14

CHAPTER

LAND USE

Land Use

14

14.1

LAND USE
Chapter 14

1 4 . 1 I NT RO DUC T IO N
Canadas busiest airport, Toronto
Pearson International Airport is
located in the largest Canadian
urban area which ranks as the fifth
largest urban area in North
America after Los Angeles, New
York, Chicago and Washington.
In this chapter, the GTAAs development approach and recent property acquisitions are described.
The phasing of the planned construction to 2030 is summarized
with full discussions of this construction provided in previous
chapters. The impact that the
Airport has on development in the
surrounding area is also detailed.
The Land Use Plan for the Airport
can be found at the end of the
chapter. The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities approved the Plan in
May 2007.

1 4 . 2 E XIST ING AIRP O RT

A R EA S
The Airport occupies some
1,867 ha (4,613 acres) and is
located adjacent to Hwy 401, the
main east-west highway route
through southern Ontario and the
busiest highway in North
America. The bulk of the Airport
(1,824 ha, 4,507 acres) is located

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

Airport Layout and Adjacent Lands

within the City of Mississauga

with 43 ha (106 acres) located
within the City of Toronto.
Existing developments in the
Airports four major areas (Airport
East, Airport Infield, Airport
North, and Airport South) along
with the Airport Airside and some
additional smaller parcels, have
been described in detail in
Chapter 1 and are summarized in
Table 14-1. Included in the table
are the land areas associated with
new property acquisitions since
the release of the 1999 Master
Plan. See also Figure 14-1.
Airport lands are a fundamental resource for enabling
the GTAA to fulfill its mandate to maximize the development potential of
Toronto Pearson.

The GTAAs vision is to be a leading airport company championing

sustainable global access for the
GTA. Any development on the
Airport must be compatible with
operational requirements and must
optimize revenue generation
potential while not compromising
long-term options for new,
enlarged or improved facilities
integral to an international airport.

14.2

The airport lands are summarized

by land use in Table 14-2 and discussed in the Land Use Plan at the
end of the chapter.

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

14.2.1 Development Approach

Toronto Pearson is a constrained
site at a mature stage of development where, more than ever, the

spatial planning for aviation-related

infrastructure requires the stringent application of the highest
and best use principle. This

14.3

TABLE 14-1

A I R P O RT L A N D A R E A S

Airport Area
Airport East
(Master Plan Areas 5, 7, 11, and 12)
Airport Ineld
(Area 10)
Airport South
(Areas 2A and 2B)
Airport North
(Areas 8, 13A, 13B, 14, 15, and 16)
Airport East Access
(Areas 6A, 6B, 6C, 6F, and 6Z)
Airport Airside (Area 13)
Other Airport Lands
(Areas 6E, 13C, 13E, 98 and 99)

TABLE 14-2

Hectares

Acres

260

642

142

351

55

136

152

376

68
1,168

168
2,886

22
1,867

54
4,613

L AND USE SUMMARY

Airport Land Uses

Airport Aireld
Passenger Terminal Facilities
Other Airport Development
Passenger Terminal Complex Access Lands
Airport Environmental Protection Areas
TOTAL

principle must be used to assess

development opportunities in
order to take advantage of the
best opportunities for land uses
for all the developable parcels on
the Airport.
Any development on the Airport
must be compatible with the
approved Land Use Plan and the
provisions of the Ground Lease.
Appropriate environmental practices and polices have been followed and implemented, as
discussed in Chapter 12, and will
continue to impact future airport
development.
In addition, development must
conform to aerodrome and airport
certification standards. The closer

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

Hectares
1,026
209
428
29
175
1,867

Acres
2,535
516
1,058
72
432
4,613

% Airport Site
55
11
23
2
9
100%

a proposed development is to
the airfield, the more severely
restricted are development heights
due to the clearance criteria associated with runways and taxiways,
and critical areas associated with
navigational aids, communications
equipment and air traffic control
visibility. No new land use will be
approved that conflicts with the
siting of planned facilities, such as
runways, taxiways, and navigational aids.
The siting, configuration and
height of Terminal 1 was very
much influenced and impacted by
these restrictions. Similarly, significant areas of the airfield have no
build zones.

