal.

3.   Desired Outcome(s)

What the applicant hopes to achieve or accomplish by the end of the consultation period with regard to the proposal.

4.   Scope of Consultation – Area(s) of Impact

The applicant will identify the proposal’s geographic area of impact and explain why this area of impact was chosen. The geographic area of impact can be both local and citywide, depending on the proposal. Direct and indirect impacts will be considered in determining the area(s) of impact.

5.   Audience

The applicant will provide a demographic profile of the geographic area of impact and identify the target audience(s) potentially impacted by the proposal to be consulted throughout the consultation period, including groups that may be more difficult to engage and/or who may not be familiar with the City’s public consultation processes, such as youth, segments of the senior’s population or recent immigrant groups to the City.

6.   List of Matters to be addressed

The applicant will identify a list of matters to be brought forward for discussion and consultation, propose a communication strategy for updating the list and reporting out on matters requiring follow-up and/or further resolution.

7.   Communication & Consultation Strategy – Tools, Methods and Techniques

The applicant will prepare Communication and Consultation Strategies for contacting and engaging the audience(s) including how the public consultation(s) will be advertised.

The applicant may choose to communicate through in-house publications; on-line information (website, emails, social networks, open data, digital engagement); open houses; stakeholder working groups (including residents, local business associations, special interest associations); workshops; focus group interviews; store fronts; surveys; questionnaires; on-line comments such as blogs, forums etc.

The Communications Strategy will outline how the public will be informed with regard to major milestones (such as major revisions) related to the proposal.

8.  Evaluation – Feedback and Next Steps

The applicant will provide an evaluation of the public consultation held and make this evaluation available to the public consultation process participants at the conclusion of the public consultation period, prior to the Development Application proceeding to Council for approval or refusal.

Terms/Advisory Comments

For the purposes of this Terms of Reference, a demographic profile means:

  • A census based and related summary overview of socio-economic characteristics of the population living and working within the geographic area impacted by the proposal which includes the following indicators: age, sex, education level, income level, home language, household size, housing tenure and type – gathered and extrapolated from available information to provide a “snapshot” of the population impacted by the proposal.

For the purposes of this Terms of Reference, the “public” means:

  • The aggregate of the types of individuals living and working within the geographic area that may be impacted by the proposal. (See Data Source examples below).
  • The types of identified associations representing community interests within the geographic area that will need to be consulted about the proposal, including, when applicable, associations with a city-wide mandate that encompass geographically based community interests.

The public can include:

  • Residents and neighbourhood associations tenants associations; community networks; BIAs; business/employment associations; community service and facilities establishments; housing and social service agencies; school boards; heritage preservation groups, etc.

For the purposes of this Terms of Reference, geographic impact means:

  • The effect of the proposal or the indirect repercussions of the proposal on existing land use, social or economic conditions at both the local neighbourhood and at the citywide scale.
  • The minimum geographic area of impact will be 120 metres around the proposal (being the prescribed minimum notice area in the Planning Act)
  • the applicant will be encouraged to look beyond this minimum in considering impacts related to the scale and nature of the proposal on existing built form, traffic, parking, hard and soft services and facilities; affordable housing supply; parkland and natural and built heritage; etc.

The applicant may apply information gathered from other complete application submission studies (such as the Community Services/Facilities Study / the Housing Issues Study / the Traffic Operations Study, the Building Mass Study, the Sun/Shadow Study), when applicable, in preparing the Public Consultation Strategy Report for the application.

Data Source Examples

Statistics Canada Data Sources:

  • Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census Profile webpage provides population profiles for local geographic areas. Statistics Canada’s GeoSearch tool is an interactive mapping application used to find local geographic areas such as Census Tracts and Dissemination Areas for which Census data are available.  The geographic codes returned by GeoSearch can be used to obtain 2016 Census Profiles.

Statistics Canada GeoSearch

2016 Census Profile


City of Toronto Data Sources:

Wellbeing Toronto

 

Data, Research, Maps, Neighbourhood Profiles

Data, Research & Maps

City Stats in Detail

Planning & Development – Research Reports

Neighbourhood Profiles

 

TDSB Data:

Toronto District School Board Census Publications

Notification Instructions

  1. City Planning staff and the Ward Councillor will be invited to all public consultation meetings/events/activities held by the applicant once the applicant’s complete application submission has been received by the City.
  2. City Planning staff and the Ward Councillor will be made aware of all applicant initiated on-line and social media public consultation efforts as well as traditional face to face, voice to ear and print interactions, once the applicant’s complete application submission has been received by the City.
  3. City Planning staff will inform the applicant as to whether they will attend the applicant’s public consultation meeting/event/activity and, if so, will identify themselves at the start of the activity as observers, participants, or co-presenters or facilitators, as the case may be.
  4. City Planning staff, the Ward Councillor and the public will be notified of any public consultation meetings/events/activities a minimum of 10 days prior to the commencement of the activity.

Note Taking Instructions

  1. Meeting/event notes for all applicant-led public consultation meetings/events/activities that occur once a complete application is submitted, will be provided to City Planning staff within one week of the date of the activity/meeting.
  2. Meeting/event notes should include contact information for attendees/participants representing any associations; community network groups; agencies; special interest groups etc.
  3. Meeting/event notes should identify the number of participants, the nature and type of meeting/event, the location/type of platform (physical space and/or on-line) where the meeting/event took place and a brief summary of meeting/event outcomes.

Pre-Application Consultation

The applicant is also encouraged to provide City Planning staff with meeting/activity notes stemming from meetings/activities held with the public prior to submission to the City of the complete application submission.

AODA Compliance

Public consultation meetings/activities will be aligned with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the City’s commitment to creating an accessible city

Link to Guide to Conducting Accessible Meetings

Purpose

To obtain sufficient utility data to ensure the coordination of built form, and public realm with tree planting areas. Provide the existing/proposed location of utilities in and under the boulevard, as well as proposed lateral connections and infrastructure for the development within the right-of-way and on the development site. Utility data is to be provided as per the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standard 38, to Quality Level B (QL-B). Where tree planting locations are proposed, provide utility data to Quality Level A (QL-A). QL-A provides precise horizontal and vertical utility information, typically obtained by exposure (i.e. “daylighting”) using minimally intrusive excavation equipment. Quality level of the subsurface utility data should be clearly noted adjacent to the professional stamp of the consulting engineer, on all plans and documents as certification of the quality level. The Public Utilities Plan should be submitted as a separate plan, and also as an underlay (in grey) on the Landscape and Planting Plan and the Soil Volume Plan (SVP) and any soil cell drawings, if applicable. The Public Utilities Plan may need to be resubmitted as part of the development application review and circulation process if changes to utilities are proposed and/or recommended.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • Plan should be shown to QL-B within 5 metres beyond the site (or Limit of Work); for context, show the Concept Site and Landscape Plan (at Zoning By-law Amendment application) or Site Plan (at Site Plan Control application) with the full right-of-way as an underlay
  • Provide a profile drawing (to QL-A) corresponding to each Soil Volume Plan section drawing. Include and label all above and below surface utility information and the following (as applicable):
    • streetscape elements and furniture, e.g. pipes, valves, transformers, gas regulators, vaults, pedestals, hydrants, valve boxes/chambers, catch basins, manholes, meter chamber/room, light standards, Siamese connection(s) and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) structures, etc.
    • lateral connections from City services to the development site
    • below grade spaces that may impact on the work, including structures under the sidewalk, TTC tracks and entrances, tunnels, etc.
  • Identify, either on the drawing(s) or in the legend, any utility or service being proposed, altered from existing and/or abandoned
  • For each existing and proposed utility location, illustrate to scale and label:
    • For all Section(s): the minimum horizontal and vertical clearances as listed in the City of Toronto’s Municipal Consent Requirements, Appendix O
    • For all Plan(s): all private and municipal easements and encroachments
  • Water and electrical service size and location for park block conveyances
  • All General Notes should reference current City of Toronto Standards or Ontario Provincial Standards
  • The Subsurface Utility Engineering work is to be prepared by a Registered Professional Engineer qualified in municipal engineering

Terms of Reference are being prepared for this study. In the interim, the requirements and details of this study should you need one can be addressed during your pre-application consultation meeting.

Please refer to the Development in Proximity to Rail Policy webpage for more information.

Note: The City of Toronto may wish to hire an outside consultant, at the expense of the applicant, to peer review selected technical reports submitted in support of a development application where there is no in-house expertise available.

Purpose

To show the plan of the roof, including the location of rooftop mechanical systems, accessible outdoor areas, hard and soft landscape elements, and other details as appropriate.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • Dimensions, height and area of the roof
  • Dimensions and height of all rooftop mechanical equipment, renewable energy devices, penthouses and private and shared amenity spaces
  • Location and dimensions of rooftop landscaping, including green roofs and/or cool roofs
  • Location, dimensions and details of screening elements for rooftop equipment
  • Distinguish between parts (or all) of the existing building roof to be conserved, from new building elements in plan, if appropriate. Indicate with notes and graphics which parts are proposed to be conserved in place and which parts would be reconstructed

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Green Roof By-law

Public and Private Servicing Information

  • Proposed roof control devices and proposed release rates for flat roof portions
  • Indicate all related stormwater management information (number and type of roof drains, ponding depths, volume required and stored, etc.), storage volume, ponding area and depths for stormwater management purpose, where applicable
  • Show storage facilities and details for rainwater harvesting and reuse (e.g. cisterns)

Description

  • To determine the overall impact on the trunk and local municipal service capacities, such as: water treatment plant, water distribution systems and pressure zones, pump stations, wastewater treatment plants, trunk sewers and stormwater management facilities, etc. due to the proposed change in land use or development.
  • To determine the necessary improvements to municipal servicing infrastructure required to support the proposed level of development.
  • To determine mitigation measures to minimize any negative impacts.

When Required

A Servicing Report is required for the following application types:

  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Plans of Condominium
  • Consent to Sever
  • Site Plan Control Applications

Rationale

Objective

The objective of a Servicing Report is to evaluate the effects of a proposed change in land use or development on the City’s municipal servicing infrastructure and watercourses. The report should also address the adverse impacts, if any, of providing this servicing on any environmentally sensitive features (e.g., Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, Environmental Sensitive Areas and hydrologically sensitive areas). The report also identifies and provides the rationale for any new infrastructure and upgrades to existing infrastructure necessary to provide for adequate servicing to the proposed change in land use or development.

