March 22nd Hearing

UPDATE

Hearing outcome: Deferral

The application for consent has been deferred until Thursday April 19th 9:30 am (date subject to finalization)

The hearing had several speakers from the community opposing the application.  Will provide more information shortly.

Notifications:
At the meeting the subject of notifications came up with several residents indicating they were not notified. Homes within 60 m of the proposed development were notified.  The map below is an estimate of how far out 60m goes. If you live within the boundary and did not receive a notification you should contact us.

Hearing Scheduled for March 22nd at 9:30am
at Scarborough Civic Centre 150 Borough Drive- Council Chamber


Subject - Severing the GCD property


3.      2540 GERRARD ST E
File Number: B001/12SC       Zoning Apartment Residential (A)
Zone
Property Address:  2540 GERRARD ST E  Ward: Scarborough Southwest (36) 
Legal Description: CON A LOT 34 & PT ROAD
ALLOWANCE BETWEEN

LOTS 34 & 35 RP 64R11969

PARTS 1 TO 22

Community: Birchcliff Community
THE CONSENT REQUESTED:
This application is for consent to sever an 11,907 m² block of land from the site for the first phase of a four
phase apartment residential condominium development. The owners obtained approval of a site plan and zoning  by-law amendment at the Ontario Municipal Board to develop two 24-storey residential apartment buildings on the land to be severed. Access to the condominiums on the block to be severed would be provided from a shared driveway. The land to be severed will be subject to easements for pedestrian and vehicle access, and easements for underground services.

more info here

Another potential buyer?

MIKE ADLER Feb 01, 2012  

Future of Quarry Lands remains uncertain

Councillor still hoping for land swap to avoid highrise development

After another year with the prospect of condominium towers looming over their neighbourhood of single family homes, residents around the Birch Cliff Quarry Lands aren't admitting defeat.
"We are making progress," Mark Brender told the annual meeting of Concerned Citizens of Quarry Lands Development.
The group, however, says it will hold more small-scale discussions and ask people, including non-members, for new ideas that would help stop a tower development approved during the Woodstock era.
The past year saw Conservatory Group, which owns land northwest of Gerrard Street East and Clonmore Drive and seeks to build 1,455 units there, convince the Ontario Municipal Board to recognize their right to the lands' zoning.
The board also "essentially dismissed all environmental concerns" raised by residents, and its long-delayed decision means the developer can apply for a building permit for the first condo block any time it wishes, Brender, CCQLD president, acknowledged.
But despite this, and the failure - following months of negotiations last year - of Conservatory Group and City of Toronto agency Build Toronto to complete a land swap removing the threat of highrise development, Brender stayed positive.
complete article from Inside Toronto here

Quarry Land negotiations at a standstill

From Inside Toronto

Bid to swap land between developer and Build Toronto not able to be completed

Talks on a deal to let Scarborough's Birch Cliff community avoid a tall-tower condominium development on its Quarry Lands appear to have ended in failure.
Area homeowners have lived for decades with a plan to build 1,455 condo units on land beside Clonmore Drive and Gerrard Street East.
Build Toronto, a city agency that owns about half of the Quarry Lands, a vacant former quarry and dump, had tried offering developer Conservatory Group what it considered a prime property on Grangeway Avenue near Scarborough Town Centre in exchange for the Birch Cliff site.
But last Wednesday, with other offers to consider, Build Toronto decided the swap couldn't be completed, residents heard the following evening at a forum hosted by Gary Crawford, the local councillor.
"The sense is that window for a swap has effectively closed," he said.

Complete article here

Nov 10th Meeting - Cancelled

November 4th: We just received this notice from York University.  Will provide further details here as soon as we get them. 

"Due to circumstances beyond their control, the York University Community Workshop originally scheduled for November 10, 2011 at 6pm has unfortunately been cancelled.

The faculty and staff of the University apologise for the cancellation and will be back in touch shortly with an information update."

Sept 28th OMB Decision

This OMB decision which outlines conditions for the development has just been released

OMB Decision Gerrard Clonmore October 2011

Provincial Election 2011

Election prediction blog - Scarborough SW Riding

Election Day is October 6th.

We have asked the candidates for their positions on the Quarrylands and will post their responses here:

Lorenzo Berardinetti MPP, Liberal

Sept 22nd (Via letter):
"I, Lorenzo Bernardinetti do not support the Quarry Lands development in its present form.
I will continue to fight this development in its present form.
I will ensure that the Ministry of Environment will intervene when the developer applies for a building permit. I have made the Ministry of environment and the Government aware that the Quarry Lands development, in its present form, is not acceptable.