Other important criteria are the

adequacy and the suitability of
a site for a proposed land use.
Ideally, a facility would not be
located in an area that has airside
access where such access is not
required, nor should there be a
low-rise development on a site
relatively unrestricted by airport
zoning height restrictions.
Compatibility with the surrounding land uses and future impacts on
traffic (both on- and off-airport)
are also important criteria that are
examined prior to a determination
being made about appropriate land
uses for a particular parcel.
In developing the Airport, the
GTAA recognizes the impact airport operations and development
have on the surrounding communities. While municipal land use
planning policies and regulations
do not apply at the Airport, the
GTAA will endeavour to respect
local restrictions through ongoing
dialogue with neighbouring
municipalities.
Retail, entertainment, restaurant,
and other commercial uses will be
considered for airport lands available for development. Feedback
received at the Master Plan open
houses indicated an interest in
making such facilities available

14.4
Boeing administration building
into a commemorative structure
for the City of Mississauga. This
will be included in the scope of
work once the GTAA undertakes
the development of the
Boeing lands.

Airport North Boeing Lands and Area 13A

on-airport for employees and local

residents. A pedestrian/cycle path
will be accommodated in the
Etobicoke Creek Valley lands.
Consideration will also be given
to incorporating an aircraft
viewing area in the Airports
development plans.

14.2.2 New Land Acquisitions

While the land mass of the Airport
has not changed significantly over
the years, some property acquisitions have been made by the
GTAA to improve the efficiency or
sustainability of the Airport.
Boeing Lands
The Boeing lands (45.7 ha,
113 acres) purchased by the
GTAA, provides for a phased
turnover of lands in a minimum
of three phases following environmental remediation of the soil by
Boeing with groundwater remediation ongoing. Area 15A, the initial parcel (16 ha, 39.5 acres) was
transferred to the GTAA in May
2006 and accommodates the
extension of the North Airside
Service Road to connect the north
end of the Airport to the east and

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

south side of the Airport. Interim

land uses include a winter maintenance equipment staging and a
snow-dump area.
Demolition is complete for the
middle parcel (14.8 ha, 36.6 acres)
and the scope of environmental
remediation for soil and groundwater is currently under development. The timing of the turnover
of the remaining lands is not yet
known, although Boeing has
ceased all operations on these
lands and has completed demolition of the buildings on the
remaining lands.
This parcel is very important in
terms of development potential.
This site allows for significant
development heights and has
access to the runway and taxiway
system. Potential uses of this site
include aircraft maintenance,
repair and overhaul facilities, and
cargo facilities. However, traffic
issues exist due to the location of
the Boeing lands at the busy intersection of Derry and
Airport Roads.
The GTAA has committed to
incorporate portions of the limestone faade from the former

Skeet Lands
The Skeet lands, Area 16, total
9.7 ha (24 acres) and are located
south of Derry Road near the
intersection of Derry and
Bramalea Roads, west of the
FedEx courier facility. The GTAA
took possession of this property in
February 2007. This site will be
considered for additional cargo
opportunities or for additional airline support facilities.
Development heights and site
planning are impacted by the
obstacle zoning associated with
adjacent runways and the operational restrictions related to the
CAT III instrument landing
system nearby.
Dorman Road Lands
This property in Area 6F covers a
land area of approximately 3.2 ha
(7.84 acres) and is located off
American Drive on Dorman Road.
These lands were acquired by the
GTAA in December 2000 to
accommodate the development of
the Hwy 409 inbound roads serving the terminal redevelopment
and to facilitate a right-of-way for
a future downtown rail link.
Former Ministry of
Transportation Hwy 409 Lands
These Area 6Z lands (29 ha,
71.7 acres) were transferred from

14.5
on this site could mirror the
development that has taken place
in the Airport Corporate Centre
area of Mississauga located south
of Hwy 401.

Airport East Access Lands Areas 6A, 6B and 6C

the Province of Ontario to the federal Crown, and subsequently

leased to the GTAA, to facilitate
improved road access to Terminal 1
and connecting roads, as well as to
allow for the construction of utility corridors in support of new
utility equipment and services
developed on adjacent lands.