Format

A Servicing Report is prepared by a Registered Professional Engineer qualified in municipal engineering. The report must include sufficient details for City staff to determine the financial and infrastructure implications of servicing the proposed development. The submission must include reports, plans (e.g., engineering, drainage area, etc.), computer modelling results and design calculations relating to the designs and upgrades of municipal services.

Process

A Servicing Report is to be submitted in conjunction with the development application.  The applicant is encouraged to discuss the need and scope for a study and design assumptions of the proposed servicing schemes with City staff prior to preparing the study.

An Environmental Impact Study may also be required to address the impact of development on water resources features or functions on and off site.

Principles

A Servicing Report must be based on established municipal engineering design principles, applicable guidelines (e.g., Ministry of the Environment guidelines), regulations and by-laws, and infrastructure information available from the City.  Particular attention should be paid to the City’s Sewer Use By-law (By-law 457-2000) and the objectives under the Water Efficiency Plan and the Wet Weather Flow Management Policy.

The authority to request this work is provided by the Planning Act, the Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement, the Council approved Wet Weather Flow Management Policy and Chapter 681 of the Municipal Code – Sewer.

Required Contents

A Servicing Report must address following components:

  • Water Consumption – estimated consumption, current capacities of trunk systems, phasing, net impact due to the proposed change in land use or development, need for expansion and upgrades.
  • Sanitary Sewage – estimated discharge, current capacities of trunk systems, net impact due to the proposed change in land use or development, need for expansion and upgrades.
  • Storm Drainage – For Official Plan Amendment & Zoning By-law Amendment: equivalent to a Preliminary Stormwater Management Report (see Stormwater Management Report Terms of Reference), estimated volume of run-off, opportunities and options for attenuation and infiltration, concepts for quality control of run-off, current capacities of trunk systems (i.e., storm sewers and watercourses), net impact due to the proposed change in land use or development, need for expansion and upgrades. For Plans of Subdivision, the storm drainage issues will be addressed in accordance with the Stormwater Management Report requirements set out in the Stormwater Management Terms of Reference.
  • Phasing of development and construction staging.
  • Financial implications of infrastructure expansion and upgrades.

The report includes the following information:

  1. Location map of the subject property
  2. Property description
  3. Present owner contact
  4. Information on the magnitude of the proposed development, including preliminary site, lots and street layouts, etc.
  5. Basic design assumptions and parameters
  6. Information related to existing surface and underground storm, sanitary and water services (e.g., location, size, grade and invert elevations, etc.)
  7. Supporting calculations such as sanitary sewer design calculations
  8. Identify upgrades to existing infrastructure required to support the proposed development
  9. Plans and profiles of sewers in an appropriate scale
  10. The proposed basement and ground floor elevations of all buildings to be constructed

Comments

The level of detail for the Servicing Report depends on the type of application and the size of the development. For example, a report for an Official Plan or Zoning By-law Amendment will be more conceptual compared with a report for Plans of Subdivision, which will include more details.

Effective January 24, 2023

Purpose

Graphics and/or Drawings will be used to communicate and share information on submitted applications and can be inserted “as is” directly into Staff Reports and public-facing materials without further manipulation. These Graphics and/or Drawings are required to provide a clear and simplified visualization of the proposal and do not replace other detailed drawings submitted for review.

The required Graphics and/or Drawings include: Site Plan(s), Elevation(s) and two views of a 3D Model(s) of the Proposal in context. Other drawings may be requested, as appropriate.

General Details

  • Graphics shall not be larger than 25 cm x 18 cm (10 in x 7 in) and shall not be a reduction of a detailed plan.
  • Fonts used on plans/drawings shall be legible when shown on an 8.5 in x 11 in letter-sized page
  • File naming will include the addition of “_simple applied” to the end of the file name (e.g. 123 Street Site Plan_simple applied.pdf)
  • Files may be submitted as PDF format
  • Plans/drawings may need to be resubmitted if they do not meet required standards

Site Plans and Elevations

  • All details shown on “full” Site Plan and/or Elevation drawings are not required
  • Show property lines, curbs and prominent building outline(s)
  • Show heights in metres and storeys
  • Label all streets
  • See the linked sample Site Plan (Figure 1) and Elevations (Figure 2)
  • Site Plan and/or Elevation drawings may need to be resubmitted if they do not meet required standards

Two Views of a 3D Model of the Proposal in Context

  • The goal is to use two 3D views to illustrate the proposal in context
  • Two images are required for the Staff Report and other public communications showing the proposal in context using the same camera height and distance from the proposal from the opposite corners of the site, following the standards outlined here
  • City-wide context modelling is available on the Open Data – 3D Massing page in four formats
  • The 3D Model views may need to be resubmitted if they do not meet required standards

Purpose

To show grading details 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 Site Grading Plan includes information to allow for technical review of water, site servicing and tree preservation.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • Use the Site Plan and Topography Survey as a base (in grey)
  • General grading information, including existing/proposed elevations at 6 metre intervals along property lines, driveways, sidewalks, walkways and other paved areas
  • Proposed elevation at 6 metre intervals along all building and structure perimeters and at building entrances
  • Retaining walls, including grades at top and bottom of walls
  • Existing/proposed grading adjacent to trees to be preserved, including all trees on adjacent properties, streets and boulevards within 6 metres of subject site’s property lines

Water Details

  • Grading and technical information on water flow and water retention on site, including:
    • Storm and surface water drainage directions, site ponding limits with corresponding control volumes and control facilities, shallow groundwater conditions, major overland and emergency overland flow routes
    • Soil retention and/or replacement details
    • Sediment and erosion control measures applied during construction
    • Buried watercourses

Tree Protection

  • Grading and technical information for protection of existing trees, where trees are being retained and protected, including:
    • Location and identification of trees protected under City By-laws
    • Location of tree protection zones
    • Tree protection plan notes
    • Soil retention and/or replacement details
    • Sediment and erosion control measures applied during construction

Public and Private Servicing Information

  • Location of proposed utilities, transformers, gas regulators, air intakes/exhausts, garage access stairs on the site and on adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Proposed roof control devices location, type, control release rates and corresponding storage volumes for flat roof portions
  • UV treatment facilities and/or oil grit separators
  • Storage facilities and dimensions/details for rainwater harvesting and reuse (e.g. cisterns)

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Purpose

To show the proposed ground floor and key elements of the site, including pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular circulation, hard and soft landscaping, and grading, on site and in context with adjacent streets, boulevards and properties.

The Site Plan includes a significant amount of information and detail and will be reviewed together with other, more detailed drawings. The Site Plan is to be used as the base for other drawing submissions, including the Site Grading Plan, Landscape and Planting Plan and Lighting Plan, with detail removed as appropriate. For small and simple sites, the information and detail of these other drawings can be integrated with the Site Plan Drawing (to be discussed during pre-application).

The Streetscape Plan and Sections will use the Public Utilities Plan as a base and provide a consolidated set of drawings that allow for an informed review of the streetscape design, including utilities, hard and soft landscaping and building elements.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

Development Statistics

  • Site and project statistics
  • Toronto Green Standard Statistics Template

General Details

  • Existing buildings shown in dashed line if demolished, and proposed development including the ground floor of the proposed building(s)
  • Distinguish between parts (or all) of the existing building to be conserved, from new building elements in plan, if appropriate. Indicate with notes and graphics which parts are proposed be conserved in place and which parts would be reconstructed
  • All property lines, abutting streets and boulevards and building footprints on adjacent properties
  • All driveways and parking areas on site and on adjacent properties
  • Above grade structures and parts of the buildings which overhang the ground floor including cantilevers, canopies, balconies, etc.
  • Existing/proposed underground structures and ramps
  • Dimensioned relationships of the proposed buildings above and below grade to property lines
  • Identify grades, as per applicable Zoning By-law definition

Easements, Reserves and Widenings

  • Existing/proposed reserves, easements and/or road widenings
  • Ravine by-law limit, top of bank setback and location of trees to be retained (note: the City’s Geospatial Competency Centre staff located at 18 Dyas Rd. (gcc@toronto.ca) can plot the ravine and natural protection limit on drawings/plans); Include the 10 metre setback or buffer area
  • Location, dimensions and details of any watercourses and any significant feature or delineation lines such as flood lines, fill lines, limits of buffer zones as they relate to natural heritage

Site Circulation – Pedestrian and Bicycle

  • Location, dimensions and details of existing/proposed pedestrian circulation in the road allowance and on site, including sidewalks, walkways, patios, stairs and ramps
  • Indicate in plan and section, existing/proposed pedestrian clearway width
  • Location, dimensions and details of existing/proposed bicycle circulation, parking, and access to parking and storage (indoor and outdoor)
  • Location, dimensions and details of publicly accessible areas on site and within the building, including parks and open spaces, POPS, walkways, mid-block connections, pedestrian mews, etc.
  • Existing or proposed transit stops, access to transit, including station entrances
  • Grading information for ramps and walkways, including AODA requirements

Site Circulation – Driveways, Servicing and Parking

  • Location, dimensions and details (e.g. curb cuts, grading, turning radii, traffic signs) of existing/proposed vehicular circulation in the road allowances and on site including driveways, ramps, laneways, surface parking, loading and service areas
  • Location, dimensions and details for parking areas, including tree planting, screening, car share locations, electric vehicle charging
  • Location of driveways to adjacent properties abutting and/or across from the subject site

Waste Disposal Facilities

  • Location, dimensions and details for all loading and service areas, including access to these areas
  • Location, dimensions and details of facilities for at grade storing and handling of garbage, recyclable material and organic waste

Fire Code Requirements

  • Location of existing/proposed fire hydrants located within the municipal boulevard and/or on the subject property, routing of the underground watermains, existing/proposed fire routes, and existing/proposed Siamese connection location(s), if required