Lorenzo Bernardinetti"

Bruce Budd, NDP
From web:

Bruce Budd on the Quarry Lands
“My firm commitment is to work with the community to convince the provincial and municipal
governments, and elected representatives at all levels to stop this development from
proceeding. I will not just sit on the sidelines watching this huge development happen.”
Background: As most local residents know, the “Quarry Lands” is the proposed site for a huge seven-tower
high-rise development of 23 to 27 storeys. This former quarry was used as an unregulated municipal dump
for six years during the 1950’s. Much of the soil is contaminated by toxins and it has never been cleaned up.
This is just one reason the proposed development must be stopped now!
What to Do:
1. Provincial Cabinet must declare a formal interest in this matter and subject any OMB decision concerning
the site to review.
2. The Province Must ensure the City’s right to rezone lands at any time consistent with its own official plan
without being forced to consider expensive court challenges.
3. All six recommendations made in the 2010 Environmental Review must be supported, particularly, more
stringent Level 2 Risk Assessment that will include a Risk Management Plan along with a Human Health Risk
Assessment and an Ecological Risk Assessment. The community must be involved throughout this process.
4. Reign in the OMB and stop it being used as a “rubber stamp for developers”.
5. Work with City Hall and the Toronto District School Board to implement the good ideas that surfaced during
the municipal election last fall. I will press for the following:
i) a City Hall Parkland Study for more park space
ii) an External Land Swap acceptable to the developer
iii) engage Mayor Ford who has said the Quarry Lands issue “is on my radar” and
iv) adequate school accommodation before any new buildings are contemplated.
Alternatives to the Proposed High-rise Development
Besides parkland, plans for these lands should consider a seniors building which will not aggravate the traffic
situation and low rise housing with environmentally-friendly buildings.

Bruce Budd, NDP Candidate, Scarborough Southwest

Mike Chopowick, PC
Email Sept 22nd

"I am a proud resident of Birchcliff, and strongly support my neighbours and friends who are opposed to the proposed development of the Quarry Lands site and working with local residents and the city councillor to ensure residents have a say over the land’s future use. As your MPP, I will support reducing interference in local planning by provincial policies, such as Dalton McGuinty's "Places to Grow Act", which encourages concentrating new development in existing urban areas by establishing a minimum intensification target of 40% of all new residential development within existing built-up areas, like southwest Scarborough.

I also will strongly advocate for a rigorous environmental review of the Quarry Lands site, to determine its suitability for any future uses and assess the need for any remediation. PC Leader Tim Hudak and I both agree that local residents must have more say over proposals that affect their neighbourhoods. We have pledged that a PC Government will review the Ontario Municipal Board to ensure it is serving the needs of families. If changes are needed, we will make them. If the OMB cannot justify its existence, we will abolish it."

Robin McKim, Green Party
Requested position on Sept 20th will update here as soon as we receive response.

Renderings

These are the renderings of the proposed development that were submitted at the recent OMB meeting.


3d renderings proposed gerrard clonmore development - 

Below are detailed site plans and drawings of the proposed development





Gerrard Clommore Architectural Drawings -

May 26th Hearing

The hearing yesterday was basically to find an agreement between the city and the developer on the conditions below. The developer and city need to reach agreement on these conditions for the development to proceed. If they cannot, then the OMB will rule one way or the other.

Yesterday, most of the time was spent about the access road to the first Apratment. The city eanted it shifted westwarr to line up with Rathmore, the developer wanted it further east (directly across from the townhomes). After discussions, the OMB ruled that the developer, based upon their traffic expert indicating that it is safe, can keep the access where they have selected.

There are a number of outstanding issues which are indicated in the document below.

Will keep you posted.......



Gerrard Clonmore Development Conditions May 26th -

Hearing Notice

We have received a hearing notice for May 26th. Details are below.



-

MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti has pledged in the Ontario legislature to "do whatever I can" to help residents stop proposed condominium towers

Here is the transcript from the Ontario Legislature (March 10th 2011)

Mr. Lorenzo Berardinetti: I rise today to inform the Legislature of a local concern in my riding known as the quarry lands, located in the vicinity of Victoria Park and Gerrard. This particular site is vacant land that was formerly a brickyard and then became a dump site. Part of this land is owned by a company that is proposing to build four high-rise buildings in the area.

Since my election in 2003, I've been strongly opposed to this development. In 2004, I brought this matter to the attention of the Minister of the Environment. At that time, I was assured by the minister that the environment and the health and safety of the community would be protected.

