Build Toronto's new approach

Hi everyone, 

Apologies for the considerable amount of time that has gone by since our last update. Needless to say, there has been a lot going on. 

First off, many of you were caught off guard, as we were, by a surprise motion from Gerrard Clonmore Developments (GCD) at the Scarborough Committee of Adjustment in March. The application was to seek approval to sever a portion of GCD's property on the Quarry Lands site. Thanks to those who were able to make it out to the meeting and others who complained of improper notice, as CCQLD did, the hearing was deferred. GCD has since appealed the matter to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and a hearing is expected in late summer. CCQLD executive met last month with Councillor Gary Crawford and city planning and legal staff to discuss the case and ensure all parties are prepared. We have been assured that notice for all future hearings related to the Quarry Lands will be widely circulated. 

There have also been developments on the Build Toronto front. As you know, Build Toronto is the arms-length city development agency that has been assigned responsibility for the city-owned section of the Quarry Lands site -- roughly the land now occupied by the driving range. At various times since Concerned Citizens of Quarry Lands Development came together nearly ten years ago, it has appeared that we were fighting for responsible development not just on one front -- in other words, with private landowner GCD -- but on two, also against Build Toronto. Those of you who attended the public rally organized by CCQLD in April 2010 may remember this was the case. 

CCQLD has been in frequent communication with Build Toronto and its predecessor, TEDCO, for many years, but until now never brought specific plans from Build Toronto or TEDCO to the community, either because only vague ideas were shared with us or because discussions were so diametrically opposed to sound planning principles and common sense that it wouldn't have been worth anyone's time. 

Recently, that has changed. 

Over the past 18 months or so, undoubtedly in part due to the engagement of our community, Build Toronto has changed course. They are now talking about concepts and a design plan over the city-owned lands that we believe merits presentation to the community. Build Toronto's ideas are outlined in the letter directly below this note. As you can see, Build is considering a low-density development with single-family homes, a large park space and a retail development at the northwest corner of the site. Build has responded favorably to CCQLD's request that they share ideas at full community meeting organized by CCQLD, and have said they would be ready to do so in September. We will get back to everyone on date and location in coming months. 

We understand that the Build Toronto ideas may not be to everyone's liking. Those who would prefer the entire space be dedicated to parkland will be disappointed, as will those who feel the driving range should stay on the site indefinitely. We also need to hear more about what Build Toronto is envisioning for the retail area, and to of course be diligent regarding environmental concerns. potential traffic impacts, and areas services. All that said, CCQLD realizes that the city needs to achieve some economic value out of the site, and that this parcel of land, from a planning perspective, can be used constructively provided it fits with the existing community. We also need to consider how Build Toronto's plans might impact what happens on GCD's land. Clearly, there is a lot to consider.  

It is the opinion of the CCQLD executive that in the context of what has been considered by TEDCO / Build Toronto in the past, even as recently as two years ago, the ideas now on the table represent a major improvement and deserve a full community forum. It will be important for all of us to engage with Build Toronto officials and our elected representatives, to both listen and be heard. 

While we can't promise to get back to everyone directly, we certainly welcome your thoughts. Most of all, we hope you will stay informed, make it out to the meeting in September, and get involved. Putting aside the Build Toronto front for the moment, there remains plenty of work to do to ensure that sound planning principles and a progressive vision for what our city can be triumph over archaic zoning from the 1960s. 

Thanks for your ongoing support, and we'll be in touch soon. 

Warmest regards,
Board of Directors, Concerned Citizens of Quarry Lands Development







