The Staff Report with a recommended zoning by-law amendment for Midtown ‘Villages’ is now available.
Zoning by-laws are tools cities use to control the use of land. They are authorized by Section 34 of the Planning Act. They contain criteria and requirements for development and they implement the City’s Official Plan. Zoning by-laws regulate permitted uses, building types, the location, height, density, spacing and character of buildings, as well as parking and loading requirements, among others.
Zoning in some areas of Midtown needs to be revised to implement the City’s Official Plan and the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan. City Council directed the zoning review for Midtown’s 22 Character Areas, as identified in the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan.
Consultation materials on the Midtown Zoning Review and the Built Form Study, including meeting summaries and presentation materials, are available on the Get Involved page.
The Zoning Review includes three discrete components.
Midtown Toronto encompasses the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan Area, extending roughly from Blythwood Road to the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail, and from Chaplin Crescent to east of Bayview Avenue.
This 600 hectare area is home to a diverse population, a number of distinct neighbourhoods, a concentration of employment uses, and busy retail streets. There are over 72,000 residents (2021 Census) and 33,000 jobs within Midtown. The area also includes two subway stations on the Yonge-University Line and several planned stops on the future Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
The area is represented by City Councillors for Wards 8 (Eglinton-Lawrence), 12 (Toronto-St. Paul’s) and 15 (Don Valley West).
The Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan introduced the concept of Character Areas for Midtown. In total there are 22 Character Areas that are organized into five groupings. Each grouping includes four or five character areas that share common development objectives or characteristics, such as land use, building types and built form.
The Midtown Zoning Review is considering updated zoning for these Character Areas to reflect the intent and purpose of the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan.
Fall 2019 – Midtown Zoning Review launched
Early 2020 – Consultants retained for Built Form Study, to review and make recommendations on built form scenarios to implement the Provincially-approved OPA 405.
2020-2022 – Estimates of population and employment generated
2020-2023 – Ongoing consultation on the zoning review
Staff are targeting the following timeline for developing an area-wide zoning by-law for Midtown:
Fall 2021 – Public consultation on proposed zoning framework
May 2022 – Phase 1 Zoning By-law Amendments, comprised of Midtown ‘Villages’
2023 – Future Phases of Amendments
A targeted exercise is underway to implement the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan in the Avenue Transit Station Area. Changes are needed in Neighbourhoods designated lands to achieve the planned minimum of 200 people and jobs per hectare, as set out in the Plan.
Today, a variety of residential building types are permitted in the Avenue Transit Station Area Neighbourhoods in the zoning by-law, including townhouses, multiplexes, and apartment buildings. No changes are being proposed to those existing permissions. Instead, it is the details of those existing permissions that are proposed to be modified, such as the maximum floor space index, the maximum height (up to 4 storeys), and the maximum depth of a building. At an upcoming meeting, we will present the details of potential changes to the zoning by-law, answer your questions and seek your input.
A public meeting was held virtually on Monday, April 25, 2022. Over 85 people attended the meeting online and using the call-in feature.
A consultation summary that includes feedback given at the meeting and input received by phone, email and letter is anticipated to be posted later in May, 2022.