Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSA) Zoning Review

Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSA) Zoning Review

Updates:

• On September 24, 2024, Council approved Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments that will facilitate more housing to be built within the Protected Major Transit Station Areas.
• View the Council resolution, which contains the Council-approved TSA Zone regulations and maps.

Note: Final approval is required by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing before the TSA Zone is in force.

• Learn more about other City Council approved amendments to The London Plan that support the creation of new housing opportunities.
• View map of the proposed TSA zones

Project Summary

London has committed to create as-of-right zoning to promote high-density residential development near transit stations. This commitment was made as part of the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund to encourage new municipal initiatives that will increase housing supply at an accelerated pace and enhance certainty for developers in the approvals and building permit processes.

The proposed Zoning By-law and Official Plan amendments will allow for more housing to be built faster within the Protected Major Transit Station Areas.

Proposed Zoning By-law amendment to:

• introduce the Transit Station Area (TSA) Zone
• apply the Transit Station Area (TSA) Zone to select properties within the Protected Major Transit Station Areas

Proposed Official Plan amendment to:

• update The London Plan policies to provide clarify between the Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSA) and the associated Place Types
• update The London Plan policies related to permitted heights
• update the locations of the Rapid Transit Stations, consistent with the Downtown Loop, East London Link, and Wellington Gateway infrastructure projects
• remove properties from the Rapid Transit Corridor Protected Major Transit Station Area
• add properties to the Transit Village Protected Major Transit Station Area

Project Details

Proposed Zoning By-law Amendments

In 2020, Council approved the Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSA) policies in The London Plan. The City is now required to zone the properties within the PMTSA to implement these policies and to reach our housing targets. After a review of the City’s Zoning By-law was conducted, it was determined that a new section of the Z.-1 Zoning By-law was required to achieve the objectives of the PMTSAs.

It is recommended that a new section in the Zoning By-law be introduced to allow for greater residential intensity and heights. A Zoning By-law amendment must be undertaken to introduce the new Transit Station Area (TSA) Zone.

An additional Zoning By-law amendment is proposed to apply the TSA Zone to select properties within the PMTSA. This new zone would be added to properties and will not replace the current zone for these properties. The result is multiple zones on one property, known as compound zones (see Section 3.9 of the Z.-1 Zoning By-law for more information on compound zones).

Proposed Official Plan Amendments

An Official Plan amendment is proposed to increase the permitted maximum heights in the PMTSAs, consistent with recent recommendations to increase permitted heights (see Heights Framework Review), as well as update various policies to provide clarity between the PMTSA policies and the policies of the Downtown, Transit Village, and Rapid Transit Corridor Place Types.

This project also recommends updates to the locations of the Rapid Transit Stations identified on Map 3 – Street Classifications of The London Plan. These updates are consistent with the Downtown Loop, East London Link, and Wellington Gateway infrastructure projects.

This project also recommends updates to Map 10 – Protected Major Transit Station Areas. Properties are proposed to be removed from the Rapid Transit Corridor Protected Major Transit Station Area that do not have direct access to the associated Rapid Transit Boulevard. Properties are proposed to be added to the Transit Village Protected Major Transit Station Area, consistent with the proposed new Transit Villages.