Planning Policies - catch all

[Northern Light]

We've been using the Zoning Reform thread for the above, but there are any number of Planning policies that aren't really about zoning. So I am creating this thread to cover various one-off discussions that don't fit in the zoning thread.

We'll kick it off with a report to next week's Planning and Housing Ctte:

https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-237574.pdf

This report seeks delegated authority to 'lift the H' or holding by-law placed on a development at the time of approval.

If passed, we would no longer see reports to 'lift the H' going through committee and Council, instead that authority would lie with the City Planner who would be able to wave 'the H' on a go-forward basis.

As removal of a holding by-law, in most cases, is strictly a matter of having fulfilled obligations to the City and is up/down, yes/no type of situation, it seems entirely reasonable that it should be delegated unless otherwise noted at the time of approval.

This will marginally expedite such things. Probably shaving about six weeks off an ultimate approval and reduce some bloat on Council agendas.

 

[rdaner]

Just a note on lot severances. I have noticed that there are always a few per week in the CofA. Don’t know the history of this but with the recent zoning changes it could increase the number of units allowed in yellow belt areas.

 

[DSC]

Not totally 'planning' but this disclaimer on the 23 Toronto St website caught my eye. ( https://23toronto.com/ ) It certainly tells it like it is; "renderings can and will be changed" and "if we make a mistake that's too bad!"

THE DEVELOPER RESERVES THE RIGHT WITHOUT NOTICE TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO FLOORPLANS, PROJECT DESIGN, MATERIALS AND SPECIFICATIONS.
E.&O.E.
RENDERINGS ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON.

 

[Northern Light]

I meant this thread to be a Toronto-focused catch-all on Planning.......ah well.............but it serves a purpose here, with a court decision in Quebec that may, eventually, effect Toronto should the ruling of the lower court be appealed to and upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada:

Judge orders Montreal suburb to compensate residents for excessive traffic noise

A Montreal suburb has been ordered to pay thousands of dollars to around 300 residents who say they've suffered from years of unreasonable traffic noise.

montreal.ctvnews.ca

The substance of the ruling is that a municipality (Brossard) is obliged to pay compensation those who live near a major road which has spun off a high level of noise.

This is an unusual decision, as generally, the courts have held that government is exempt from legal penalty for implementing public policy, which arguably building a road is.............

The judge in this case upheld that immunity, but ruled it applied only on the policy/legislative level, not the execution level.

An interesting splitting of hairs.

Of particular note, the judge considered that municipality had promised the residents that it would mitigate excessive traffic and noise; but ultimately did not.

The decision has been appealed.

 

[afransen]

This is part of why I question why we would want to stack the highest density on the busiest or arterials Arterials are by design not very livable.

 

[just east of the creek]

Another note of interest I am not sure where to put. In the November 2023 issue of Report on Business for the Globe and Mail (and the Globe has all sorts of specials for digital viewing currently) there is an article by Trevor Cole. Entitled ‘Attested Development’, it is an interview with Mitchell Cohen, the CEO of Daniels. An interesting guy anyways, this is an interesting interview with some insights on rental housing, housing supply, lower income housing, green belt usage etc. Worth the read, whether pay walled or not.

 

[just east of the creek]

Another note of interest I am not sure where to put. In the November 2023 issue of Report on Business for the Globe and Mail (and the Globe has all sorts of specials for digital viewing currently) there is an article by Trevor Cole. Entitled ‘Attested Development’, it is an interview with Mitchell Cohen, the CEO of Daniels. An interesting guy anyways, this is an interesting interview with some insights on rental housing, housing supply, lower income housing, green belt usage etc. Worth the read, whether pay walled or not.

Not paywalled: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/bus...icle-mitchell-cohen-daniels-corp-ceo-toronto/

 

[Northern Light]

Not paywalled: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/bus...icle-mitchell-cohen-daniels-corp-ceo-toronto/

That really is an excellent piece. TY for highlighting that.

 

[christiesplits]

Toronto's head planner, Gregg Lintern, is retiring.

Toronto Chief Planner Gregg Lintern To Retire Next Month

The City of Toronto will soon bid farewell to its Chief Planner. Gregg Lintern — who has spent 40 years as a public servant, including five years as Chief Planner for Toronto — will be retiring from his post at city hall on December 29. This means that the City will soon be on the hunt for...

storeys.com

 

[Northern Light]

Toronto's head planner, Gregg Lintern, is retiring.

Toronto Chief Planner Gregg Lintern To Retire Next Month

The City of Toronto will soon bid farewell to its Chief Planner. Gregg Lintern — who has spent 40 years as a public servant, including five years as Chief Planner for Toronto — will be retiring from his post at city hall on December 29. This means that the City will soon be on the hunt for...

storeys.com

He accomplished a great deal on his watch.

His tenure was imperfect as all such things are, for us all; but I think he probably effected more positive change in the role than any who preceded him in post-amalgamation Toronto.