Hard Landscape – Grading, Retaining Walls, Fences and Railings

  • Location, dimensions and details of existing/proposed landscape and architectural elements such as retaining walls, fencing and rails on site and adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Location, dimensions and details for grading including the existing/proposed elevations at property lines, along driveways (indicating slope), sidewalks and walkways, publicly accessible spaces, amenity space, the ground floor and at building entrances

Soft Landscape and Planting

  • Location, dimensions and details of soft landscape and plantings on the site and on adjacent streets and boulevards; include location of proposed street trees
  • Location and identification of trees protected under city by-laws; including trees on adjacent properties, streets and boulevards within 6 metres of the subject site
  • Location of tree protection zones (where trees are being retained and protected)
  • Further details to be provided in Landscape and Planting Plan

Public and Private Utilities

  • Some information from the Public Utility Plan to be shown on the Site Plan, including:
  • Existing/proposed above and below grade utilities including sanitary and stormwater and combined sewers, drains, catch basins, underground manufactured treatment devices, manholes, valves, and clean-outs, Siamese connections and curbing, sanitary/stormwater/water service connections, hydrants, hydro poles, pad mount transformers, light standards and on-site traffic or way-finding signage proposed lateral connections, on site and in the right-of-way
  • Existing/proposed underground structures on site and in the right-of-way including, transformer vaults, access ramps, vents and stairs, and underground tanks
  • Location, type and porosity (<2cmx2cm) of ventilation and other grates

Streetscape Plan and Section

The streetscape will be shown in both plan and in section(s), demonstrating the relationship between existing/proposed utilities (with the Public Utilities plan as an underlay) and street(s) and setback(s). Consult staff and appropriate guideline documents including the Streetscape Manual, Green Streets Technical Guidelines and other City of Toronto standards and guidelines for appropriate guidance. These drawings will include:

  • All property lines, abutting streets and building footprints on adjacent properties
  • Ground floor of the proposed building adjacent to the street (depth of ground floor plan shown as appropriate to illustrate relationship with public)
  • Location and dimension of existing/proposed pedestrian clearway width
  • Horizontal and vertical location of all existing/proposed above and below grade utilities (from the Public Utilities Plan)
  • Location and dimension of existing/proposed sidewalks and other paving elements
  • Existing/proposed trees, plantings, ground cover, paving, and other hard and soft landscape elements
  • Provide planting details of proposed trees, shrubs and other plants
  • All site furnishings, including transit stops and shelters, seating, waste receptacles, etc.

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Purpose

To show the building’s exterior massing, design features, scale and materials in relationship to the site and context. The Site and Building elevations should include a complete set of dimensioned elevations for the proposal that provide the necessary information to site the building in its context, with the massing and outline of the building(s) and grading of adjacent developments shown as context.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • All property lines
  • Names of adjacent right-of-way(s)
  • Heights of the proposed buildings and rooftop structures, including floor levels on each storey, in both metres and storeys, including the grading as defined by the Zoning By-law
  • Existing permissions for heights, as well as any angular planes as per Zoning by-laws or other applicable policies and/or guidelines
  • Labels for exterior building design features and materials, including walls, columns, window types, entrances, canopies, balconies, cornices, arcades, roof line and rooftop equipment, etc.
  • Distinguish between parts (or all) of the existing building to be conserved, from new building elements in plan, if appropriate. Indicate with notes and graphics which parts are proposed be conserved in place and which parts would be reconstructed

Landscaping, Grading and Retaining Walls

  • Spot elevations (Canadian Geodetic Datum) for all significant natural and artificial features and along the boundary of the site and adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Proposed grading information, including the site and adjacent properties and right-of-way(s); and existing grades, shown with a dashed line
  • Proposed grading of the site between the property line and the building(s), including the location of all landscape features including retaining walls, stairs, ramps and other grade changes; include elevations of driveways, parking, walkways, trails, sidewalks and landscape structures and furniture on the site and adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Location of all natural heritage features; including vegetation, canopy edge, open spaces, watercourses, flood lines, fill lines, physical top-of-bank and buffer zones on the site and adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Location of all artificial features; including municipal appurtenances, lighting, retaining walls (top and bottom of wall), stairs (top and bottom of stairs), ramps and other grade change features, driveways, parking lots, walkways, trails and sidewalks and landscape structures and furnishings on the site and adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Location of all existing/proposed trees including trees on adjacent properties within six metres of the subject property lines 

Additional Detail for Site Plan Control applications only

Additional detail of the elevations and process for review is required as part of Site Plan Control. This additional detail includes 1:50 scale coloured elevation (see the details in the Development Guide) and physical sample boards may be requested.

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Purpose

To show the relationship between interior and exterior spaces, as well as the relationship between these spaces and the site, including grading and landscape features. Sections should also demonstrate the relationship between the proposed building(s) and the context of adjacent streets, boulevards and properties.

Scale

Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

For sites with simple building(s) and relatively flat grading, two section drawings, in opposite directions through the building and site, will likely be adequate. For larger sites and/or sites with complex grading, additional Section drawings to demonstrate the context may be required. Section drawings should include:

  • All property lines
  • Names of adjacent right-of-way(s)
  • Building floors, exterior walls with windows and openings, balconies and other projections both above and below grade
  • Distinguish between parts (or all) of the existing building to be conserved, from new building elements in plan, if appropriate. Indicate with notes and graphics which parts are proposed be conserved in place and which parts would be reconstructed
  • Heights of the proposed buildings and penthouses in both metres and storeys including grades as measured in the Zoning By-law
  • Existing grades, shown with a dashed line
  • Street right-of-way and adjacent properties, showing above and below grade conditions

Landscaping, Grading and Retaining Walls

  • Spot elevations (Canadian Geodetic Datum) along the boundary of the site and adjacent streets, boulevards and all significant natural and artificial features
  • The profile of the site above and below grade, including locations and relative heights of building(s) and site edges
  • Existing/proposed above and below grade utilities, including hydro poles and street lighting, as well as other streetscape elements including street trees, trees, furniture, etc.
  • Location of all natural heritage features; including vegetation, canopy edge, open spaces, watercourses, flood lines, fill lines, physical top-of-bank and buffer zones on the site and adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Location of all artificial features; including municipal appurtenances, lighting, retaining walls (top and bottom of wall), stairs (top and bottom of stairs), ramps and other grade change features, driveways, parking lots, walkways, trails and sidewalks and landscape structures and furnishings on the site and adjacent streets and boulevards
  • Location of all existing/proposed trees including trees on adjacent properties within six metres of the subject property lines
  • Dimensioned soil volumes for proposed trees and other plant materials in all conditions (in ground, over underground parking, and above ground in planters, curbed areas and pots)

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Purpose

To show information and detail that verifies the feasibility of proposed soil volumes to satisfy the tree planting and soil volume requirements of the Official Plan and the Toronto Green Standard. The Soil Volume Plan is required to provide information on soil volume proposed on the site and should also provide information on soil volume proposed within the adjacent street(s) boulevard. The Soil Volume Plan uses the Concept Site and Landscape Plan (at Zoning By-law Amendment application) or Site Plan drawing (at Site Plan Control application) as a base, and includes details on soil volumes provided for the purposes of tree planting, including location and dimensions of soil volume area(s), layout of the proposed suspended pavement system (e.g. soil cells, structural footings, or similar), and existing/proposed utilities and below grade structures.

Scale

  • Must be drawn to a standard metric scale, legible at 1:100 or 1:200 scale

General Details

  • The Soil Volume Plan uses the Concept Site and Landscape Plan and/or Site Plan drawing as a base which includes the location and dimension of soft and hard landscape areas of the Site Plan, below grade slab locations, elevations and building setbacks
  • The Public Utility Plan is to be layered in a grey tone as an underlay to the Soil Volume Plan
  • Identify the location and height of above grade structures and parts of the buildings which overhang the ground floor
  • Provide a completed Soil Volume for Tree Planting statistics template. Soil volume excludes the space occupied by any underground utilities/elements (e.g. soil cells, pipes, aggregate, etc.), in the calculation
  • Indicate in plan and section, soil volumes to meet Toronto Green Standard Tier 1 requirements for soil area for new and retained trees on site including depth and total soil volume
  • Label each individual soil area to correlate to soil volume calculations in the Soil Volume for Tree Planting Statistics template
  • Provide a typical section drawing for each soil area, including all utilities and their associated clearances as listed in the City’s Municipal Consent Requirements, Appendix O.
    • For soil areas with subsurface structures (e.g. soil trench with a hydrant, light pole, etc.), provide additional section drawings as necessary to capture correlating changes to the growing medium volume
    • Dimensions (including depth) of the excavation, the soil cell trench, and the soil profile for both typical sections and where the depth varies (e.g. at the tree planting area, where a different soil depth occurs over an underground utility/structure, etc.)
  • Where soil cells are used to achieve soil volume, include the following:
    • Manufacturer’s site-specific soil cell layout in plan and sections to scale, stamped by a licensed professional Civil Engineer and a Structural Engineer in the Province of Ontario warranting that the product as proposed satisfies all City of Toronto loading requirements
    • Manufacturer’s product and installation specifications
  • Soil Volume Plan to be stamped by a full member of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Toronto Green Standard for details

Description

  • To identify the quality and quantity impacts of the change in stormwater runoff on existing infrastructure and watercourses due to a proposed development.
  • To determine improvements to municipal servicing infrastructure required to support the proposed level of development, where applicable
  • To determine mitigation measures to minimize any negative impacts on the drainage system.
  • To identify opportunities for enhancement of stormwater management facilities and features in redevelopment sites.

When Required

A Stormwater Management Report is required for the following application types:

  • Zoning By-law Applications
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Plans of Condominium
  • Consent to Sever
  • Site Plan Control applications

Rationale

Objective

The objective of a Stormwater Management Report is to evaluate the effects of a proposed development on the stormwater and drainage system, and to recommend how to manage rainwater/snowmelt for the proposed development, consistent with the City’s Wet Weather Flow Management Policy and while also meeting TRCA, provincial and federal regulations.

Format

A Stormwater Management Report is prepared by a Registered Professional Engineer qualified in municipal engineering/stormwater management, and must include all appropriate reports, plans, computer modeling results and design calculations relating to how storm run-off is to be managed.

