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Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
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1993-06-13
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PLANNING REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
A key element in the successful revitalization of the existing
and emerging industrial base is the degree to which the City's
regulatory planning framework hinders or assists in achieving
positive redevelopment and/or economic renewal. The existing
and proposed Official Plans, and the existing zoning code were
reviewed in the context of the overall study objectives. The
following is a summary of observations and conclusions with
respect to these documents which cumulatively provide an
overall perspective of historic approach, relative strengths
and weaknesses, and possible modifications.
REVIEW OF CONSOLIDATED OFFICIAL PLAN AND ZONING CODE
The current approved Official Plan in Etobicoke was based on a
1960's suburban planning model. It was ultimately approved by
the Minister in 1972/1974.
■ This plan, which is known as the "Consolidated Official Plan"
designates all of the study area as "Industrial". The Plan
contains little direction or flexibility with respect to
redevelopment of the industrial area.
■ The first comprehensive zoning by-law was approved in 1954,
and still largely forms the basis for existing zoning standards
in the North Etobicoke Industrial area. Obviously, this zoning
is based on a 1950's planning model. A Zoning Code consolidated
all by- laws and was approved in 1983. However, the industrial
performance standards and permitted uses have not dramatically
changed over the years.
■ The Rexdale Industrial area is collectively zoned industrial
with the use of three categor ies, i.e. I.C1, I.C2 and I.C3.
The major differences between these classification s are:
- I.C1 permits unlimited office development, whereas I.C2 and
I.C3 permit only limited ancillary administrative offices;
- I.C2 and I.C3 permit outside storage, whereas I.C1 provides
strict limits;
- I.C3 is the only classification which permits heavy industrial
uses.
■ An Official Plan Amendment was approved in 1980 which had the
effect of limiting office development in industrial areas.
However, zoning amendments which would implement this plan were
never approved, and the I.C1 zoning still permits unlimited
office development.
■ The locational attributes and land use considerations of the
three classifications is generally not consistent, i.e.
the planning rationale for permitting certain types of uses
at various locations is not universally applied. This results
in various anomalies which cannot be explained or justified.
For example, the specific locations of I.C1 versus I.C2 zoned
lands do not appear to follow a consistent set of planning
criteria.
■ The I.C1 zoning has been reasonably successful in
attracting and controlling modern business park
development. This zoning permits a range of uses
including offices, restaurants, hotels, theatres, banks
and industrial buildings in prestigious settings.
■ Zoning By-law #11757 which is known as the "gasoline
by-law", and is intended to control automotive
commercial uses along major arterial roads is no longer
successful, and acts as an unnecessary constraint to
redevelopment.
■ No full scale zoning review of the industrial area has
occurred in over 35 years.
REVIEW OF NEW OFFICIAL PLAN (JULY, 1990)
■ In 1986, the City embarked on a full scale review of
the Official Plan, and in July, 1990 adopted a new
Official Plan.
■ The new Plan is a policy plan in addition to being a
land use plan, and contains numerous strategic and
contemporary policies affecting the future of
industrial areas.
■ This Plan still requires Ministerial approval or
possible Ontario Municipal Board approval. As such,
the Plan has no legal status, but is used as a planning
guideline by the City.
■ The Plan recognizes the benefits of redevelopment of
urbanized industrial lands, and change of these lands
to other uses. However, the Plan does not indicate
which parts of industrial areas may redevelop and,
therefore, site specific amendments are still required.
■ Generally, site specific amendments can take a minimum
of one to two years to process, not including possible
appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board.
EMERGING PLANNING ISSUES
■ There will continue to be redevelopment pressures on
industrial lands due to the decline in the traditional
industrial (manufacturing) sector. Redevelopment to
non-industrial uses such as retail and residential may
or may not adversely impact on the industrial area,
depending on the location.
■ Recent applications for new uses, such as retail
warehousing are not currently permitted in either of
the Official Plans or Zoning Code, except on a few site
specific bases.
■ Due to the recession and new business realities in the
1990's, companies are forced to make decisions on a
decreasing time basis. Due to the length of time
required to change legal documents, companies cannot
afford to take the time to seek changes and may leave.
It will be important to identify how flexibility can be
built into planning documents to ensure that the
industrial base remains strong and that certain positive
changes can occur without lengthy delays.
■ Environmental contamination of existing industrial
sites may restrict any redevelopment/reuse due to the
health risk or the prohibitive cost of clean-up.
■ A Secondary Plan has been proposed for the Airport
Area.
PLANNING PERSPECTIVE OF CHANGES
An approach to new policy should be based on the following:
1. Possible modifications to the new Official Plan will likely
consist of a fine-tuning of the Plan rather than wholesale
changes, as the new Plan is deemed to be very good.
2. Modifications to the Zoning Code are considered to be of
primary importance, due to the fact that as-of-right zoning
will provide the most effective way of providing for
responsive redevelopment opportunities.
3. There is a need to continually identify specific future
study areas or additional proactive planning initiatives
that the City should undertake as part of a long-term
strategy.
4. Future trends and potential for the airport are clear
enough that a secondary plan should not be required.
5. A recognition of the historic proactive role which
Etobicoke staff and politicians played during the
greenfield development of the 1950's and 1960's is
important in order to assist in developing a strategic role
for the 1990's.