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North York at the Centre – Supplementary Option Consultation 


When Phase 2 of the North York Centre Secondary Plan was passed at City Council earlier this year, I passed several additional motions, some of which propose changes to their recommended option. Last week, City Planning held an in-person consultation on these proposed changes which is summarized in the Supplementary Option Evaluation which was released earlier this month. 


The Supplementary Option revises land use permissions, building heights, and parkland opportunities in select areas, including Empress Avenue, Willowdale Avenue, and lands on the south side of Bishop Ave.


Key Findings

Both the Recommended and Supplementary Options were evaluated using five guiding principles: Grow a Complete Community, Reinforce North York Centre as a Hub for Work, Arts & Culture, Green North York Centre, Build Connectivity, and Design Places for People.


What the Evaluation Shows:


Areas where the Supplementary Option performs stronger:

  • Greater potential for parkland expansion and connectivity (including Bishop, Hendon, and Mitchell Field Parks)

  • Stronger protection of existing tree canopy in neighbourhood areas

  • Improved sunlight access on streets and the public realm


Areas where both options perform similarly:

  • Overall housing supply and density near transit

  • Office and retail space provision

  • Transit, mobility, safety, and connectivity outcomes

  • Transition between built forms and surrounding neighbourhoods

  • Wind and park sunlight conditions (overall)


Key Changes

  • Willowdale Avenue (Finch to Empress)Previously proposed for mid-rise mixed-use development, this area is now proposed to remain primarily low-rise Neighbourhoods with a maximum height of 4 storeys.

  • Empress Avenue (Doris to Willowdale)The Recommended Option proposed a mix of 15–25 storey tall buildings and 6–11 storey mid-rise buildings. The Supplementary Option reduces this to predominantly 4-storey low-rise buildings.

  • Doris Avenue at EmpressReduced from 15–25 storey tall building permissions to a maximum of 6 storeys.

  • Bishop / Pemberton / Kenneth / Willowdale blockThis is the main area where density increases. Lands previously limited to 4 storeys are now proposed for 15–25 storey mixed-use development.


Where I differ with staff’s evaluation

Staff felt that my proposed changed distribution of parkland reduced equity. However, I feel it actually increases equity in terms of access to parkland. Previously Sheppard East Park was envisioned to almost triple in size, for a community that already has access to Glendora Park. Whereas my proposal seeks to enlarge Mitchell Field Park which would create opportunities to add some more sporting facilities that have access to bathrooms in the recreation centre.


Overall Conclusion

The evaluation finds that both options generally perform well, with different strengths. The Recommended Option supports a more balanced mix of built form, retail distribution, and public realm improvements, while the Supplementary Option provides stronger outcomes for park expansion potential and tree canopy preservation.

Residents provided feedback on the following key themes:

  • Traffic and road safety: concerns about congestion, turning movements on Sheppard and Yonge, traffic calming, and vehicles entering residential streets

  • Building heights and density: questions about 4-, 6-, and 7-storey permissions in neighbourhood areas and transition zones

  • Parks and open space: concerns about parkland equity, park distribution north vs. south, park size (e.g. Bishop Park), and ensuring parks remain functional with amenities like benches

  • Wind and built form impacts: concerns about wind conditions on streets such as Parkview

  • Parking and transportation: questions about parking supply, visitor parking, transit projections, and bike lanes

  • Zoning and implementation: clarification on as-of-right permissions, future zoning updates, and how Official Plan policies will be implemented

  • Other topics: retirement housing demand, retail design (small-scale, walkable), smart traffic signals, and non-park open space definitions


Next Steps

The community feedback that was collected by the Planning team will be used alongside the above evaluation to inform the next phase (Phase 3) of the Draft Secondary Plan. To provide additional comments or ask questions, residents can contact the planning team directly at nycentre@toronto.ca and copy my office so we can also follow up on your correspondence with staff. 


More information: toronto.ca/nycentre 

 
 
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