  • Regardless of the size or nature of the proposed development, the consultant is responsible for providing a SWM report that strictly complies with the requirements of the WWFM Guidelines. If the consultant feels that a specific development should be exempt from any or all SWM requirements based on the type/size of development as provided for in the WWFM Guidelines, he/she must still submit a report (in some cases a letter report is acceptable) clearly referencing the relevant section(s) in the WWFM Guidelines and how they apply to the proposed development.

Process

A Stormwater Management Report is to be submitted in conjunction with the development application. The applicant is encouraged to discuss the need, scope and the proposed stormwater management concepts and design assumptions with City staff prior to preparing the report. The report is to be submitted in two stages. For complex Site Plan Control applications, the Stage 1 and Stage 2 reports are to be submitted in conjunction with the development application and must be accepted prior to Site Plan approval.

Stage 1

The Stage 1 Report outlines the design assumptions and conceptual engineering schemes to manage both quantity and quality of run-off. The Stage 1 Report is to be submitted when the application is initiated and must be accepted prior to draft plan approval of a Plan of Subdivision or a prior to the acceptance of a Rezoning application if it is being submitted in conjunction with a site plan application.

Stage 2

The Stage 2 Report provides the detailed calculations and the design of the stormwater management facilities and drainage systems based on the accepted principles in the Preliminary Report, and must be accepted prior to, or in conjunction with, the final acceptance of the engineering drawings.

For Site Plan Control applications, the Stage 2 Report is to be submitted in conjunction with the development application and must be accepted prior to site plan approval.

An Environmental Impact Study may be required to address the impact of development on water resources features or functions on and off site that may not be included in a Natural Heritage Impact Study (see EIS Terms of Reference).

An Environmental Impact Study may also be required to address the impact of development on water resources features or functions on and off site.

Principles

A Stormwater Management Report must be based on:

  • established stormwater management principles,
  • best management practices,
  • the Ministry of the Environment Policies and design guidelines
  • the Wet Weather Flow (WWF) Management Policy and
  • Wet Weather Flow (WWF) Management Guideline (Interim, Nov. 2006).

The use of the rational method shall be used as per the WWF Guideline. Further analysis may be required for areas basement flooding and high infiltration as per the WWF Policy. Refer to the Wet Weather Flow Master Plan for more details.

The authority to require this work is provided by the Planning Act, the Provincial Policy Statement, the Official Plan, the Wet Weather Flow Management Policy and Chapter 681 of the Municipal Code – Sewer.

Required Contents

The level of detail for the Stormwater Management Report depends on the type and scope of application, the size of the development and the types of stormwater management schemes proposed. For example, a report for a Plan of Subdivision will typically be more complex than a report in support of a Site Plan Control application.

A Stormwater Management Report must include the basic quantity and quality assumptions upon which the report is based, and all appropriate functional plans of infrastructure elements for major and minor flow, which could have an impact on the layout of the Plan of Subdivision or site and building design.

These infrastructure elements may include stormwater management facilities, all water resources features and functions (i.e., watercourses, riparian areas, recharge/discharge areas), existing overland flow routes, surface features (i.e., top of bank of valleys) and existing infrastructure (i.e., water and wastewater infrastructure and underground utilities).

Where a development proposal may impact a water resources features or function, the Stormwater Management Report must incorporate into the design the recommendations from the separate Environmental Impact Study referenced above.

The Stage 1 Report must provide sufficient engineering information to allow for the necessary review and acceptance of the proposed stormwater management schemes in principle.  This report should address the following:

  • Identify existing stormwater management requirements that apply specifically to the site.
  • Identify constraints and potential opportunities – quantitative, qualitative, erosion sensitivity and environmental concerns related to water resources for both interim and ultimate development conditions, both on and off site.
  • Identify the inlets (from upstream) and outlet (to downstream) for the minor and major systems, including overland flow routes.
  • Identify all internal and external drainage areas under existing and future development conditions for minor and major flows.
  • Demonstrate that the proposal has maximized source control measures to reduce runoff from the site and maximized conveyance control measures to infiltrate and/or treat run-off as appropriate consistent with water quantity and quality objectives and targets under the Wet Weather Flow Management Policy.
  • Indicate if off-site land or works are required to implement the stormwater management proposals and comment to what extent (e.g. easements, dedication, land acquisition, etc.)
  • Indicate the interim measures required for erosion, pond siltation and sedimentation, downstream works, riparian flow considerations, during the construction phase.
  • Indicate if other agencies are required to grant approvals or issue permits (such as TRCA if the project is within their jurisdiction) and provide proof of approvals.
  • Submit plans and calculations to support the proposals.

In addition, the Stage 1 report must include the following information:

  1. Location map of the subject property
  2. Property description
  3. Present owner contact
  4. An external drainage plan including all upstream lands and any diversion of drainage routes
  5. An internal drainage plan including flood and fill lines and overland flow routes
  6. Schematic layout of existing and proposed sanitary and storm sewer networks
  7. Schematic layout of the sub watershed showing the main watercourse, tributaries and trunk sewers
  8. Provide descriptions of pre-development and post-development conditions, statistics and respective storm release rates.
  9. Any supporting calculations, reports and drawings, such as:
    1. Calculation of surface run-off, the ponding elevation water elevations corresponding to the required level of controls
    2. Calculation of existing run-off coefficient and release rates
    3. Calculation of permissible release rate and required on site storage
    4. Methods of run-off attenuation and on site storage
    5. Measures to maintain or improve water quality
    6. Measures to minimize impact of run-off downstream including on erosion, flooding etc.
  10. Ontario Ministry of the Environment Certificate of Approval and related documents if applicable
  11. Geotechnical Study and Hydrological Review where applicable (see terms of reference)

The Stage 2 Report must include detailed analyses (computer modeling results and calculations) and design of the major and minor systems and proposed stormwater management facilities based on the proposed design concepts and parameters accepted in the Preliminary Report.

Contents

The Stormwater Management Report (Stage 2) must also include the following contents where applicable:

  • Separate site servicing and grading drawings
  • Storm and surface water drainage directions, major overland and emergency overland flow routes, site ponding limits with corresponding storage volumes and control facilities
  • Proposed roof control devices location, type, control release rates and corresponding storage volumes for flat roof portions
  • Storage volume calculation provided for all non-residential developments, residential developments greater than 0.5 hectares
  • Run-off co-efficient calculation for pre-development conditions for all non-residential developments, residential developments greater than 0.5 hectares upon request
  • Waster Harvesting process and all supporting calculations

Swales, Ditches, Channels, Inlet and Outlet Structures

  • Calculation and/or summary information to support erosive protection provided
  • Hydraulic calculations on sketches for proposed sections
  • Calculation of storage volumes for the required level of controls for surface and roof ponding areas
  • In-situ percolation rate test results for proposed infiltration/exfiltration facilities done at the proposed facility location

Subdivision Applications

Residential

  • Calculations for all high water level for all overland flow routes
  • Where traffic calming devices are proposed, calculations showing proposed high water levels for minor and major storms every 5m minimum up-stream of the device

Industrial  / Commercial / Mixed Use

  • Allowable discharge rates per site

Site Plan Applications

  • Schematic layout of roof drain controls and ponding volumes and corresponding level of controls when roof top controls are proposed
  • Report from qualified engineer on the flood proofing of reverse driveways

Drawings

Specific drawing requirements for stormwater management reports include:

  • Separate pre-development and post-development drainage area for all sites over five hectares
  • Separate pre-development and post-development drainage areas when a change to the drainage areas has been proposed
  • Major overland flow route(s)
  • Emergency overland flow routes for storm events beyond the specified major storm and in case of blockage or failure of the drainage system
  • Location of all flow controls, type of control, manufacturer, model number, sizing, number of weirs (where applicable), release rates and any other information specific to the control device (s)
  • High water elevations corresponding to the required level of controls

Swales, Ditches and Channels

  • Typical cross sections
  • Top of slope, bottom of slope, top of bank, flood limits for major storms
  • Spot elevations every 20m (We are using a 6m spacing on grading plans?) or as required for top of slope, bottom of slope, top of bank, flood limits, inverts and intermediate grades where applicable
  • Material specifications

SWM Facilities

  • Separate servicing and grading drawings
  • Maximum ponding elevations for major, minor and other relevant storms with respective storage volumes
  • Cross-sections of outlet channels where applicable
  • Cross-section(s) of facility
  • Details of erosion controls both temporary and permanent
  • Minimum 5m wide (excluding shoulders) access route for maintenance
  • Fencing, signage details
  • Landscaping plans and details
  • Schematic of water harvesting process

Site Plan Applications

  • General grading information including clearly discernible existing and proposed elevations at 6m intervals along property lines, driveways, sidewalks, walkways and trees to be preserved
  • Separate servicing and grading drawings except for single family residential units
  • Proposed elevations at 6m intervals along all building and structure perimeters and building entrances
  • Quality and quantity control devices including manufacturer, model number, size and release rates
  • Building finished floor elevations and door sill elevations
  • Ground surface and roof top ponding area limits and elevations for major and minor storms with respective storage volume provided
  • Water harvesting collection and inlet capacity

Subdivision Applications

  • External drainage area with inlet and outlet locations
  • Separate erosion control plans for construction and permanent conditions
  • Building finished floor elevations and door sill elevations
  • Separate drawings for pre-development and post-development drainage areas
  • Storm drainage area for minor and major flows
  • General grading directions including minor and major overland flow routes
  • Emergency overland flow routes for storm events beyond the specified major storm and in case of blockage or failure of the drainage system

Comments

The level of detail for the Stormwater Management Report depends on the type of application, the size of the development and the types of stormwater management schemes proposed.

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a standard scale (i.e. 1:100, 1:200, 1:500)

Plan Layout

  • Showing the proposed layout of street, parks, blocks and lots showing conceptual footprints of buildings

Conceptual Landscaping

  • The conceptual landscape plan includes all existing trees to be preserved as well as new plantings, including public street planting, schematic park layout, other landscape features

Note: At the time of Draft plan approval, a District Landscape Plan and Architectural Control Guidelines may be secured.

