Lower Don Lands Framework Plan Lower Don Lands Toronto, Ontario May 2010 Prepared by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., Landscape Architects, P.C. 16 Court Street, 11th Floor Brooklyn, New York 11241 718.243.2044 In collaboration with AECOM, Civil and Marine Engineer Applied Ecological Services, Regional Ecologist Arup, Traffic and Transportation Engineer Carpenter Norris Consulting, Sustainability Consultant GHK International Consulting, Urban Planner Greenberg Consultants, Urban Designer LimnoTech, River Hydrologist MMM Group Limited, Urban Planner Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, Architect RFR Engineering, Bridge Engineer Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH, Climate Engineer FRAMEWORK PLAN Lower Don Lands Framework Plan Prepared for Waterfront Toronto 20 Bay Street, Suite 1310 Toronto, Ontario M5J 2N8 416.214.1344 John Campbell, President and CEO Chris Glaisek, Vice President, Planning and Design Brenda Webster, Project Manager, Lower Don Lands Raffi Bedrosyan, Director, Port Lands Waterfront Toronto and the Consulting Team acknowledge the contribution of the following individuals to the project: Lower Don Lands Steering Committee Stakeholders Les Arishenkoff Toronto Water Julie Beddoes West Don Lands Committee Ted Bowering Toronto Water Sylvia Dellman St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Alex Brunton Baird & Associates Association (SLNA) Leslie Coates Parks, Forestry & Recreation Dennis Findlay Port Lands Action Committee Joe D’Abramo City Planning David Fisher Transit Advocate Bill Dawson Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Sharon Howarth Next Generation Sameer Dhalla Toronto Region Conservation David Jackson Distillery District Authority (TRCA) Stephen Kauffman Home Depot Ken Dion TRCA Michael Kirkland The Kirkland Partnership Robert Freedman City Planning Clay McFayden Cycling Advocate Adele Freeman TRCA Anna Prodanou Toronto Island Community Annelise Grieve Senes Consultants Association Don Haley TRCA Jane Robinson Gooderham & Worts Sean Harvey Parks, Forestry & Recreation Neighbourhood Association Steve Heuchert TRCA Robert Sherrin SLNA Gregory Horgan Technical Services Suzana Spratley Royal Canadian Yacht Club John Kelly Transportation Services David White WaterfrontAction Tim Laspa City Planning Chris Williams Aird & Berlis Dale Leadbeater AECOM(GLL) Cindy Wilkey West Don Lands Committee/ Cheryl MacDonald Social Development, Corktown Business & Residents Finance & Administration Association Gord MacPherson TRCA John Wilson Task Force to Bring Back the Don Jamie McEwan Waterfront Secretariat Lura Consulting Community Consultation Beth McEwen Parks, Forestry & Recreation Facilitation Gwen McIntosh City Planning Caroline Mellor Toronto Emergency Medical Services Paul Murray AECOM(GLL) Andrea Old City Planning Eric Pedersen City Planning Sherry Pedersen City Planning Mike Ronson Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Chris Ronson Waterfront Secretariat Marc Rose AECOM(GLL) Bill Snodgrass Toronto Water Nigel Tahair City Planning Kathy Thom City Planning Neil Zaph Parks, Forestry & Recreation FRAMEWORK PLAN Contents The Purpose of the Framework Plan 2 Introduction 6 History of the Lower Don Lands 12 Overview of the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan 16 A New Lower Don Lands Planning Framework 20 Consistency with Provincial and City Planning Policy 22 Supporting the Key Principles of the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan 30 — Creating Dynamic and Diverse New Communities 31 — Promoting a Clean and Green Environment 38 — Removing Barriers and Making New Connections 42 — Building a Network of Spectacular Parks and Public Spaces 48 Taking the Project to Implementation 52 Conclusion 56 The Purpose of the Framework Plan This Framework Plan is intended to demonstrate the broader objectives and plan elements for the Lower Don Lands so that multiple more specific studies and approval documents can be completed. The Framework Plan ensures that individual elements within future plans and studies reflect and promote the goals and intentions for the Lower Don Lands as a whole. FRAMEWORK PLAN The Framework Plan is a document that integrates and a modern approach to stormwater management that guides a number of different planning exercises for the has an enhanced emphasis on stormwater quality. Lower Don Lands, which is the area south of the Main The infrastructure system needs to be re-planned in Rail Line between Small Street and the Don Roadway a holistic manner that goes beyond the planning of and north of the Ship Channel in the Port Lands. any one individual precinct, and which has a strong The Framework Plan for the Lower Don Lands interconnection to the broader city transportation, takes the renaturalized Don River as the organizing transit and other infrastructure systems. element