I wish to emphasize that the proposed development of the quarry lands is a planning matter, which is a city-of-Toronto matter and not a provincial matter. However, if the city, the province or the municipal board approves any development on the quarry lands, I'm going to ask the province to require the applicant to undergo a record-of-site condition for the property, to ensure that the lands are not contaminated.

I wish to reassure the concerned citizens of the quarry lands development and all local residents in my riding that I will do whatever I can to assist them to put a stop to this proposed development in its present form, and to work with the residents to make sure that we get proper development in the area.

From Inside Toronto
Local MPP airs concerns over Quarry Lands plans
MIKE ADLER

While talks and an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing continue over the future of Scarborough's Quarry Lands, local MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti has pledged in the Ontario legislature to "do whatever I can" to help residents stop proposed condominium towers there.

The Scarborough Southwest MPP said last Thursday he has always "strongly opposed" the development in its present form - 1,455 condo units in towers the former City of Scarborough approved in 1968 on a former quarry and garbage dump beside Clonmore Drive and Gerrard Street East.

Though he told the legislature the proposal is a city matter, not a provincial one, Berardinetti said if the OMB approves a development on the Quarry Lands, he will ask the province to require a record of site condition for the property "to ensure that the lands are not contaminated."

complete article here

OMB Hearing Update

Update: Latest decision is here


Gerrard Clonmore OMB Decision March 2011 -



All of the key players, including Councillor Crawford, attended the OMB hearing this morning which lasted for two hours.

Bottom line:

The City and developer have been negotiating an update to the by-law as the next step to have the buildings built.

The public will have a chance to review and comment on this by-law before it is brought back to the OMB.

So another OMB hearing has been scheduled for May 26th at 10:00 am. The developer will notify nearby residents about the by-law change and there will be signs as well.

This will be an opportunity for the community to comment on the by-law and ensure that it is legal. It is an important step.

We will post additional information, including the draft by-law shortly.

Thanks.

Similar Situation in Brampton

Update:

 

Group Facebook Page

Article in the Globe highlights a very similar situation. They are now focusing their efforts on the provincial elections, Dalton McGuinty in particular.

"A Brampton residents group opposed to a six-tower condo development in an area designated for half that density is the latest neighbourhood organization to make a pre-election entreaty to the Premier.

On Tuesday, they hand-delivered a letter to Dalton McGuinty, who was in the city for a Board of Trade speech. It’s a last-ditch effort after the group lost an appeal of an Ontario Municipal Board decision allowing the development – six 20-storey high-rises, 42 townhouse units, and a seven-storey commercial building – to go up on about 3.6 hectares in the city’s north end.

The project contravenes the City of Brampton’s official plan. Within the area known as the Villages of Heart Lake, the site has been zoned for two apartment buildings at 419 units for the past 30 years – not the 834 units granted to Royalcliff Developments and Lake Path Holdings Inc."

Complete article here

Huge Water Main Break at Queensbury & Clonmore

Neighbours,

You are aware I'm sure about the massive water main break that just happened. There was a story on City TV about it and the link to the story is here

Hope the affected residents get back on their feet soon!

Queensbury has turned into a thoroughfare, and, while this is unavoidable, we hope it is not a preview of what traffic will be like if the towers go up.

Continuation of OMB Hearing Scheduled for Feb 18th 2011

It's official, the City and developer have not been able to reach an agreement by the Dec 31st deadline so the case will return to the OMB. The hearing has been scheduled for Feb 18th at 10:00 am at 655 Bay Street, 16th floor.

Key section from August OMB decision:

Conclusion
In consideration of the above, the Board will issue the Order as a result of this proceeding regarding the By-law Amendment (Exhibit 13), but will withhold its Order regarding the site plan. The parties are directed to contact the Board on or before December 31, 2010 with the finalized site plan and conditions.

If there is no agreement, the Board is prepared to reconvene the hearing to receive submissions on the site plan. The Parties are reminded that the Board through this decision has reaffirmed the existing zoning for the property and the permissions provided therein. It is expected that revisions to the site plan will be minor and will reflect those permissions unless there is agreement between the Parties that they can be altered.

OMB Hearing details here

Previous OMB Decision here

Latest Developments

Following the CCQLD meeting earlier this week, this article nicely summarizes where things are.

Including:

-Councillor Crawford to meet with Conservatory Group CEO Sheldon Libfeld in next 3-4 weeks.

-Councillor Crawford confirmed he has talked to Scarborough Centre Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker about a possible swap for land in his ward

-Rob Ford is "absolutely 110 per cent supportive" of the community's efforts, Crawford added. "He's on board." 

Complete article from Inside Toronto here