14.2.3 Commercially
Developable Lands
Airports in North America and
globally are pursuing nonaeronautical revenue growth
through the direct development of
complementary land uses, including office, hotel, retail, logistics,
advertising signage and other
commercial or industrial uses.
There are approximately 110 ha
(272 acres) available for development of both airport-related and
complementary uses. The location
of these lands is shown in Figure
14-2, and the areas are summarized
in Table 14-3. Highlights of the
largest available parcels will be discussed in the following section.

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

Traffic implications of any proposed

land development will be investigated for all developable parcels.
Airport South
There are a number of parcels in
Area 2A straddling Convair Drive
that are available for development.
Two of the parcels on the north
side of Convair Drive have
groundside and airside vehicular
access, but are the most restricted
in terms of development heights
due to their proximity to the airfield. These parcels would be most
suitable for aviation support uses.
Of the three parcels south of
Convair Drive, the largest parcel is
7.4 ha (18.3 acres). This parcel
has excellent site visibility with
frontage on Hwy 401 and
Renforth Drive and has the least
restrictive development elevations
in the area. Commercial land uses
TABLE 14-3

Airport North
A 24.1 ha (59.6 acre) parcel is
located on the north side of Derry
Road East, midway between
Airport and Torbram Roads in
Area 13A. This parcel is adjacent
to a residential subdivision in
Malton to the east, with the
balance of the surrounding lands
accommodating industrial and
highway commercial uses. The
vacant Boeing lands and the
Trans-Alta Cogeneration Plant are
located to the south and east of
this parcel.
With this property on the
approach to Runway 15L, development on the site would need to
be low-rise. Due consideration
would be given to the type of land
use and appropriate setbacks to
the adjacent residential area.
Another parcel of 11.9 ha
(29.5 acres) is located on the
north side of Derry Road in Area
13B, immediately east of Bramalea
Road and across from the FedEx
courier facility. The CAE training
facility is located on the northwest
portion of this site. Irregularly
shaped due to the flood plain contours associated with Spring

DEVELOPABLE L ANDS

Airport Area
Airport South (Area 2A)
Airport North (Areas 8, 13A, 13B, 15A and 16)
Airport East Access (Areas 6A, 6C and 6F)
Other Airport Lands (Areas 13C and 13E)

Hectares
13
68
11
18

Acres
32
168
27
45

14.6

Creek, this site has good access to

Bramalea Road, with good potential access to Derry Road.
Airport East Access
The South 409 Development
Lands, a portion of Area 6A, are
located across from Terminal 3,

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

bounded on the east by the extension of Hwy 409 to the terminals,

on the west by the Airport LINK
train station and associated guideway, and on the north by
Viscount Road. Excellent opportunities for development exist

there due to the favourable location with over 1,000-foot frontage

on the north side of Airport Road,
direct access to the terminals, and
close proximity to neighbouring
hotels, offices, and other commercial services.

14.7
Consistent with its objective of pursuing additional non-aeronautical
revenue, the GTAA has offered
these lands for lease and development. It is anticipated that major
office buildings, a hotel and meeting facilities, supported by ancillary convenience and service retail
uses, will be developed on the site.
Other Airport Lands
The property on the north side of
Hwy 401 and east of Dixie Road
in Area 13E has excellent visibility.
This area of Mississauga is a major
employment district with a mix
of commercial, retail, and services
use and other business uses
requiring the visibility afforded by
a major industrial arterial route.
In the area east and west of Dixie
Road, there is a mix of manufacturing, warehouse, and logistics
uses, as well as heavy industrial
uses. Dixie Road has exceptionally
heavy large-truck and other automobile traffic. Area 13E is large at
11.3 ha (27.9 acres) with an irregular and elongated shape. However, to facilitate development on
the site, property access issues
need to be resolved.

14.3 OFF-AIRPORT
D EV E LOP ME NT
The GTAA endeavours to ensure
that land adjacent to or in the
vicinity of the Airport is not used
or developed in a manner that is
incompatible with the safe operation of the Airport or aircraft.