Effective June 1, 2022

Description

To provide a visual model and written description of the impact of shadows cast by a proposed development on surrounding streets, parks and open space (including natural areas), privately owned publicly-accessible spaces and other properties. The Sun/Shadow Study is done to evaluate the impact of shadows at various times of day, throughout the year.

When Required

A Sun/Shadow Study may be required for the following applications for developments over six storeys / 20 metres in height:

  • Zoning By-law Amendments
  • Site Plan Control applications (Complex applications only)

A Sun/Shadow Study may also be requested for developments that are less than 20 metres, in particular for Rezoning Applications where additional height is applied for near shadow sensitive areas (such as parks and open spaces, schoolyards, cemeteries, etc.). The requirement for, and scope of this work, should be discussed with the Planner and Urban Designer during Pre-Application Consultation meetings.

General Details

The Sun/Shadow Study may need to be resubmitted as part of the Development Review Process if changes to the building siting, massing and design are proposed and/or recommended.

Sun/shadow testing of alternative building massing may be required during the application review process to assist in making decisions about how to best achieve Council’s goals regarding sun/shadow impacts.

The Model

A typical model will include all streets, blocks, parks and open spaces, as well as buildings to a distance adequate to show the shadow impacts during requested times.

The model will be presented in two parts, the first showing the existing conditions and the second showing the proposed development in its context. The proposed development context should include other approved but not yet constructed buildings within the model area. These should be graphically distinguished from the proposal and the existing built context.

Shadow diagrams should be provided in colour to a standard metric scale and include a bar scale on each sheet labelled in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 100 and 200 metre increments.

“As-of-right” or other site-specific applicable shadow conditions should be indicated clearly by a contrasting colour single-line overlay with explanatory notation provided in a printed legend, using the City’s Shadow Study Drawings Standards – Colour Analysis.

A Sun/Shadow Study should be done for March 21 and September 21 at hourly intervals between 9:18 am and 6:18 pm. All times are based in the Eastern Time Zone and must take into account Daylight Saving Time.
Development that proposes additional shadow impacts on parks and open space (including natural areas), will require supplementary sun/shadow tests at hourly increments for June 21st and December 21st to provide additional information on the impacts of shadows. Additional times may also be requested to respond to specific site contexts.

Submission Requirements

The Sun/Shadow Study will include:

  • A cover letter and completed checklist summarizing the Study and the sun/shadow impacts of the proposed development and any and all measures that will be taken to minimize shadow impacts by the development on neighbouring streets, parks and open spaces (including natural areas), public squares and other shadow sensitive properties (such as schoolyards, cemeteries, etc.).
  • Images of sun/shadow tests in both existing and proposed context using digital models, that clearly indicate the development site, its boundary, the footprint and mass of buildings within the test site, and any streets, parks and open spaces on/neighbouring the site.
  • Images of the sun/shadow tests for the existing context and with the proposal should be laid out either on a single page or pages side-by-side as this will assist in understanding the impacts.
  • Eight bound paper copies and a PDF digital copy of the Study for distribution and review by appropriate agencies.
  • One digital copy of the digital model (in .skp file format) used to undertake the Sun/Shadow Study.
  • Large mounted versions of the Study at critical times or PowerPoint images may be requested for public meetings.

 

Topographic Survey and Boundary Plan of Survey can be merged on to one plan or shown on separate plans. It must be recent and accurately reflecting the existing property.

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a standard scale (i.e. 1:100, 1:200, 1:500) and preferably at same scale as Site Plan Drawing

General Details

  • Location of all vegetation, watercourses, natural features, artificial features; including municipal appurtenances and paved areas on or adjacent to the site
  • Municipal address of buildings on or adjacent to the site
  • Contour lines showing variations of 300 mm in ground elevations
  • Spot elevations (Canadian Geodetic Datum) for significant features and along the boundary of the site and in adjacent public boulevards
  • Location of existing above and below grade utilities within the adjacent street boulevard (Site Plan Control Applications only)
  • Location and grade of existing trees to be preserved (if appropriate) (Site Plan Control Applications only)
  • Location of all at grade, aerial and underground utilities including distribution lines and lateral service connections, on the public road allowances adjacent to the property
  • Location of existing easements and encroachments

Effective May 1, 2022 – New Toronto Green Standard Version 4

Description

The Toronto Green Standard (TGS) is Toronto’s sustainable design and performance requirements for new development. It provides an integrated set of performance measures, targets, and principles, to achieve more sustainable and resilient new development. The TGS addresses environmental issues including air and water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, solid waste, and enhancement of the natural environment.

Introduction of Toronto Green Standard (Version 1 & Version 2)

The Toronto Green Standard was first introduced as a voluntary standard for new development in 2006. The TGS became a mandatory requirement of planning approvals with Version 1 and 2, introduced in 2010 and 2014 respectively. Version 1 and 2 were structured with two-tiered performance levels, with Tier 1 as the mandatory requirement and Tier 2 as voluntary levels of performance. Tier 2 projects may be eligible for a refund on development charges. Since January 31, 2010, new planning applications including Zoning By-law Amendments, Site Plan Control, and Draft Plan of Subdivision, are required to meet the minimum Tier 1 environmental performance measures.

Advancing the Toronto Green Standard (Version 3, Version 4 & Beyond)

Starting in 2018, the Version 3 TGS introduced a four-tiered framework to successively advance energy-related performance targets towards achieving near zero emissions by 2030. This was updated to 2028 by Council in December 2021.

TGS Version 4 was adopted by Council in July 2021. Version 4 updates come into effect for all new applications submitted on or after May 1, 2022. This version includes three tiers of energy performance and greenhouse gas emissions limits that accelerate action on climate change, along with required and voluntary performance measures to address environmental performance in new development.

Learn more about the history and goals of the TGS.

Incentive for Higher Tiers of Performance

In addition to minimum Tier 1 compliance, applicants are encouraged to achieve Tier 2 or higher voluntary levels. Financial incentives are offered through the Development Charge Refund Program for eligible and verified Tier 2 or better, high-performance projects. As of December 31, 2020, no development charge refunds are available for TGS, Version 2 Tier 2 or higher.

When Required

All new planning applications, including Zoning By-law Amendments, Site Plan Control and Draft Plan of Subdivision are subject to the TGS. At the time of Site Plan submission, the TGS version in effect will apply. There is no grandfathering of TGS versions with respect to Plan of Subdivision, Official Plan Amendment, or Zoning By-law Amendment applications.

Required Content

Refer to the links in the table below for required content and submission guidelines for each TGS Version for different building types:

Version Effective Date Building Type
TGS V4 May 1, 2022 Mid to High-Rise Residential & all Non-Residential Low-Rise Residential City Agency, Corporation & Division-Owned Facilities
TGS V3 May 1, 2018 Mid to High-Rise Residential & all Non-Residential Low-Rise Residential City Agency, Corporation & Division-Owned Facilities
TGS V2 January 1, 2014 Mid to High-Rise Residential & all Non-Residential Low-Rise Residential City Agency, Corporation & Division-Owned Facilities (no longer in effect)
TGS V1 January 31, 2010 No longer in effect

 

Refer to the Energy Modelling Guideline for more information regarding the energy modelling and reporting requirements.

Selecting Pursued Tier on TGS Checklist

Compliance with the TGS is demonstrated through the submission of the TGS Checklist, TGS Statistics Templates, and Notations included on plans. The Checklist indicates the Tier of performance that is being pursued and guides the applicant on how to effectively document the TGS requirements. Requirements for certain application types (Zoning By-law Amendment, Draft Plan of Subdivision) are identified on the Checklist with an asterisk (*). The TGS Checklist is part of a complete application and must be fully completed. It should be filled out in conjunction with the other specifications and documentation.

Checking off Tier 2 or higher on the Checklist triggers the circulation of the application to Environmental Planning, who administers the Development Charge Refund Program, to determine project eligibility. Contact the Environmental Planning team at sustainablecity@toronto.ca for questions or discuss your project in more detail.

Effective November 1, 2023

Description

A Transportation Impact Study will be used:

  • To assess the transportation impact of a development for all modes of travel
  • To assist in determining appropriate zoning by-law standards or conditions of approval, where applicable
  • To determine improvements to transportation infrastructure, transportation service upgrades and other measures to mitigate any negative impacts of a development
  • To identify an appropriate travel demand management strategy to accommodate the development
  • To identify the potential for adverse impacts on transit infrastructure, including higher order transit, from development on adjacent lands

When Required

A Transportation Impact Study or standalone conditional chapters may be required for the following application types:

  • Official Plan Amendment
  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Draft Plans of Subdivision Application
  • Site Plan Control Application
  • Consent to Sever Application
  • Variance Application

Objective

The objective of a Transportation Impact Study is to evaluate the multi-modal effects of a development or redevelopment on the transportation system, suggest any transportation improvements that are necessary to accommodate the travel demands and impacts generated by the development, and protect the safe operation and maintenance of existing and future transit infrastructure, including for higher order transit.

The Transportation Impact Study must demonstrate how the application responds to and complies with City policies, guidelines and zoning requirements. When the application does not comply with these requirements, the Transportation Impact Study will be required to provide additional assessments demonstrating why the amendments to these City policies, guidelines and zoning requirements are justified, supportable and appropriate.

Principles

The Transportation Impact Study must include sufficient details to inform decisions regarding the provision of transportation improvements for a development and be based on established transportation planning and traffic engineering principles, supplemented by any available local survey data or experience. The Transportation Impact Study must demonstrate good transportation planning principles of the Official Plan and Secondary Plan policies and objectives, and any applicable Site and Area Specific Policies.

It must also follow:

The Transportation Impact Study will recommend approaches to ensure equitable access to the transportation system by users of all ages, abilities and means, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, private automobiles and trucks. It should also integrate with existing and future planned transportation systems and ensure the transportation supply and demand is optimized in a manner consistent with relevant policies, guidelines, criteria and potential improvements to achieve the objectives of these relevant policies and guidelines. The City’s authority for the requirements for the Transportation Impact Study are contained in Section 2.4 and Schedule 3 of the City’s Official Plan.

