The Planner, Greg Hobson-Garcia is asking for feedback from the community on the development. Please take the time to write the planner with your concerns and copy Councillor Grimes and Mayor Miller. The Planning file number is 08 192870 WET 06 OZ
Below are suggestions to include in your letters to the Planner, Councillor Grimes and the Mayor on the new proposal to demolish the existing building at 51 Lake Shore Drive and to build seven four-storey town homes and to make changes to the existing shoreline and stone coastal protection wall at this property.
Contact information for the Planner Greg Hobson-Garcia, Councillor Grimes and Mayor Miller is included at the bottom of this post.
If you agree with some of these arguments and wish to include them in your letter, please put them in your own words
1. The proposed development for seven four-storey town homes at 51 Lake Shore Drive does not fit the existing home size, height, front and side yard space of the rest of the neighbourhood.
2. The development application sign is not yet put on the property. The application date is August 12, 2008, yet the developer has not erected a sign regarding the town house development. As the weather gets colder fewer and fewer people have an opportunity to find out about this proposal that will impact the community and the view from the waterfront trail.
3. The community should be allowed to depute or present at the Etobicoke-York Community Council meeting when 51 Lake Shore Drive is on the agenda.
4. Anyone with an interest in this development needs to be copied on all notices or meetings regarding 51 Lake Shore Drive (you can call Greg Hobson-Garcia at 416 394 2615 or e-mail him at ghobson@toronto.ca
5. If the plan is revised, the community needs another public meeting. We want to be informed and consulted on revisions.
6. The City should expropriate all or part of the property, buy it and turn it into a waterfront parquette.
7. The waterfront at 51 Lake Shore Drive should be donated to the TRCA as part of any planning or development proposal.
8. The current zoning for the property should be respected and enforced; the property is not zoned for the proposed density. It is now R2 and would need to be changed to R4 for this kind of density.
9. Blocking public views of the lake contravenes the City of Toronto Official Plan. Once the view of the lake is gone we have lost it forever, there is no going back.
10. This land is part of the waterfront trail and should be protected.
11. If the new town homes are worth much more than the surrounding homes, tax assessments for all the homes in the area will significantly increase.
12. There is no visitor parking included in the plan. Street parking will be an issue, it already is.
13. At the December 5, 2007 public meeting on the previous application - the community asked if the developer wanted a town house development at 51 Lake Shore Drive, and the representative for Zanini repeatedly stated that the lot is not big enough for town homes. What has changed since that meeting?
14. The site plan does not provide anywhere to store snow. The snow will be piled on the side streets where parking is already an issue, or on the green space where salt and contaminants will leach into the soil.
15. The planner needs to bring the actual site plan including the lake wall changes to the public meeting. We need the details of the dimensions, height, and density of what is permitted on the site under the current zoning, bylaws and the official plan.
16. The developer should be directed to pay for a survey of the current built form of dwellings and lot sizes on Lake Shore Drive, and Fourth Street. This will establish the character of the existing neighbourhood of New Toronto that is to be "maintained and protected" under Toronto's Official Plan, and which any redevelopment in the area will be required to conform to.
17. The developer should be directed to pay for a three-dimensional architectural model of the proposed development, the surrounding neighbourhood and the changes to the lakefront and adjoining shoreline for the public meeting. This will allow local residents to see how the proposed development physically impacts the community. Most people have difficulty visualizing the impact of new structures on their neighbourhood and the view of the lakefront when looking at a two-dimensional drawing on paper.
18. Some mature trees would probably have to be removed.
If you want to share letters with people on the distribution list, please send to:
jemcain@gmail.com
I will forward them out to the distribution list.
If you are willing to allow us to post quotes from your letter on the blog for 51 Lakeshore Drive, please let me know in your e-mail.
We will include your name but remove your address and phone info because the blog is available to anyone world-wide who wants to view it.
I have called the clerk from the Etobicoke-York Community Council to find out the process to depute or present our comments to Community Council when 51 Lake Shore Drive is on the agenda. The next Community-Council meeting is November 18th and the agenda will not be set until two weeks prior to the meeting. You can check the agenda online at:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2008/agendas/ey.htm
Or you can call the Clerk's office at 394-8101, about two weeks prior to the meeting.
Send your letters, e-mails, faxes, voicing your concerns to:
Greg Hobson-Garcia, Planner
e-mail: ghobson@toronto.ca
Tel: 416-394-2615
Fax: 416-394-6063
City Planning, Community Planning Section
2 Civic Centre Court, 3rd Floor, Toronto, M9C 5A3
Councillor Mark Grimes
e-mail: mailto:councilor_grimes@toronto.ca
Phone: 416-397-9273
Fax: 416-397-9279
Mail: Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Suite C48, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
Mayor David Miller
e-mail: mayor_miller@toronto.ca
Phone: 416-397-CITY (2489)
Fax: 416-696-3687
Mail: Toronto City Hall, 2nd Floor, 100 Queen St. West, Toronto ON M5H 2N2
Thank you for your concern and efforts to make our neighbourhood the best part of Toronto!
Jem
Jem Cain
jemcain@gmail.com
H: 416-259-7328
Letter from Jason .....
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Hobson,
I have recently become aware of some plans for development on the site of a now defunct senior's home at 51 Lakeshore Drive in Etobicoke. While, the last time I was by there on the weekend, there was no real sign stating the intentions of what is to be built there, I have found out that the developer plans to build a row of seven four-storey townhomes on this parcel of land between Lakeshore Drive and the shores of Lake Ontario. Whilst I do realize that at least a good portion of this is private property, the developer has asked for variances in a number of areas that without said variances would violate Zoning By-Laws etc. Additionally, these plans would also violate the spirit of the Toronto Official Plan, issued only in August of 2007 in many areas.
At least a portion of the land is zoned as a Park and/or Open Space - Natural Area. Development on such lands, even those in the hands of private owners is generally prohibited unless they 1) serve public purposes and 2) minimize the adverse impact of the development on the green space. Building townhomes does not fall into either of those categories.
The City Plan also states (in Chapter 2) that physical barriers (ie. 40' high townhomes) between the city and Lake Ontario should be minimized and that the public's access to the lands near and at the water's edge should be improved. Perhaps if this project was of a great value to the public I can see making an exception for this site. However, for the sake of seven townhomes, I do not believe such an exception should be forthcoming here.
Additionally, the City Plant called for increased linkages between parks, especially those along the waterfront. The proposed development at 51 Lakeshore Drive would not help achieve this goal, and in fact would set it back further.
For the above reasons, I would implore the City to deny the variances asked for by the developer and not support the developer's planned project as they stand now.
I would also ask that you please add me to your mailing list with regards to this project and inform me of any public meetings or council discussions on the topic.
Best regards,
Jason Mote