The Toronto Green Standard Version 2 Development Charge Refund program offers a partial development charge refund to projects that have demonstrated higher levels of sustainable design beyond Tier 1 required levels of performance to Tier 2 and above level of environmental performance in accordance with the Development Charge Bylaw. The City of Toronto profiles certified development projects for their high achievements. The program is administered by Environmental Planning in the City Planning Division.

All eligible applications must demonstrate the achievement of all required Tier 1 performance measures through Site Plan Control application documentation. In addition, projects pursuing Tier 2 must meet all of the performance measures found in the following five Core development features/categories listed below for all development types and by selecting three optional performance measures from any category.

Tier 2 Core performance measures:

  1. Urban Heat Island Reduction: At-Grade;
  2. Minimum Energy Performance;
  3. Systems Commissioning;
  4. Water Efficiency; and
  5. Light Pollution

All Tier 2 performance measures must be verified post-construction by a third party evaluator. Use the appropriate Toronto Green Standard checklist to identify and document your Toronto Green Standard performance package.

To be eligible for the Toronto Green Standard Development Charges Refund Program, applications must meet the following criteria:

  1. Site Plan Control application has been received between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2018;
  2. Site Plan Approval has been issued and includes demonstrated achievement of Tier 1 requirements of the Toronto Green Standard  V2 in full on approved plans and drawings and in reports; Applications under Toronto Green Standard  V1 are no longer accepted.
  3. Toronto Green Standard Development Charges Refund Application and Development Charge Estimate have been submitted to and accepted by Environmental Planning by the time of the issuance of the Notice of Approval Conditions;
  4. Verification by a registered third party project evaluator that all Toronto Green Standard performance measures have been met;
  5. The third party evaluator on the project must have no conflict of interest in the development, whether direct or indirect, that could affect their ability to objectively review the project being verified;
  6. Third party project evaluators must be hired and retained by the owner at the sole expense of the owner by 50 per cent construction documentation stage;
  7.  The Verification Report submitted no later than five years from the date that Development Charges were payable to the City of Toronto. Reports received after that date are not eligible for a refund; and
  8. Submission of the Verification Report to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner, Executive Director, City Planning

The City of Toronto requires the achievement of Tier 1 of the Toronto Green Standard prior to enrolling projects into the Tier 2, Development Charge Refund program. Demonstration of Tier 1 compliance and confirmation by Environmental Planning is required prior to enrolment in the program.

Step 1: Pre-Application Consultation
Discuss your intent to pursue the Toronto Green Standard Development Charge Refund program during pre-application consultation with the community planner on the file; Contact sustainablecity@toronto.ca to discuss the project. The Planner informs Environmental Planning (EP) of the project’s intent to apply the program and circulates planning application documentation to EP for review and comments on Tier 1 compliance.

Step 2: Toronto Green Standard Documentation
Complete the Toronto Green Standard Checklist in full and submit it with the “complete” planning application indicating the intention to pursue Tier 2 and the Development Charges Refund. Include details on the Tier 1 and 2 performance measures your project is targeting. Complete the Toronto Green Standard Statistics Template. Submit these documents with each planning submission, updating them as required. The Checklist is required as part of complete application. Ensure that plans, drawings and reports clearly demonstrate compliance with Tier 1. Discuss any technical interpretations with Environmental Planning.

Note: If at any time during the Site Plan Control approvals process and prior to making an application to enroll in the Development Charge refund program, the applicant decides not to pursue the refund, notification must be made in writing to Environmental Planning at; sustainablecity@toronto.ca requesting that the project (SPA # and address) be withdrawn from the enrolment process.

Step 3: Apply to Enroll
Prior to the issuance of the Notice of Approval Conditions (NOAC), complete the Development Charge Refund Application Form and Estimate Form, and submit the forms to Environmental Planning for review and qualification to enroll in the program. The calculation of the potential Development Charge Refund uses the Tier 2 Cap rates in accordance with the Development Charges Bylaw. Environmental Planning will issue written correspondence advising the applicant of enrolment. For a copy of the Development Charge Refund Application Form and Estimate Form email sustainablecity@toronto.ca

Step 4: Third Party Evaluation
Select and retain a third party registered consultant/evaluator from the Project Evaluator List by 50 per cent construction drawings documentation stage. The Evaluator must have no conflict of interest in the development, whether direct or indirect, that could affect their ability to objectively review the project being verified. They will provide guidance to achieving certification following a two-stage verification review at the construction drawing stage and at Occupancy. They complete the City’s Verification Report Template and submit the completed report to Environmental Planning within five (5) years of the date that Development Charges were payable to the City. The Tier 2 Verification report includes the third party reviewer’s supplementary photos, plans, reports and declaration forms in support of Tier 2 compliance and recommends certification.

Step 5: Issuance of a Refund
Environmental Planning reviews the Verification Report submission. Once all proof of compliance documentation is determined to be satisfactory and in good order, a request for refund is issued and processed and a refund cheque is awarded to the applicant for the successful achievement of Tier 2.

Toronto Green Standard Tier 2 verification is the role of third-party project evaluators, registered with the City of Toronto. Evaluators must declare no conflict of interest, whether direct or indirect, that could affect their ability to objectively review the project being verified.

The project evaluator must be retained on the project by 50 per cent construction documentation stage. Verification is a two-staged process that includes: a review of the construction drawings and specifications and a site inspection at occupancy stage. The Verification Report is submitted to the satisfaction of City Planning, preferably with 3 to 6 months of occupancy and within 5 years from the date that Development Charges were payable to the City. If the report is deemed satisfactory, the applicable development charge refund will be issued.

Registered Tier 2 Project Evaluators

WSP Canada Inc.
Jacqueline Da Rocha
416-640-7267
Jacqueline.DaRocha@wsp.com
www.wspgroup.com

MCW Consultants Ltd.
Brian Tysoe
416-598-2920 ext. 519
btysoe@mcw.com
www.mcw.com

Morrison Hershfield Ltd.
Aleks Poniatowski
289-266-1914
APoniatowski@morrisonhershfield.com
www.morrisonhershfield.com

EQ Building Performance Inc.
Craig McIntyre
416-645-1186 ext. 1365
cmcintyre@eqbuilding.com
www.eqbuilding.com