We regret to report that at the Community Council Meeting on June 10th, our Councillor Walker made a motion to approve the Planner’s Final Report, with only minor amendments. His motion passed unanimously, without debate. As soon as City Council has rubber-stamped the report, the Developer will be free to proceed to construct that 37-floor, high density monstrosity that will tower over our neighbourhood and bring even more congestion onto our streets. Soon, the quiet residential nature of our neighbourhood will be only a memory.
We understand that our Councillor does not intend to run for office again.
After the Developer’s architect made his presentation, about six residents addressed Council.
We were disappointed to hear the Deer Park Residents’ Group (DPRG) president lead off, speaking generally in favour of the project, with only minor reservations, mostly to do with setbacks at street level on Yonge Street. Not surprisingly, these were incorporated in the Councillor’s amendments. It was difficult to tell whether the president was expressing her personal views, or those ostensibly reached through consultation with DPRG members. As you are aware, the DPRG Executive did not call a residents’ meeting to get residents’ opinions, in spite of this being the largest project ever proposed for our Deer Park neighbourhood, nor had it told the membership what was to be the content of the president’s deputation.
Four of the residents stated emphatically that the project’s height and density were excessive. Clear evidence was presented to show how skewed was the density, as proposed by the Developer and accepted without question by the Planner. There was no discussion among Council members about any of the deputations, written or verbal. In fact, Council spent much more time on an earlier agenda item, debating about the renewal of a hot dog vendor’s license.
For the record, Ted Mercer’s deputation can be accessed at
www.eternalchaos.com/alvinblog/SubmissiontoCommunityCouncil.pdf
and John Shepherd’s at
www.eternalchaos.com/alvinblog/30AlvinSummary.pdf,
with his speaking notes at
www.eternalchaos.com/alvinblog/WittingtonDeputtaion1.pdf.
The spreadsheet showing our height and density survey, which was ignored completely, can be accessed at
www.eternalchaos.com/alvinblog/30AlvinDensityStudy.pdf.
The saying goes – “Nothing tried, nothing gained”. But we regret to report that our deputations were an absolute waste of time. We were not even able to get the Council to require that the future builder be restricted to the use of the Yonge Street entrance to the site for his dump trucks and ready-mix concrete trucks.
We don’t expect to see much activity on this blog until construction issues start to become an irritant or more.
Ted Mercer
John Shepherd
5 comments:
Looks as though I'm privileged to be the first "commentor". This blog looks as though it could be a useful way to distribute timely information within our neighbourhood. It's hoped that readers will pass along its URL, which is:
http://30alvin.blogspot.com
so that as many people as possible can become aware of developments, that relate to these issues, as they occur.
Attention Executive of the DPRG:
A communication to the neighbourhood residents is LONG overdue. The content on this blog should be circulated ASAP. In addition, the blog address should also be made available, both via email and newsletter.
In separate conversations with three different households on Alvin Avenue, each person asked me for an update on the development proposal. No one had ANY idea what was going on. Two folks were actually under the false impression that the working committee and the DPRG executive were working to completely stop any and all development. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
Communications to residents should be timely - otherwise, they appear to be an afterthought and "staged". And by timely, I mean within 48 hours of any meetings held, not months later.
I believe that the residents of our neighbourhood deserve MUCH better.
Thanks for distributing the flyers about the 30 Alvin project. I pass by this area every morning and wonder how it's going to change this beautiful neighborhood I have lived in for so many years. I'm glad the DPRG is watching out for us and now that I'm aware of the situation I will be sure to watch for updates.
I attended the public meeting. Most comments are off topic. All people gripe about is traffic, traffic, traffic. Try living in Vaughan Region. This is a major intersection with a subway line. There should be density, density density. I support the development and wish to buy a suite. Its good area, generally underdeveloped, and in need of a development like this that will revitalize this boring intersection. Too long have the octogenarians ruled areas like this through single family home ownership. Let’s get some younger condo owners into the area with bolder bigger building designs. We'll be in a seniors residence soon enough.
I attended the Community Council Meeting and spoke particularly as to why 30 Alvin Avenue is destined to be a second class development as contrasted to those on De Lisle , Avoca and Rosehill .Both Ted Mercer and John Shepherd had slides to accompany their quite detailed research on comparative height and density facts. Although both are retired engineers with well known consulting firms and nearby residents , they didn't even get serious questions from the Committee members or from your city councillor, My concerns were about the operational parts of the proposed development. For instance , if you buy here , your visitors and family members will have to pay to park when coming to see you which is still expected in good quality Toronto developments . The facilities for you moving in or having large items delivered to your residence and for the coming and going of garbage trucks is surprisingly inadequate as compared to other large modern developments . The lower floor apartments seem planned to look at ( and be very close to) the backs of the Yonge Street stores or to the Town Houses planned for Alvin Avenue .It is too bad but your Executive , at least one of whom ( along with one of the key Wittington employees on this job) was a former employee of the City Planning Department , was singularly ineffective at the hearing on behalf of the nearby residents . The DPRG should not bother to come to 68 Heath East looking for my renewal of membership for the Deer Park association while the present executive remains in office.
Roger Wilson
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