Update on Avenue Road Avenue Study Recommendations Review
A request was made at SAHRA’s Annual General Meeting in April, 2015 for Councillor Carmichael Greb and the City to review the status and action plans for 14 recommendations from the Avenue Road Avenue Study that had not yet been acted on.
The outstanding recommendations were:
- Acquire the portion of the Douglas Greenbelt adjacent to the sidewalk on the north side of Glengarry Avenue to re-establish a southern access to the ravine park.
- Improve and re-naturalize the Douglas Greenbelt Ravine.
- Improve the small parkette at the Douglas Avenue entrance to the Douglas Greenbelt and to consider improving the south side of Douglas Avenue between Avenue Road and the entrance to the Douglas Greenbelt through the planting of trees and creation of a sidewalk on the boulevard.
- Acquire the Roe Avenue Bus Loop should be it be declared surplus by the TTC and create a parkette on the Avenue Road frontage of these lands.
- Study the closure of Dunblaine Avenue at the east side of Avenue Road to create a ‘village square’ park on the public right-of-way.
- Landscape and improve the spaces between the curbs and the edge of the rights-of-way as the opportunities arise at 12 intersections of Avenue Road.
- Close Avenue Road access to the laneways running between Avenue Road and Grey Road on the blocks between Douglas, Bedford Park, and Woburn Avenues in order to create new parkettes on the Avenue Road frontage.
- Investigate opportunities for providing landscaped areas within the existing painted centre lane medians on Avenue Road between Lawrence and Wilson Avenues.
- Incorporate the recommendations of the Avenue Road Avenue Study consultants’ report into their site plan for the placement of street furniture on the Avenue Road sidewalks between Lawrence and Wilson Avenues.
- Include in the Public Art Master Plan the intersection of Avenue Road and Lawrence Avenue and the area of Avenue Road south of the 401 as ‘gateway’ locations that are appropriate for the installation of public art.
- Work with utility companies to create public art on utility boxes on the Avenue Road right-of-way between Lawrence and Wilson Avenues.
- Investigate opportunities for new public parking lots and underground structures on Avenue Road between Lawrence Avenue and St. Germain Avenue as opportunities arise with development of lands abutting Avenue Road.
- Undertake an Area Traffic Study in the future in the area of Avenue Road between Lawrence Avenue and Highway 401, including residential areas east and west of Avenue Road.
Councillor Carmichael-Greb held a Public Meeting on Nov 12, 2015 at which time Planning presented their review. Approximately 60-70 residents attended the meeting.
SAHRA prepared ‘Comments’ on this review – we felt that the City was not meeting its obligations to the agreements reached in the Study. We submitted a formal request to the Councillor on Mar 10, 2016 asking that they commit to a serious review of the 14 outstanding Recommendations to define action plans and funding; prepare estimates of costs and possible sources of funding; review Section 37 monies (monies assessed against developments exceeding densification levels to be spent on community improvements) as potential funding sources; and that the findings/conclusions be reviewed with SAHRA and OOGRA prior to presentation to the North York Community Council.
SAHRA’s request letter: SAHRA Comments Avenue Road Avenue Study Recommendations Review letter
SAHRA’s ‘Comments’ document: Avenue Road Avenue Study Review SAHRA Comments
Summary for Section 37 Discussions document: Summary for Section 37 Discussions Mar 2016
We were then advised that Planning intended to present their Report at the May, 2016 meeting of NYCC and the Councillor suggested that we should wait until the final report was released and review the details of this report would will speak to our concerns; that there would be an opportunity for us to share our thoughts and concerns in a public forum at the Community Council meeting in May. We explained to the Councillor again that we wanted to review the report prior to presentation to NYCC. As the Residents’ Associations in the area, we wanted to have a working session to review and discuss the report before it becomes final – before it was presented to North York Community Council and to a Community meeting. The Councillor then agreed to arrange a review meeting with SAHRA and OOGRA on May 20, 2016 before the NYCC presentation. The NYCC presentation was delayed.
Go to the Recommendations Review #2 page for further updates
http://sahratoronto.com/sahra2017/development/avenue-road-avenue-study/recommendations-review-2/