Required Contents

A Transportation Impact Study will include the following information, unless indicated otherwise:

  1. Application context:
    1. Municipal address, location and context plan of the subject property
    2. Owner/Consultant contact
    3. Existing Site Overview, including existing land uses or permitted use provisions for the OPA or ZBL
    4. Summary and Conclusions
    5. Proposed Development Overview
      1. Proposed land uses and relevant planning regulations to be used in the study
      2. Total building size and building locations
      3. Number of floors below grade
      4. Floor space including a summary of each type of use or number of residential units
      5. Anticipated date of occupancy
      6. Approximate hours of operation
      7. Planned phasing of development
      8. Site plan or subdivision plan at a suitable scale including dimensions to TTC infrastructure both above and below grade
      9. Desire for an entrance connection to a TTC subway station, if applicable
  2. Transportation context for existing and horizon years and time periods for analysis, including:
    1. Identify area road network
    2. Identify area transit services
    3. Identify area cycling network
    4. Identify area pedestrian environment
  3. Estimate of travel demand generated by different development scenarios by different modes
  4. Evaluation of transportation impacts of site-generated travel demands by different modes
  5. Identification of transportation system improvements required to mitigate adverse impacts
  6. Conditional Chapters, where applicable in accordance with Table below, including:
    1. Travel Demand Management Plan
    2. Traffic Operations Assessment
    3. Transit Assessment
    4. Higher Order Transit Assessment
    5. Bicycle Parking Assessment
    6. Vehicular Parking Assessment
    7. Loading Assessment
  7. Supporting data used in the analyses, including traffic data (collection completed within the last 2 years)
  8. Summary and recommendations

The above Chapters 1 to 5 and 7, 8 are required for each Transportation Impact Study. Table 1 below establishes direction for when some or all components of Chapter 6 are required. There may be site specific circumstances outside of the application type identified in Table 1 where staff request components of Chapter 6 based on the development proposal.

Table 1: Criteria Under Which Conditional Chapters are Required

Chapters Application Type Required
Travel Demand Management Plan Official Plan Amendment Yes, when the application requires any other conditional chapter
Zoning By-law Amendment Yes, when the application requires any other conditional chapter
Draft Plan of Subdivision No
Site Plan Control Application Yes, when the application will generate >100 additional auto trips in the peak hour
Traffic Operations Assessment Official Plan Amendment No
Zoning By-law Amendment Yes, when the application will generate >100 additional auto trips in the peak hour
Draft Plan of Subdivision Yes, when new Right-of-Way proposed
Site Plan Control Application Yes, when the application will generate >100 additional auto trips in the peak hour
Transit Assessment Official Plan Amendment Yes, when the application requires any other conditional chapter
Zoning By-law Amendment Yes, when the application requires any other conditional chapter
Draft Plan of Subdivision Yes, when new Right-of-Way proposed
Site Plan Control Application Yes, when the application requires any other conditional chapter
Higher Order Transit Assessment Official Plan Amendment Yes, when the application is within TTC’s 60 metre Development Review Zone (DRZ)
Zoning By-law Amendment Yes, when the application is within TTC’s 60 metre Development Review Zone (DRZ)
Draft Plan of Subdivision Yes, when the application is within TTC’s 60 metre Development Review Zone (DRZ)
Site Plan Control Application Yes, when the application is within TTC’s 60 metre Development Review Zone (DRZ)
Bicycle Parking Assessment Official Plan Amendment No
Zoning By-law Amendment Yes, when the application proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Draft Plan of Subdivision No
Site Plan Control Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Consent to Sever Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Variance Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Vehicular Parking Assessment Official Plan Amendment No
Zoning By-law Amendment Yes, when the application proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Draft Plan of Subdivision No
Site Plan Control Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Consent to Sever Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Variance Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Loading Assessment Official Plan Amendment No
Zoning By-law Amendment Yes, when the application proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Draft Plan of Subdivision No
Site Plan Control Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Consent to Sever Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements
Variance Application Yes, when the related application that has not been approved proposes changes to the related Zoning By-law requirements

 

High-level descriptions of the Conditional Chapters 6 are below.

6. a. Travel Demand Management (TDM) Plan

Description

To identify an appropriate travel demand management strategy (which complements the subject site’s parking management strategy) that focuses on providing alternatives to single occupancy vehicles, especially sustainable modes of transportation and shared mobility systems

Objective

The objective of the TDM Plan is to meet the objectives of sustainable transportation as defined in the Official Plan, leverage the area transportation context to reduce vehicular trips made to and from a site and to reduce vehicular parking demand while supporting other modes of transportation.

Principles

A TDM Plan must be based on efficient development strategies that influence travel behaviour of site-related traffic on the transportation network. A TDM Plan must recognize the general principle that a development or redevelopment should include measures that reduce vehicle usage and encourage people to instead choose more sustainable methods of travel. The assessment must demonstrate good transportation planning principles of the Official Plan and Secondary Plan policies and objectives, as well as any applicable City guidelines and standards, including the most recent Council approved version of the Toronto Green Standards.

Required Contents

A TDM Plan will include the following information, unless otherwise indicated:

  1. Proposed site-specific transportation demand management measures
  2. Estimate of percent vehicle trip reduction of every proposed TDM measure
  3. Value of any TDM financial contributions or incentives
  4. Vehicular parking supply, including the location of any parking spaces dedicated for car-share vehicles, low emissions vehicle, paid parking (if applicable), and electric vehicle charging, in addition to the minimum by-law requirements
  5. Location of protected space on site for bike-share facilities (if applicable)
  6. Location and number of proposed bicycle parking spaces in addition to the minimum by-law requirements
  7. Achievement of Toronto Green Standards, Tier 2 Measures (where appropriate)
  8. Summary and recommendations

Descriptions of site locational characteristics and existing transportation infrastructure and services in the proximity of the site are not part of a TDM plan.

6. b. Traffic Operations Assessment

Description

  • To analyze the potential traffic impact of a development on existing/proposed access driveways, on-site vehicle circulation and intersections in a defined vicinity of the site
  • To determine any locations on the adjacent road network where potential operational concerns may occur and identify mitigating measures to the transportation network, where required

Objective

To determine the impact of high traffic generating uses and/or when the site driveway operations may negatively impact the operations of abutting public streets.

Principles

A Traffic Operations Assessment must be based on established transportation planning and traffic engineering principles and supplemented by any available local survey data or experience. The Traffic Operations Assessment must demonstrate good transportation planning principles of the Official Plan, including Secondary Plan policies and objectives and Site Area Specific policies. The Traffic Operations Assessment must provide a balanced approach between facilitating development and protecting stable areas.

Required Contents

A Traffic Operations Assessment will include the following information, unless otherwise indicated:

  1. A five-year future horizon year or longer based on phasing plan
  2. Intersection and driveway access assessment during peak travel hours
  3. Analysis of traffic conditions during AM and PM peak hours
  4. Existing traffic conditions
  5. Existing traffic conditions with signal timings of selected intersections optimized
  6. Future background traffic conditions including corridor traffic growth and background developments
  7. Traffic activity related to the construction of the proposed development
  8. Queuing assessment
  9. Traffic-calming measures
  10. Sightline and safety analysis for site driveway and signalized and/or unsignalized intersections
  11. Functional plan including pavement marking and signage plan
  12. Estimate of travel demand generated by different development scenarios
  13. Evaluation of transportation impacts of site-generated traffic/transit demands as well as pick-up/drop-off and loading activities
  14. Identification of transportation system improvements required to mitigate adverse impacts
  15. Supporting data used in the analyses, such as traffic signal warrants as required as well as contextual characteristics like signal spacing and Vision Zero 2.0 Principals
  16. Summary and recommendations

6. c. Transit Assessment

Description

  • To identity current and planned transit service adjacent to the site
  • To identify existing and planned transit infrastructure adjacent to the site, such as bus/streetcar stops, shelters, transit terminals and subway infrastructure
  • To ensure that site designs, landscaping, and streetscaping support existing and planned transit in accordance with the City’s Design Guidelines and Standards
  • To ensure that transit facilities on the site frontage are accessible and barrier-free

Objective

The objective of the Transit Assessment is to:

  • Determine the impact of the development on the operations of abutting transit infrastructure and/or services
  • Ensure that existing and planned transit infrastructure, such as bus/streetcar stops, shelters and subway entrance connections are provided on sites where appropriate
  • Ensure that subsurface transit infrastructure is identified

Principles

A Transit Assessment should identify existing and planned transit infrastructure adjacent to the site. TTC infrastructure and transit shelters on the site frontage should conform to TTC standards as described on TTC’s website.

Required Contents

A Transit Assessment will include the following information, unless otherwise indicated:

  1. A description of all existing and planned transit infrastructure and routes in the vicinity of the site for all transit modes including bus, streetcar and subway
  2. An inventory of all bus/streetcar stops on the frontage of the site in the existing and planned (post-development) condition. Note that these stops must be clearly labelled on all drawings and conform to TTC standards
  3. An assessment of where and how Wheel-Trans vehicles will pick-up/drop-off passengers on the site. A vehicle-maneuvering diagram is required if pick-up/drop-off is conducted on site
  4. An identification of whether the site fronts onto any Enhanced Surface Transit Network Segments from Map 5 of the Official Plan.
  5. Identification of any transit priority measures that are required to mitigate the delays to transit caused by the development
  6. Summary and recommendations

6. d. Higher Order Transit Assessment

Description

  • To identity existing and planned higher order transit infrastructure within 60 metres of the site
  • To ensure that site design, landscaping, streetscaping, and construction methods do not have a negative impact on the safety of the transportation system for customers, employees and the general public
  • To ensure no negative impact or adverse effect to existing and planned higher order transit operations and maintenance
  • To mitigate potential for damage to existing higher order transit infrastructure during construction
  • To ensure that any entrance connection(s) to subway stations provided as part of the development of the site are accessible and barrier-free

Objective

The objective of the Higher Order Transit Assessment is to:

  • Ensure that existing and planned higher order transit infrastructure within 60 metres of the site is identified
  • Determine the impact of the development on the safe operations and maintenance existing and planned higher order transit infrastructure and/or facilities within 60 metres of the site
  • Ensure that existing and planned higher order transit infrastructure, such as fire ventilation upgrades, second exits, substations, tunnel and platform expansions, and station entrance connections are identified on sites, where appropriate

Principles

A Higher Order Transit Assessment should identify existing and planned higher order transit infrastructure within 60 metres of the site. TTC transit infrastructure to be built, modified, or otherwise altered either on the site, or as a result of the construction activities related to the development of the site, should conform to TTC standards and/or requirements as described on TTC’s website.

