Dundas corridor policy implementation

• Notice of Passing – Public Notice CD.03-DOW OPA 141
• Notice of Passing – Public Notice CD.03-DOW OPA 142

• Amendment to the Dundas Corridor Mixed Use Limited Designation
• Appendix 1 – Draft Official Plan Policy

• Dundas Corridor Policy Implementation Project – Official Plan Amendment
• Appendix 1 – Written Letters
• Appendix 2 – Response to Comments Summary
• Appendix 3 – Public Meeting Minutes
• Appendix 4 – Draft Protected MTSA Schedules 11-E 11-F and 11-G
• Appendix 5 – Revised Character Area Policies
• Appendix 6 – Recommended Official Plan Amendments – Revised Official Plan Schedules
• Appendix 7 – Planning Rationale for Proposed Policies
• Appendix 8 – Applicable Policy Analysis
• Public Meeting Notice for July 5, 2022

• Dundas Corridor Policy Implementation Project – Draft Official Plan Amendment
• Appendix 1 – Summary of Parallel Projects Implementing the Dundas Connects Master Plan Recommendations
• Appendix 2 – Draft Official Plan Policy
• Appendix 3 – Map: Protected Major Transit Areas
• Appendix 4
• Public Meeting Notice for May 30, 2022

• Presentation – Virtual Public Meeting, March 21, 2022
  • Watch the recording of the presentation

• Dundas Connects Master Plan Implementation Update 2021

• Dundas Street Right of Way Planning and Development Committee Report 2020
• Appendix 1 – Dundas Connects Master Plan Report to Planning and Development Committee 2018
• Appendix 2 – Figure 5-3 Land Use Concept Plan of the DCMP
• Appendix 3 – Preliminary Program of Various Key DCMP Related Projects

• Terms of Reference – Dundas Connects Land Use Compatibility
  • Dundas Terms of Reference Figure 1
  • Dundas Terms of Reference Figure 2
  • Dundas Terms of Reference Figure 3
  • Dundas Terms of Reference Figure 4

Key recommendations within the endorsed DCMP include the following:

• Implementing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along Dundas Street
• Encouraging mixed-use development that supports transit
• Creating more open spaces and community facilities
• Maintaining existing and supporting new affordable housing
• Maintaining four traffic lanes along Dundas Street
• Providing safe cycling infrastructure along the length of the Dundas Street Corridor
• Enhancing pedestrian space and providing street trees
• Encouraging street-related retail while supporting existing businesses.

Learn more about the specific recommendations in the endorsed plan.

The Dundas Connects Master Plan (DCMP) recommendations have been endorsed, yet they have not been formally established as official City policy. This is partly due to ongoing studies, which affect the implementation of the recommendations.

Once approved, the implementation of the Official Plan Amendment will establish the recommendations of the DCMP as official policy.

Until then, any development on lands within the Dundas Connects Master Plan will be subject to current Official Plan policies and Zoning By-law regulations.

For lands currently restricted by flooding, the ongoing flood mitigation studies, environmental assessments, and construction of mitigation measures must be completed before the recommendations of the DCMP can be fully realized.

At the same time, any conversion of employment areas to non-employment uses will continue to be subject to Region of Peel Official Plan policies and Provincial requirements.

The implementing Official Plan Amendment may include the following key recommendations of the Dundas Connects Master Plan (DCMP):

• Implement height range recommendations of the DCMP along the Dundas Street corridor.
• Identify lands within the Dixie and Mavis-Erindale Employment Areas that could be considered for conversion from employment to mixed-use residential subject to land use compatibility assessment to determine appropriateness. (If appropriate, this will entail land use changes initiated by development applications.)
• Establish where appropriate urban design and built form policies for lands along the Dundas Street corridor.
• The development of open space and public realm networks to support the expected residential development and complement the anticipated job growth.
• Define the Dixie Community Node boundary, which is currently unspecified in the Official Plan. However, policies related to the extent of development within the node will be subject to ongoing flood studies.
• Enhance access and connections within existing blocks and future higher-order transit stations through additional roadways and access corridors.

The recommendations of the Dundas Connects Master Plan, which form the basis of the implementing Official Plan Amendment, have already gone through extensive public engagement and endorsed by Council in 2018.

The City anticipates engagement in the fall/winter of 2021 to discuss the development of the Implementing Official Plan Amendment, with a statutory public meeting for the draft Official Plan Amendment early 2022. Additional community engagement maybe scheduled. To make sure you are updated with the project, please register and subscribe to receive news alerts about future engagements at the top of the page.

As part of the Dundas Corridor Policy Implementation work, lands along Dundas Street affected by flooding will have policies related to permitted land uses and heights in anticipation of future development, but will not be able to fully develop those lands until flood issues are resolved.

The City is currently conducting flood studies to determine the best flood mitigation options along Dundas Street. The process requires multiple levels of approval from the Conservation Authorities, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Lands that are currently within identified flood areas in the Official Plan, including those in the Dixie-Dundas Community Node and the Dixie Employment Area, will continue to be restricted by the Official Plan policies that are currently in effect.

Flood affected areas will be able to develop upon completion of related flood studies, the construction of any flood mitigation measures, and the approval of updated policies through the above process. Revised flood mapping and policies in the Official Plan and Zoning By-law must also be complete where necessary before new development is considered in affected areas. This process is likely to take multiple years.

Find more details about the related flood studies, including timelines:

• Little Etobicoke Creek Flood Evaluation Study, which looks at flood mitigation options at a larger scale throughout the entire Little Etobicoke Creek watershed from Courtney Park in the north to Queensway East in the south.
• Dixie-Dundas Flood Mitigation Study, which looks at flood mitigation options at a more localized scale, specifically for the neighbourhoods around Dundas Street and Dixie Road.
• Dundas Street Special Policy Area Review is a study that looks at updating the Applewood and Dixie-Dundas Special Policy Areas (SPAs) as identified in the Official Plan.

Currently, the Official Plan protects the right-of-way of 42 metres to allow for improvements along the Dundas Street corridor as new development occurs. The detailed design, including the width of lanes, cycling lanes, street furniture, landscaping, etc., within the right of way is part of the City’s Preliminary Design and Transit Project Assessment Process Study for the Dundas BRT.

The proposed changes to heights reflect the Council endorsed recommendations of the Dundas Connects Master Plan. Depending on the location along Dundas Street heights will vary. Generally, up to 6 storeys are permitted along the Dundas Street corridor. 12 storeys are permitted close to key intersections such as Winston Churchill, Erindale Station, Cawthra, Dixie and Wharton, and 25 storeys are permitted near to the Cooksville GO station and the Dixie Road and Dundas Street intersection.

The boundaries of the Dixie-Dundas Community Node reflect the Dixie Focus area in the Dundas Connects Master Plan.

As per Provincial legislation, the City is required to update the Zoning By-law to reflect Official Plan policies within 3 years of the approved Official Plan amendment.

The city does see merit in reducing parking standards and is completing the City’s Parking Regulations Study that will be presented to Planning & Development Committee.

The City is currently undertaking the Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing Study which will establish City-wide affordable housing requirements.

The City will organize a Statutory Public Meeting before the summer of 2022 with the intent of presenting the policies to the City Council in July. Proposed building heights, land use designations and densities will be implemented as part of the Major Transit Station Area project. The Major Transit Station Area policies as well as these policies cannot take effect until the Regional Official Plan Policies are approved by the Province.