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

14.3.1 GTAA Responsibility

14.3.2 Federal Jurisdiction

The GTAA participates in the

local and regional municipal planning process through the review of
plans of subdivision and other
proposed developments, official
plans, zoning bylaws and other
planning documents. The GTAA
also liaises with the federal,
provincial, regional and local
municipal governments on matters
related to land use policy.

Airport Zoning Regulations

The Airport and the surrounding
communities are subject to zoning
regulations specific to the Airport
that are included in the TorontoLester B. Pearson International
Airport Zoning Regulations.
Section 5.4 (2) of the Aeronautics
Act provides the authority for the
federal Crown to create and
amend these regulations.

Ensuring the continued integration of a major airport within an

urbanized environment is an
important issue. Guidelines and
regulations for compatible land use
around airports are necessary to
maintain harmonious growth of
both the Airport and its neighbours. These regulations and
guidelines are critical to minimize
the risk of aircraft accidents and to
ensure that airport operations do
not adversely affect adjacent land
uses and conversely to ensure that
adjacent land uses do not adversely
impact airport operations.

The Regulations limit the height of

buildings, structures, and objects,
including objects of natural
growth in the area surrounding the
Airport. There is a waste disposal
clause in the Regulations and a
Bird Hazard Zone of 8 km has
been established to ensure that
waste materials are handled appropriately to discourage bird congregation in the area, thus reducing
the likelihood of bird strikes on
aircraft. The Regulations also protect lands that house navigational
aids, radar and communication
equipment.

Federally enacted Airport Zoning

Regulations provide protection for
the public and for aircraft operating in the airspace surrounding
the Airport. Airport zoning and
constraints on land use are
required to maintain a safe environment for flight operations and
to promote compatible airport
and community development.
These are discussed in the sections
that follow.

The current revision of the

Regulations was registered against
title to properties in the year
2000. This revision incorporated
the zoning restrictions associated
with the Airports new runways
and provides protection for the
sixth runway that may be constructed in the future.
Obstacle Limitation Surfaces:
There are three obstacle limitation
surfaces: the outer surface, the
take-off/approach surface, and the

14.8
becoming familiar with problems
related to land use associated with
airport development.

14.3.3 Provincial Jurisdiction

Runway 23 Approach

transitional surface, that place

development restrictions on properties around the Airport. These
surfaces affect the maximum
height of potential obstructions
including buildings, structures,
and trees.
The outer surface provides for the
protection of aircraft conducting a
circling procedure or manoeuvering in the vicinity of the Airport.
This surface, measured from the
Airports reference point, extends
out to a horizontal distance of
approximately four kilometres,
resulting in a maximum development elevation of 219.46 metres
above sea level. The take-off/
approach surface extends out
15 km with a two per cent slope.
The transitional surface is a complex surface along the sides of the
runway strip and part of the
approach surface that slopes up
to the outer surface. The slope of
the transitional surface, measured
vertically perpendicular to the
runway, is 14.3 per cent.
Communication/Navigation
Equipment Protection: There is
an appropriate clause contained
within the Airport Zoning

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

Regulations that deals with preventing off-airport development

that could potentially interfere
with signals or communications
from airport facility equipment.
The clause reads: No owner or
lessee of land to which these
Regulations apply shall permit any
part of that land to be used or
developed in a manner that causes
interference with signals or communications to and from (a) an
aircraft; or (b) facilities used to
provide services relating to
aeronautics.
Land Use Guidelines
As introduced in the Noise
Management chapter, Transport
Canadas publication Land Use
in the Vicinity of Airports
addresses aircraft noise and its
implications for development on
lands surrounding airports. This
publication describes the operational characteristics of airports
that may influence land uses outside the airport property boundary and recommends guidelines
for compatible land use. The
objective of this publication is to
assist planners and legislators at
all levels of government in

Provincial governments within

Canada have the right to enact
legislation and regulations with
respect to land use planning. Excluding lands owned by the federal government, provinces and
municipalities can exercise authority in developing land use plans
and regulations, which may then
be used to conduct the orderly
development of land.
The regional and local municipal
levels of government are the
decision-making tiers where land
use plans, plans of subdivision,
and zoning by-laws are approved.
While the province plays a critical
role with respect to some
approvals, the municipal level of
government provides many of the
approvals that determine the scale
and type of land use.
The principal source of policies
emanating from either the
regional or local levels of government is the official plan. The official plan is a general planning
policy instrument that a municipal council passes in order to

DVOR/DME

14.9

guide, among other things, the

timing, form, and conditions of
land development within the
boundaries of the official plan.