Required Contents

A Higher Order Transit Assessment will include the following information, unless otherwise indicated:

  1. A description of all existing and planned higher order transit infrastructure within 60 metres of the site including substations, subway tracks and tunnels, and subway stations

6. e. Bicycle Parking Assessment

Description

  • To justify any deviation between the proposed bicycle parking supply and the bicycle parking requirements (number and size of parking spaces, etc.) of the applicable Zoning By-law
  • To ensure that the bicycle parking requirements are adequate for each phase of development including the ultimate development scenario
  • To identify alternative strategies to satisfy the bicycle parking requirements of the development (i.e., shared parking opportunities, payment-in-lieu, off-site parking, etc.)
  • When requested, to undertake a bicycle parking supply/demand survey of the area to demonstrate whether supply is sufficient for the proposed development

Objective

The objective of a Bicycle Parking Assessment is to:

  • Demonstrate that the proposed bicycle parking provision is sufficient to meet the mobility needs of the development while limiting the parking impacts on existing neighbourhoods to protect their residential amenity
  • Estimate the bicycle parking demand generated by a development, considering the availability of alternative modes
  • Establish the number and size of on-site bicycle parking spaces that should be provided, recognizing the site constraints and local conditions

When an amendment to the Zoning By-law is requested, this work may also be required to demonstrate that the requested changes will maintain usability of the parking; encourage people of all ages, abilities and means to bicycle; and not result in an increase in auto dependency or automobile commuting. If an amendment to the Zoning By-law is requested, this assessment must also provide justification for the proposed bicycle parking supply by using appropriate proxy sites.

Principles

A Bicycle Parking Assessment must be based on available local survey data or experience and supplemented by established bicycle parking rates for different land uses. The Bicycle Parking Assessment must recognize the general principle that the parking demand generated by a development or re-development should generally be satisfied on-site and that the development must not rely on on-street parking (e.g., post and ring) to satisfy the demands. This work may include provisions for shared facilities.

Required Contents

A Bicycle Parking Assessment will include the following information, unless otherwise indicated:

  1. Zoning By-law bike parking requirements
  2. Proposed bike parking supply
  3. Inventory of bicycle parking facilities in the area
    1. On-site parking
    2. On-street parking
    3. Off-street public parking in the area
  4. Utilization of existing facilities during peak periods of parking demand
  5. Estimate of the bicycle parking demand generated by each component of the development including, where applicable:
    1. Residents
    2. Employees
    3. Visitors/Customers/Patrons
  6. An assessment of the feasibility and appropriateness of shared bicycle parking on the site, including public bike-share facilities
  7. A bicycle parking strategy if the parking demand cannot be accommodated on-site, including:
    1. The provision of public bike-share facilities
    2. Justification of the proposed parking supply, considering appropriate proxy sites, the area transportation and transit context, and any other transportation demand management strategies worth noting
  8. Summary and recommendations

6. f. Vehicular Parking Assessment

Description

  • To justify any deviation between the proposed vehicular parking supply and the vehicular parking requirements (number and size of vehicular parking spaces, provision of electric vehicle supply equipment, etc.) of the applicable Zoning By-law.
  • To ensure that the vehicular parking requirements are adequate for each phase of development including the ultimate development scenario
  • To identify alternative strategies to satisfy the vehicular parking requirements of the development (i.e., shared parking opportunities, payment-in-lieu, off-site parking, etc.) When requested, to undertake a vehicular parking supply/demand survey of the area to demonstrate whether supply is sufficient for the proposed development

Objective

The objective of a Vehicular Parking Assessments is to:

  • Demonstrate that the proposed vehicular parking provision is sufficient to meet the mobility needs of the development while limiting the vehicular parking impacts on existing neighbourhoods to protect their residential amenity
  • Estimate the vehicular parking demand generated by a development, considering the availability of alternative modes
  • Establish the number and size of on-site vehicular parking spaces that should be provided, recognizing the site constraints and local conditions

When an amendment to the Zoning By-law is requested, this work may also be required to demonstrate that the requested changes will maintain usability of the vehicular parking and not result in an increase in auto dependency or automobile commuting. If an amendment to the Zoning By-law is requested, this assessment should also provide justification for the proposed vehicular parking supply by using appropriate proxy sites.

Principles

A Vehicular Parking Assessment must be based on available local survey data or experience and supplemented by established vehicular parking rates for different land uses. The needs of users who require accessible parking should be considered separately from other users. The Vehicular Parking Assessment must recognize the general principle that the vehicular parking demand generated by a development or re-development should generally be satisfied on-site and that the development must not rely on on-street parking (i.e., residential parking permits or off-street public parking) to satisfy the demands. This work may include provisions for shared facilities.

Required Contents

A Vehicular Parking Assessment will include the following information, unless otherwise indicated:

  1. Zoning By-law vehicle parking requirements
  2. Proposed vehicle parking supply
  3. Inventory of vehicle parking facilities in the area
    1. On-site parking
    2. On-street parking
    3. Off-street public parking in the area
  4. Utilization of existing facilities during peak periods of parking demand
  5. Estimate of the vehicular parking and pick-up/drop-off demand generated by each component of the development including, where applicable:
    1. Residents
    2. Employees
    3. Visitors/Customers/Patrons
  6. An assessment of the feasibility and appropriateness of shared vehicular parking on the site
  7. Pick-up/drop-off locations identified on site for different users
  8. A vehicular parking strategy if the parking demand cannot be accommodated on-site, including:
    1. The provision of car-share spaces
    2. Justification of the proposed vehicular parking supply, considering appropriate proxy sites, the area transportation and transit context and any other transportation demand management strategies worth noting
  9. Summary and recommendations

6. g. Loading Assessment

Description

  • To determine the appropriate loading requirements of a proposed development
  • To justify any deviation between the proposed loading requirement and the loading requirements (number and size of loading spaces) of the applicable Zoning By-law
  • To ensure that the loading requirements are adequate for each phase of development including the ultimate development scenario
  • To identify alternative strategies to satisfy the loading requirements of the development (i.e., shared loading opportunities, delivery time restrictions, off-site loading depots, etc.) that are enforceable

Objective

The objective of a Loading Assessment is to estimate the loading demand generated by a development and, on this basis, to establish the number and size of on-site loading spaces that should be provided, recognizing the site constraints and local conditions. Alternatively, as part of a Loading Assessment, a loading strategy could be developed to identify how the loading demands of the project can be satisfied. This work may be required to justify the requested amendment to the Zoning By-law.

Principles

A Loading Assessment must be based on established loading activity rates supplemented by any available local survey data or experience. A Loading Assessment must recognize the general principle that the loading demand generated by a development or re-development should be satisfied on-site and that the development must not rely on on-street loading to satisfy the demands. This work may include provisions for shared facilities.

Required Contents

A Loading Assessment will include the following information, unless otherwise indicated:

  1. Zoning By-law loading requirements
  2. Inventory of any on-site loading facilities
  3. Utilization of existing facilities during peak periods of loading demand
  4. Estimate of the loading demand generated by each phase of the development including, where applicable:
    1. Types of loading/delivery/service vehicles
    2. Frequency and duration of deliveries, by type of vehicle
    3. Time of deliveries, by type of vehicle
  5. Plans illustrating the movement of vehicles entering and exiting the loading space(s), including turnaround manoeuvres
  6. Plans illustrating the service connections between the loading facilities and the various parts of the development that the loading spaces are intended to serve
  7. An assessment of the feasibility and appropriateness of shared loading on the site
  8. A loading strategy if the peak loading demand cannot be accommodated on-site
  1. Pick-up/drop-off locations identified on site for different users
  2. A vehicle maneuver diagram for City of Toronto garbage truck if onsite garbage pickup is proposed
  3. Summary and recommendations

Effective May 31, 2023

Purpose/Description

The Tree Protection Plan is a technical plan that is required to be submitted concurrently with an Arborist Report. The Tree Protection Plan provides detailed information about the location, species and size of trees, identifies tree removals, and the extent of tree injury, where applicable, and illustrates details of protection measures including the location of protective barriers and other impact mitigation strategies for trees/vegetation to be retained on private and public lands.

When Required

A Tree Protection Plan will be required for the following planning application types where the property contains existing regulated trees and/or regulated trees are located within six metres of all property lines (or all trees within 12 m from all proposed disturbance areas for sites regulated by the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law, Municipal Code Chapter 658). Through the Mandatory Pre-Application Consultation, Urban Forestry staff will determine if such a Plan is required. The application types are:

  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Site Plan Control
  • Consent to Sever and/or Variance

Rationale

The Tree Protection Plan is a requirement of Schedule 3 of the Official Plan. Various policies of the City’s Official Plan seek to preserve the long-term growth and increase of the amount of healthy and mature trees within the City. These principles are also reflected in the City’s Toronto Green Standards and various City Council-approved initiatives. The City of Toronto Municipal Code also establishes authority in regulating trees and ravine areas of the City, including the Tree By-law (Chapter 813), Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law (Chapter 658), and the Parks By-law (Chapter 608).

Required Contents

  • Scale
  • Date/Revision date
  • Project Address/Location
  • Uses Site Plan and or Site Grading Plan as a base layer
  • All existing above and below grade structures layered in grey
  • Ravine and Natural Feature Protection Limit (where applicable)
  • Location and identification values for all regulated trees
  • Regulated trees to be injured and removed clearly identified
  • Tree Protection Zones drawn to scale for all regulated trees that are to be retained
  • Legend keyed to tree and tree protection information shown in the drawing
  • TP-1 City of Toronto Tree Protection Specification detail
  • Location and type of all tree protection hoarding
  • Notes that reference to the associated Arborist Report for tree/tree impact details

Further, the City’s Tree Protection Policy and Specifications for Construction Near Trees will be used to inform the submitted Tree Protection Plan and applicants should ensure that any submitted Plan complies with this policy and specifications. Any regulated trees in or near a construction site are required to be protected in accordance with this policy and/or with permit conditions issued under the applicable Toronto Municipal Code.

