WHAT'S HAPPENING

Three Initiatives On the Development Front

Three main activities are taking place in relative to developments along Bloor between Dundas and Keele.

Avenue Study: The City has commissioned Brook McILroy to create an Avenue study.  As part of the Avenue Study, a working group has been formed. It has meet twice.

In addition, a large, well-attended public feedback meeting and workshop was held on July 8th at St. Joan of Arc church on Bloor at Indian Grove.  The community was asked to provide feedback on sites of importance and places for development, the kind of building it would like to see in the area, the kind of street scape preferred. This input built on the community visioning sessions organized by Councillor Perks, the City and Friends of Dundas and Bloor.

The next public meeting and feedback session will be on September 20th.

For full infomtation from the City on the Avenue Study, clieck here: www.toronto.ca/planning/bloordundas.htm

1540 Bloor West Local Advusory Committee MeetingsAs part of the application process, the City invited a cross section of residents, business owners, building owners and others -- along with the developer -- to discuss the development in light of community concerns.

There have been two meetings with the Developer. Concerns raised centred around two main issues:
    * Transit, traffic and pedestrian safety -- including overall improvement of the TTC station and transit flow, integration with GO station, traffic infiltration, vehicles exiting and entering the building, and related green issues
    * Fit of the building in a neighbourhood, including height, density, step backs from the street on Dundas, shadows on local homes and Chelsea Park, accentuating a two story podium to fit with other buildings in the area and similar issues

It was the overall consensus of the community representatives that the proposed building made the current transit delays worse and significantly increased hazards to pedestrians.  It was also felt that the height, design and massing of the building did not fit into the existing neighbourhood and was more appropriate to Bay and Bloor or Yong and Shepherd.

We requested the developer –– who has only made minor adjustments to the building design -- revise the design to protect our transit resource and to scale the building appropriately for the community

If the developer is going to make any modifications to the proposed design to address these issues, we will likely have another meeting.

If not, the developer will proceed with the application.

Community Consultation Thursday July 17 Concerning the "Curves" Site

Thursday, July 17, 2008
Open House (6:30 p.m.)
Presentation (7:00 p.m.)
Lithuanian Hall, 1573 Bloor Street West

HP Bloor Street Limited proposes to develop a 12-storey, 108 unit residential building with commercial uses on the ground floor on this site.

This meeting is the required community consultation meeting specific to the 1638-1644 Bloor Street West application. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the community to have input on this project, view the plans and ask questions.

Send Your Comments to:

Kevin Edwards, Planner, at (416) 392-1306 or kedward@toronto.ca
Or contact Councillor Gord Perks, Ward 14, at (416) 392-7919. councillor_perks@toronto.ca

More information will be published as it becomes avialable.

Community Visioning Process is a Big Success -- and Leads to an Offical Avenue Study

The City Planning Department led a three part visioning session for the area along Bloor from Dundas to Keele... and along Dundas from Glenlake to Bousted.

The outcome of the meetings was a community approved Vision and set of Seven Guiding Principles.  This vision will help provide a framework for development and community renewal.

The VISION:

To create a distinct identity for Bloor Street West from Keele Street to Dundas Street West… (and along Dundas from Glenlake to Boustead.)

Seven Guiding Principles

1. Encourage community vitality through a mix of uses that includes retail / commercial at grade
2. Enhance the pedestrian and cyclist experience along Bloor
3. Encourage opportunities to green the private and public realms
4. Improve and integrate transit services
5. Create an appropriate building scale and density for the existing built form, street width and neighbourhood context
6. Encourage high quality architecture that builds upon the positive attributes of the neighbourhood
7. Protect existing Neighbourhoods

(Click here for the full Visioning Presentation- Large File)

Behind the Visioning Process

The Visioning Process was championed by Councilor Gord Perks and the Frinds of Dundas and Bloor. It was created by the Planning Dpeartment was in response to three main issues:

• The lack of an official Avenue Study for the area that would set a context for development
• The clearly biased, flawed and unresponsive "Avenue Segement Study" prepared by TasDeisgn Build to support its application
• The need to have a community viewpoint articulated and on record

The Meetings

    Meeting 1 - January 16, 2008 at Indian Road Crescent School (Hosted by the West Bend Community Association/High Park Residents Association)

Read the minutes of that meeting attended by well over 150 people.

    Meeting 2 - March 5th, 2008 (Hosted by Bloor by the Park BIA) at the Lithuanian Hall

View the presentation given by the planning department

    Meeting 3 - March 26, 2008 (Hosted by the Bloor-Symington RA) at the Lithuanian Hall Over 100 people attended. Read the minutes.

The Avenue Study

Due to the budget crisis , the City of Tornoto halted Avenue Studes. This left a bg vacuum, with many areas targeted by developers without a more up-to-date framework for evalutaing potential developments.

In the absence of proper City-led Avenue Studies, developers were asked to provide "Avenue Segement Studies" – much smaller studies funded and directed by the developer, examining the impact of the prospoed development on the surrounding area.

The built-in danger of such a one-sided process was that developers would skew the study to favour their vision, without a balanced look at the needs of the City or community. And without democratic prinicples being followed. This is – in our view – what happend in the case of 1540 Bloor West.

However, 1540 Bloor was not the only application in play for the general area, and news of pending applications began toi circulate. It was clear that while the Visioning Study was virtal, more needed to be done.

Councilor Perks worked very hard with the City Council and with the Planning Department to win funding and approval for a proper Avenue Study Process. This is is quite an achievement.

The visioning Study will become part of the Avenue Study process.

Two Developments Planned for Bloor Dundas Area

Who We Are

The Friends of Dundas and Bloor was founded by area residents and business owners.

Our mission is to facilitate, encourage and guide the community consultation process about redevelopment and development of the neighbourhoods and services surrounding Dundas and Bloor

Please become more informed and get involved.

Contact us at: friendsofdundasandbloor@gmail.com.