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

Provincial Airport Policies:

Provincial Policy Statement
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs
and Housing is charged with the
administration of the planning

process in Ontario and is responsible for carrying out the legislation

within the Planning Act 1983,
as amended.

14.10
14.3.4 Nature of Land Use in the
Vicinity of Toronto Pearson
The GTAA works closely with the
planning departments of the cities
of Mississauga, Toronto and
Brampton. This effort is required
to ensure that development
around the Airport is compatible
with airport operations and the
Airports future growth.

Runway 06L and Runway 06R Approaches

The Province of Ontario issued a

revised Provincial Policy Statement
(PPS), in March 2005, under the
authority of Section 3 of the
Planning Act, which deals in
part with land use planning and
development around airports.
The PPS is a key component of
Ontarios planning framework.
For airports, it affects the planning for future airport facilities
and the ability of airports to operate effectively and efficiently. The
policy statement recognizes that
airport operations and the economic role of airports need to be
protected, and that airports and
sensitive land uses need buffering.
To protect airports from incompatible development, the policy
states that new residential development and other sensitive land uses
will not be permitted in areas near
airports above the 30 Noise
Exposure Forecast/Noise Exposure
Projection (NEF/NEP). These
terms are explained in the Noise
Management Chapter. Sensitive
land uses may include, but are not

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

limited, to residences, day-care

centres, and educational and
health facilities.
Redevelopment of existing residential uses and other sensitive
land uses or infilling of residential
and other sensitive land uses may
be considered above the
30 NEF/NEP if it has been
demonstrated that there will be no
negative impacts on the long-term
operations of the airport.
For the first time, the policy indicates that land uses will be discouraged that may cause a
potential aviation safety hazard.
Municipal official plans are considered the most important vehicle
for implementing the PPS. It
should be noted though that these
policies of the PPS represent minimum standards. Planning authorities are free to go beyond these
minimum standards, except when
doing so would conflict with any
policy of the PPS.

Compatible land uses include

open-space, commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses that do
not attract birds. Such land uses
serve as a buffer between residential areas and airport activity.
In the sections that follow, the
land uses around the Airport
within the Airport Operating Area
are discussed, including policies
related to aircraft noise as they are
currently reflected in the official
plans of the surrounding municipalities. See also Figure 14-4.
Airport Operating Area
As described in the Noise Management chapter, the GTAA, in
conjunction with the local
municipalities, defined a fixed
Airport Operating Area (AOA)
based on the 30 NEF/NEP
Contour of the Composite
Contour. This facilitated implementation of the provincial land
use policies for noise-sensitive land
uses in the local and regional
municipal official plans.
The AOA has a coverage area of
123 km2 and encompasses
employment and residential areas
within the cities of Mississauga

14.11
Immediately south of the Airport,
the Airport Corporate District has
high-quality development consisting primarily of corporate head
offices, warehousing and distribution, and other office and accessory commercial uses.
Located west of Hwy 410 in the
north-central part of Mississauga
is the Gateway District. This area
has office centres straddling
Hwy 10 with complementary
hotels and motels, restaurants,
conference centres, accessory
retail, business and personal
service uses, community uses,
and recreation facilities.

Development South of Airport

and Toronto and an employment

district in Brampton.
Industrial and Commercial
Land Use
City of Mississauga
Immediately outside the Airports
boundary to the north, west and
south are the employment areas
referred to as the Northeast,
Gateway and Airport Corporate
employment districts in the
Mississauga Official Plan. Land
uses in these areas include industrial, office commercial, as well as
some retail and service uses accessory to the employment area
activities.
Surrounding the Airport to the
north, west, and southwest is the
Northeast District, which includes
a mix of industrial, office, and

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

accessory uses in low-rise buildings. Existing trucking and distribution facilities are accommodated
in the area and there has been the
emergence of multi-tenant
developments.
Lands along Airport Road include
a mix of industrial and commercial uses including offices, hotels,
restaurants and a large conference
and trade centre. Dixie Road,
south of Hwy 401, accommodates
commercial uses including hotels,
vehicle sales and service, restaurants and mixed commercial
plazas, and some older industrial
operations. Along Dixie Road,
north of Hwy 401, and along
Derry Road East, there is a mixture of single- and multi-tenant
industrial and commercial uses.

