Incoming Changes to the Growth Plan
What is Amendment 1 and how will it impact development?
On January 15th, 2019 the Ontario Government introduced Amendment 1 to the Growth Plan. The changes proposed include policies that address employment, settlement boundaries, agricultural and heritage mapping, and density targets, among other things.
These changes are meant to address concerns raised by municipalities and the development industry, while providing more flexibility to local governments on planning matters.
Proposed Changes
The change likely to have the most impact on development is the introduction of Provincially Significant Employment Zones (PSEZs).
Once approved, lands within the PSEZs will only be able to be converted to non-employment uses through a Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR). Municipalities are free to convert employment lands located outside of the PSEZs on the condition that a ‘significant’ number of jobs are maintained.
If you want to know which areas fall under the proposed PSEZs, you can take a look at the Province’s online map here.
Another significant change involves adjustments to the greenfield density target and the intensification target. Municipalities outside of Toronto will now fall under one of three target categories aligning with local market realities, as opposed to being required to meet broad targets established in the 2017 Growth Plan.
Adding to this, Amendment 1 establishes new policies relating to Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs). The 2017 Growth Plan required municipalities to set minimum density targets for MTSAs through an MCR.
Amendment 1 proposes to allow municipalities to develop policies and implement density targets for MTSAs outside of an MCR. Further, municipalities are now able to adjust MTSA boundaries from 500 to 800 metres, potentially opening up more land for high-density development.
Conclusion
All in all, the potential impacts of the proposed Amendment 1 are not as clearcut as would be preferred. In theory, providing more power to local governments should allow them to make decisions which are more in line with local needs. Unfortunately, defining local needs often depends on politics.
Therefore, Amendment 1 leaves the door wide open for several potential scenarios to occur. For instance, York Region may opt convert large amounts of employment lands outside of PSEZs into non-employment uses, while Toronto decides to protect all their employment lands. The same can be said for municipalities setting their own density and intensification targets for greenfield lands and MTSAs.
One thing that is for certain is that lands located within PSEZs are restricted from conversions, making them areas that residential developers will want to steer clear of.
But what if Amendment 1 was implemented tomorrow — how would these changes affect the development context in Toronto and York Region?
More on that in our next blog post… Stay tuned!
Want to learn from the experts? Check out these awesome blog posts below!
- Dentons Canada LLP: Amendment 1 — Proposed changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
- Wood Bull LLP: Province Proposes Draft Amendment to the Growth Plan
- Weirfoulds LLP: Streamlining Growth Management — Proposed Amendments to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2017
Have questions about Amendment 1? Get in touch at bram@mapyourproperty.com.