Scale

  • Metric Scale
  • Must be drawn to a standard scale (i.e. 1:100, 1:200, 1:500)

Toronto Green Standard

  • If the proposal is subject to the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard, the applicant is required to illustrate compliance. Please refer to the Tier 1 of the Toronto Green Standard for details.

General Details

  • Vestibules, steps, ramps and grades at access to stairs and elevators

Waste Disposal Facilities

  • Details of below-grade facilities for storing and handling of garbage and recyclable and organic materials

Site Circulation, General Parking, Accessible Parking and Driveways

  • Number of parking spaces at each level
  • Garage door height, garage ceiling heights, heights above parking and loading spaces
  • Dimensions and layout of all parking spaces, accessible parking spaces and aisles, carpool or car share spaces and rough-ins for electrical conduits
  • Illustration of any fixed object situated within 0.3 m of the side of a parking space (measured at right angles) such as, but not limited to, a wall, column, bollard, fence or pipe
  • Designation of spaces for visitors, occupants/tenants
  • The locations and dimensions of support columns relative to adjacent underground parking stalls
  • Ramp slopes to underground parking should be identified
  • Location of convex mirrors
  • Location and content of any traffic signs

Pedestrian & Bicycle Infrastructure

  • Below-grade bicycle parking spaces and areas for bicycle storage

Public & Private Servicing Information

  • Dimensions and layout of below-grade areas for loading, moving or servicing

Landscaping, Grading & Retaining Walls and Lighting

  • Details of lighting and other security features

Description

Urban Design Guidelines are a written and graphic text that describes how the streets, parks, open space, buildings, built form and landscape elements of a new development will work together to create a new neighbourhood that supports the overall goals defined by the Official Plan and through the public planning process.

The Guidelines outline and illustrate how the Official Plan urban design goals and objectives for the public realm and built form will be achieved within the specific site and its relationships to the surrounding area. They will also provide specific, actionable and measurable directions for development to achieve these goals.

The Guidelines address the whole of the new neighbourhood, including abutting streets, parks and open space. The Guidelines are a combination of text, plans, illustrative sketch diagrams and photos, street and block sections, and massing models or examples that inform the proponent, public and City about the physical form, layout and design of the new neighbourhood. The Guidelines will be flexible to accommodate change as it occurs while maintaining intact the essential urban ideas.

When Required

Urban Design Guidelines may be required for:

  • Zoning By-law Amendments;
  • Plans of Subdivision applications for the development of large sites; or
  • Site Plan Control Applications.

The requirement for, and scope of, the Urban Design Guidelines should be discussed with the Planner and Urban Designer in pre-application consultation meetings. Urban Design Guidelines will likely be required for applications incorporating large land areas with a number of parcels or phases within a development, new streets and parks and sites of civic prominence.

Rationale

To achieve the goals of Official Plan Policies:

3.3.1 “New neighbourhoods will have a comprehensive planning framework reflecting the Plan’s city-wide goals as well as the local context. The framework should include:

a) the pattern of streets, development blocks, open spaces and other infrastructure

b) the mix and location of land uses

c) a strategy to provide parkland and to protect, enhance or restore natural heritage

d) a strategy to provide community service

e) a strategy to provide affordable housing”

3.3.2 “New neighbourhoods will be viable as communities. They should have:

a) a community focal point within easy walking distance of the neighbourhood’s residents and workers

b) a fine grain of interconnected streets and pedestrian routes that define development blocks

c) a mix of uses and a range of building types

d) high quality parks, community recreation centres, open space and public buildings

e) services and facilities that meet the needs of residents, workers and visitors”

3.3.3 “New neighbourhoods will be carefully integrated into the surrounding fabric of the City. They will have:

a) good access to transit and good connections to the surrounding streets and open spaces

b) uses and building scales that are compatible with surrounding development

c) community services and parks that fit within the wider system

d) a housing mix that contributes to the full range of housing”

Urban Design Guidelines are planning tools that:

  • Provide a context for coordinated incremental development by showing the proposed development in relationship to areas surrounding the site.
  • Provide a framework for the development of streetscape and park design initiatives.
  • Assist in evaluating individual applications as to their conformity to the larger goals of the Official Plan or Secondary Plan if applicable.

Required Contents

Urban Design Guidelines will consist of the following (with modifications as required):

Introduction and Background

  • Site location, size, existing conditions, heritage considerations and other planning considerations that have significant influence on the site layout and development should be inventoried, illustrated and acknowledged.

 Urban Design Ideas

  • An overall vision statement and images that describe the physical character of the new neighbourhood in terms that address the issues raised in Official Plan Policies 3.3.1 to 3.3.3
  • The urban ideas critical to the shaping of the new neighbourhood’s physical form.

Development Framework

The development framework is intended to be a guide to the form and layout of new streets and parks and to illustrate the relationship of buildings to this. This should include:

  • Structure Plan: a plan that describes the public realm of the new neighbourhood including the street layout, special streetscapes, open space network (public and private), possible building edges, special built form (i.e., built form for noise attenuation), heritage, landmark and civic building sites including community services, important views and vistas and gateway sites.
  • Circulation Plan: a plan that describes pedestrian, transit and different types of vehicular linkages through the site and to adjacent areas (private and public).
  • Development Diagrams: identify appropriate locations for different building types and provide general direction for building siting, organization and heights on development blocks. The location of private open space on the block should be included in these diagrams as well as the relationships of buildings to each other on a block and to adjacent streets and parks, to parking and servicing and to the concepts of the Circulation Plans. A complete set of street sections describing the relationship of buildings to the streets should be included.

The Guideline text addresses each component part, and each consists of two parts; a narrative or description of the urban design concept followed by specific guidelines to achieve the defined objective. The diagrams, photographs, sections and sketches that accompany the guidelines contribute further to understanding what is to be accomplished through urban design.

Final Guidelines will include:

  • Eight bound paper copies
  • One digital copy
  • Requests may be made for poster size prints for public meetings

Comments

The concept described here as Urban Design Guidelines have various names in individual Secondary Plans including the Concept Plan for the Railway Lands East, Urban Design Guidelines in the Railway Lands Central and Railway Lands West, Precinct Plans in the Waterfront Secondary Plan, and Context Plans within the Sheppard Corridor Plan. The specific policies within those Plans would govern the creation of the Urban Design Guidelines and should be referred to and discussed with the Planner and Urban Designer in pre-application consultation meetings.

In other areas of the city considered appropriate to use Urban Design Guidelines, but not specified within a Secondary Plan the following issues should be considered:

  • The applicant should develop draft Urban Design Guidelines as early as possible in the planning process with active participation by City staff. Urban Design Principles and a Community Structure Plan should be established in tandem with the subdivision plan and development layout.

Description

A technical report that provides a written description of the impact of vibration generated by a proposed development on the surrounding environment, the impact of vibration of the surrounding environment on the proposed development and the impact of vibration of the proposed development on itself as well as mitigation measures to reduce any negative impacts.

The report:

  • Describes the impacts of:
    • the anticipated vibration generated by a proposed development on the existing environment;
    • the vibration generated by the existing environment on the proposed development; and;
    • the anticipated vibration generated by the proposed development on itself.
  • Details all measures proposed to mitigate or reduce the anticipated negative vibration impacts.

This Vibration Study is to be prepared, on behalf of the applicant, by a Consultant that is either an accredited Acoustic expert or a qualified Professional Engineer.

When Required

Vibration Studies may be required to support  the following applications for developments:

  • Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Site specific zoning by-laws
  • Site Plan Control
  • Plans of Subdivision
  • Consent to Sever

Vibration Studies may also be a requirement of a site specific zoning by-law.

The requirement for a Vibration Study may be a condition of initial approval of the proposed development.

Rationale

Official Plan Section 2.2.4 (Policy 6) requires that development adjacent to or nearby Employment Districts should be appropriately designed, buffered and/or separated from industries as necessary to mitigate adverse affects including those from vibration to promote safety and security.

Official Plan Section 3.4 (Policy 21) refers to the possible requirement of a study in cases where uses such as airports, transportation/rail infrastructure, corridors and yards, waste management facilities and industries are adjacent to sensitive land uses such as residences, educational and health facilities to appropriately design, buffer, and/or separate the facilities and uses from each other to prevent adverse effects from vibration:

To assist in identifying impacts and mitigative measures, the proponent may be required to prepare studies in accordance with guidelines established for this purpose.  The proponent will be responsible for implementing any required mitigative measures.

In addition to sensitive land uses, the Official Plan in Section 4.6 (Policy 6(f)) deals with mitigation of the effects of noise among other things in order to create competitive, attractive, highly functional Employment Areas.

Required Contents

During pre-application consultation, City Planning staff will work with the applicant’s consultant to determine if such a report is required and, if so, the specific requirements of the Study based on the nature of the proposed application and the context of the study area.

The Study should include, but is not necessarily limited to:

  • Details of assessment criteria
  • Methods and assessment locations and the appropriate figures and charts showing the detailed results including how the development complies with the standard as reference in the policy document recommended by CNR and CPR in the case of new residential development adjacent to transportation/rail infrastructure induced vibration or other published criteria, guidelines and acceptable vibration levels at similar land uses in the City of Toronto;
  • Identification and analysis of the impact of all vibration from the proposed development on adjacent streets, parks and properties;
  • Identification and analysis of the impact of all vibration generated within the immediately surrounding area, including without limiting the foregoing, the operations of the airports, transportation/rail infrastructure, corridors and yards, waste management facilities, industries and other vibration generating uses on the proposed development;
  • An analysis of the impact of the proposed development on itself; and
  • Recommendations for vibration mitigation and any adjustments to the site plan and architectural design, as are necessary to comply with relevant regulations and standards.

Note: The City of Toronto may wish to hire an outside consultant, at the expense of the applicant, to peer review selected technical reports submitted in support of a development application where there is no in-house expertise available).