Happy Spring!
With the fragrance of lilac trees and the sounds of children playing outside, it’s time to take a look at our lovely community once again.
The Bedford Park Residents Organization’s Annual General Meeting was held on April 18, 2024. The BPRO Board members for the 2024-25 term are Doug Baxter, Georgie Binks, Naomi Faulkner, Colin Graham, Daniel Kligerman and John Miles.
Pusateri’s Site Redevelopment
First Capital plans to develop approximately two acres – everything north of Lawrence to Douglas Avenue including Pusateri’s and Royal Lighting sites. Right now, it looks like two towers of 14 and 12 stories fronting Lawrence and Avenue Road will be built. A new street running north off Lawrence and connecting to Douglas Avenue has also been proposed as well as an internal service road between the two buildings allowing for right-in and right-out traffic on Avenue Road. There are also plans for a new park approximately 1000 square metres immediately north of the new building at corner of Avenue Road and Douglas Avenue.
Residents’ groups and the city have concerns about building setbacks, traffic circulation, and the new park being in shade most of time. BPRO together with LPRO (Lytton Park Residents Organization) are parties before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) along with the City of Toronto. BPRO has liaised with the Bedford Glen Condos Association, Upper Avenue Community Association, and South Armour Heights Residents Association.
Two mediation sessions are being held at the Ontario Land Tribunal on June 12th and June 21th. BPRO and LPRO are both official parties at the meeting.
The City of Toronto Planning Department report was presented at North York Community Council on May 8, (Item 13.4.) setting out the planning department’s position. For more on the planning committee report check out this link
https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.NY13.4
https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-details/?id=4766004&pid=383968&title=284,-286-&-290-LAWRENCE-AVENUE-WEST-AND-1507,-1525,-1537-&-1539-1545-AVENUE-ROAD
This is also an excellent link to obtain further information https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2024/02/bedford-park-proposal-pusateris-site-increases-size.55318
No word yet on which businesses may be returning.
Avenue Road Improvements
To date, Community Benefits accruing from developments have already been approved.
We have $1.2 m from the soon to be happening development at 3180 Yonge, $737,000 from 1580 Avenue Road and $ 1.4 m from 250 Lawrence West.
However, to use these funds we require a Business Improvement (BIA) Area to be established on Avenue Road north of Lawrence. So when you’re visiting stores and restaurants in the area tell them you would like to see a BIA. The councillor for the area, Mike Colle, is meeting with business owners May 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Armour Heights Community Centre to talk about the creation of one. A vote will be taken at that time to decide whether to have the initiative go forward. Only business or property owners on the street can vote but everyone is welcome to attend.
The city has also received $4.4 million cash-in-lieu of parks from new development but this can only be spent on existing parks.
Complete Streets are Streets for People
If you’re concerned about road safety, you’ve likely heard about “complete streets.” Often described as “streets for people,” they are frequently prescribed for what ails our roadways. A more comprehensive definition comes from Toronto’s Complete Street Guidelines: “This ‘complete streets’ approach reinforces that streets should safely accommodate all users – pedestrians, cyclists, transit services and motor vehicles – and also support and enhance local neighbourhood context and character. It’s about making streets that are safe, beautiful and vibrant places with efficient links in a multi-modal transportation network.”
The Midtown Yonge Complete Street experience
To see how a quick-build complete street can work, look to the Midtown Yonge Complete Street. Implemented in 2021 as a pilot project from Davisville Avenue to Bloor Street, it includes 21 street-side patios (as part of CaféTO), protected bike lanes, pedestrian protections at intersections, as well as plantings and street art. City staff addressed issues raised during the pilot about the turning needs of vehicles, accessibility features, timing of traffic signals and drop-off and delivery zones quickly thanks to the quick-build approach. Data from August 2023 show that the pilot had several measures of success – more people are walking (up by 126%) and cycling (up as much as 193%), while traffic volumes have declined by as much as 10% and travel times in the corridor are up at most by 90 seconds compared with pre-pandemic. Not surprising City Council voted to make Yonge Complete Street permanent. When linked with the complete street coming to Eglinton, Midtown Toronto will have our first protected and connected cycling route right on our doorstep.
You can learn more at these links https://www.yonge4all.ca/ https://www.cycleto.ca/
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/public-consultations/infrastructure-projects/eglintontoday/
Cycle 55+ doesn’t have a web site but can always be reached at cycle55to@gmail.com.
Thanks to Leaside Life for the original article.