Located in the Mavis and

Britannia Road area are Special
Purpose Commercial facilities.
A Power Centre, with large-scale
facilities, has regional drawing
power.
Current policies in the Mississauga
Official Plan do not allow for residential development in the
employment districts described.
Furthermore, other sensitive land
use developments are restricted.
Specifically, new development and
redevelopment or infilling for hospitals, nursing homes, day-care
facilities, and public and private
schools within the AOA is not
permitted as a principal or
accessory use.
City of Toronto
The employment area closest to
the Airport is bounded by
Hwys 427 and 401, and straddles
Rexdale Boulevard east of the
Airport. Hotel development dominates the stretch of Dixon Road to

14.12
Meadowvale Village is a new residential community located west
of Hwy 10. Development consists
of a mix of detached and semidetached dwellings, and
townhouses.
A small portion of the East Credit
residential district falls within the
AOA and accommodates residential development that has a
medium-density development
designation.
Airport Area Hotels

Hwy 27 along with a convention

centre and professional and
corporate offices. A regional retail
centre is located at Hwy 27 and
Rexdale Boulevard.
The Toronto Official Plan indicates that redevelopment or infilling for non-residential sensitive
land uses may only be permitted
by site-specific zoning within the
AOA if the proposed land use is
generally consistent with
Transport Canadas guidelines.
City of Brampton
As identified in Bramptons
Official Plan, the land use designations in the AOA are Industrial
and Business Corridor. The industrial lands accommodate light to
heavy industrial uses such as manufacturing, processing, repair and
service, warehousing, and distribution. Corporate head offices and
high-performance industrial uses,
such as research and development
facilities, are permitted to locate in
this area. Additionally, in certain
areas, retail, government, institutional, and restaurant uses can be
accommodated.

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

Business corridor uses can be

found along Steeles Avenue,
Queen Street, and Airport Road.
In designated areas, industrial,
office, retail and service uses,
restaurants, hotels and motels, and
entertainment uses are permitted.
Within employment areas in the
AOA, development, infilling, and
redevelopment for supportive
housing facilities and certain noise
sensitive public and institutional
uses, such as day-care centres,
schools, nursing homes, and
hospitals are not permitted.
Residential Neighbourhoods
City of Mississauga
Malton is a well established residential community immediately
adjacent to the north end of the
Airport. The portion of Malton
within the AOA consists of a mix
of low-density detached and semidetached units and mediumdensity townhouses. Current
development initiatives in this district focus on redevelopment and
infilling.

New residential development,

redevelopment, and infilling is
subject to aircraft noise policies as
reflected in the Mississauga
Official Plan.
City of Toronto
Primarily low-density, the residential areas of the City of Toronto
located within the AOA are northeast, east and southeast of the
Airport. Redevelopment and infilling in these areas is subject to
the AOA policies reflected in the
Toronto Official Plan.
City of Brampton
There are no residential lands
within Bramptons AOA boundary.

14.4 AIRPORT L A ND USE

DEVELOPMENT PHASING
The development plans discussed
in this Master Plan are consolidated in the sections that follow by
development area. The plans
reflect options for new, expanded
or improved facilities, while
maintaining safe and acceptable
levels of service.

14.13

The Airport is a mature facility in

an advanced stage of development
and, therefore, its options for
expansion and redevelopment are
complex and limited in terms of

Chapter 14 > L A N D U S E

available land area. The details of

the specific development plans
have been discussed in the
previous chapters.

The following discussion on land

use development phasing has been
divided into the following time
frames: 2008 to 2017 (Figure 14-5)
and 2018 to 2030 (Figure 14-6).