for new urban neighbourhoods surrounding a river and an open space system that provides for This Framework Plan looks at the relationship between flood protection, restoration of lost habitat, and the regeneration or development areas, parks and public creation of open spaces and parks. The Framework Plan space, and natural areas that will result from the creation guides the structure of the new districts that integrate of the new mouth of the Don River. It articulates a new neighbourhoods, water’s edge green spaces, and vision for the Lower Don Lands that remains consistent connecting infrastructure. with the intent of the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan. Addressing Challenges Facilitating Next Steps Although the City has intended the Lower Don Lands The Framework Plan is a necessary organizing piece to to regenerate for many years, redevelopment has been take the next steps necessary for the implementation of hindered by a number of factors: the Lower Don Lands proposals. Council’s endorsement of this Framework Plan Flood Risk makes the following immediate steps possible: The comprehensive solution to flood protection reflected in this Framework Plan will resolve this problem in the 1. Filing the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port context of city building and open space creation. Lands Flood Protection Individual Environmental Assessment to the Minister of Environment for Isolation from the City Approval The Lower Don Lands need a defining organization The Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood of spaces that provide land for redevelopment, land Protection Individual EA (DMNP EA) aims to arrive for recreation, and land for ecological purposes. The at a preferred solution for a naturalized Don Mouth area is currently perceived as a disconnected island which considers flood protection and naturalization in a of brownfield lands with poor links to the surrounding coordinated manner. It studied numerous alternatives city. Impressive public spaces define the character to arrive at a Preferred Alternative for the new mouth of of the proposed Precincts and neighbourhoods, add the Don River - one that accomplished a set of key goals, connections to the surrounding communities, access to including striking a balance amongst flood protection, the water’s edge and valuable park space. The cohesion naturalization, and community building. of the proposed Framework Plan’s open space system The DMNP EA then studied the Preferred adds needed value to the development lands and makes Alternative in further detail in order to identify potential them attractive places to live and work. environmental impacts, and propose measures to avoid or eliminate those impacts, or mitigate them. Soil and Groundwater Contamination The Individual EA requires the approval of the Ontario There are varying degrees of soil and groundwater Minister of the Environment. contamination across the Lower Don Lands due Redevelopment and revitalization of the Lower Don to landfilling which occurred when there were no Lands can only occur once the principal barrier of flood environmental standards and subsequent heavy risk is addressed. The DMNP EA proposes a solution industrial activity. However, the contamination is all of that is a comprehensive response to flood protection. a remediable nature and not markedly worse than other That response is also balanced with two other key public urban brownfield sites in Toronto. objectives: naturalization in the form of new aquatic and terrestrial habitat, and city building – facilitating the Insufficient Infrastructure redevelopment of adjacent areas as new communities. The infrastructure in the Lower Don Lands was built to serve the industrial uses that have largely left the 2. Amending the Central Waterfront Secondary area. It is not suitable for a modern urban community. Plan The site currently lacks the diversity of modes of travel The Central Waterfront Secondary Plan, currently before (e.g., transit, cycling, pedestrian and private automobile) the Ontario Municipal Board, was adopted by City necessary for sustainable urban living. Furthermore, Council on April 16, 2003. A number of differences redevelopment requires a contemporary underground exist between the adopted Central Waterfront infrastructure system of wastewater collection and Secondary Plan and the plans for the Lower Don Lands. water supply that do not add further stress to the These differences are in the location of lands and flood existing systems in the Central Waterfront, along with protection measures and infrastructure, but there are PURPOSE OF THE FRAMEWORK PLAN 3 no differences in the principles or intent. The current 4. Filing the Class EA Master Plan for the Lower Secondary Plan shows the Don River in a different Don Lands Infrastructure location, prohibits development on the