Mark Brender
President, CCQLD
June 15, 2012


Dear Mark,
We are writing further to your request to provide some additional information on Build Toronto’s development plans to the Concerned Citizens of Quarry Lands Development (CCQLD) Membership. Our last update to your Membership was prepared for the CCQLD 2012 Annual General Meeting.
Build Toronto continues to work on designing a mixed-use community that would fit within the existing ‘fabric’ of the neighbourhood. In doing so, we have referenced past community charettes, and collaborated with CCQLD executive, Councillor Crawford, and City staff including Planning, Transportation, Technical Services, Urban Design, and Parks.
Our intention is to implement best practices of responsible and balanced development where communities can live and play. In keeping with the character of the local neighbourhood, we are planning for a low-rise residential development, with a usable park space, and well-designed urban retail. We have been working with market consultants to complete a study for the retail, and better understand market demand. We anticipate obtaining feedback from the community on the ‘look and feel’ of the low-rise development, and the best programming options for the park.
As you are aware, the property was historically used as a quarry, and was subsequently backfilled with earth ‘fill’ and construction materials like wood and concrete and debris. Given that land context, Build Toronto’s key focus and investment over the last year has been in the area of environmental sustainability. In accordance with the Ministry of the Environment, Build Toronto has completed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and is further investing in a Phase II Site Assessment, Risk Evaluation, and if necessary, Risk Mitigation Programs. This thorough remediation strategy is needed to evaluate the nature and extent of possible contamination to determine the measures that might be necessary for mitigation. Our final development concepts will incorporate all risk mitigation plans.
We also have been working with traffic consultants to understand the existing traffic conditions, and to design a plan that will allow for better traffic flow while accommodating development plans. We anticipate creating a new road network that may extend into the lands owned by the Conservatory Group. However, we must underscore that we have no ability to formally change the Conservatory Group’s plans, or require any road connection to be constructed on their lands.
[2]
In addition to traffic consultants, we have also engaged other consultants to better understand the site conditions and requirements for a successful redevelopment, including building and landscape architects, archeologists, environmental consultants, structural and civil engineers. All finalized and full reports will be circulated as part of the planning process and discussed with the community.
We thank you for your request to hold a meeting with the community, organized by CCQLD and in consultation with the Councillor’s Office, prior to the statutory meetings that are part of the Official Plan and Zoning amendment process. We anticipate being sufficiently advanced to attend such a meeting by September of this year.
Working with the community is part of Build Toronto’s mandate and a key component of our public policy principles and City-Building interests. We are pleased with the collaboration that has taken place so far, and we are committed to keeping CCQLD informed with as much clarity and information as possible as we work to finalize the details.
Regards,
Bruce Logan
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
c.c. Councillor Gary Crawford, Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest
Prakash David, Senior Vice President, Residential & Retail Development
Salima Rawji, Senior Manager, Development

Update from 2012 CCQLD Annual General Meeting

Hi everyone,

Please accept our apologies for the delay in getting out a long overdue update on our 2012 Annual General Meeting, held Jan. 18 at Birchcliff Bluffs United Church.

First off, the official business:

· Members voted in the following members of the Board of Directors for 2012: Mark Brender, Karen Direkze, Tamara Hermann, Reg James, Wilf Longley, Sheila McIsaac, Joanne Smith and Tim Weber. We wish to express our appreciation to Sneva Lee, who stepped down off the board after several years of service.

· Our thanks also go out to Councillor Gary Crawford, MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti and MP Dan Harris for their attendance, participation and support. Huge kudos as always go out to Mary Louise Hall for her pro bono work as CCQLD’s auditor. And most of all, thanks to all the members who came out to the AGM and continue to support our collective goal of ensuring responsible development on the Quarry Lands.

Much of the meeting was spent discussing information provided to the community by Build Toronto, in the form of a letter and a map showing land ownership and, for Build Toronto property, land use plans. As you know, Build Toronto is an arms-length city agency responsible for developing underused city-owned land, inlcuding brownfields such as the Quarry Lands. In the letter addressed to CCQLD and handed out at the AGM, Build Toronto (BT) outlined the following points:

· BT continues to plan a low-rise residential development with a focus on open space and pedestrian scale on the 11-acre land parcel south of the CN Rail Line (ie, predominantly the north-central section of the Quarry site).

· BT is working on plans for “higher quality retail” roughly on city-owned lands currently occupied by the driving range.

· Commercial developer RioCan has purchased the 6-acre commercial plaza area extending north and east from the Victoria Park/Gerrard corner.

· A traffic consultant is studying potential road networks over the BT controlled land portions, with potential for expansion into lands owned by Conservatory Group, should an agreement be reached that would make a unified road network possible

· BT does not foresee any environmental concerns associated with its planned development concept.

From a conceptual standpoint, the board of CCQLD shared its belief that ideas being put forward by Build Toronto do represent positive developments in what has often been a long and frustrating process. In marked contrast to where we stood two or three years ago, we no longer feel that we are fighting a battle on two fronts -- ie. with the city as well as the private developer. Build Toronto is now expressing similar thoughts to those that have long been advocated by CCQLD – and this is a direct result, we believe, of the strong advocacy and mobilization undertaken by so many our community in recent years.

All that said, we have no new information to share regarding developments on land owned by the Conservatory Group. We will continue to advocate for responsible development. We will also continue to oppose, speak out and mobilize against an outdated and highly inappropriate high-rise tower vision for our community, based on planning and zoning from the 1960s, should events proceed in this direction.

For those who were unable to attend the AGM, please renew your 2012 membership today by sending a cheque for $10, made out to ‘Concerned Citizens of Quarry Lands Development’ to 63 Woodland Park Road, Toronto, ON, M1N 1X5. Thank you as always for your ongoing support.

Warmest regards,

CCQLD Board of Directors

CCQLD Annual General Meeting - Jan. 18, 2012

Hi everyone,

This is to let you know that the 2012 Annual General Meeting of Concerned Citizens of Quarry Lands Development Annual will be held on Wed. Jan. 18, 7:30 pm, at Birchcliff Bluffs United Church (33 East Road).

We look forward to having the opportunity to update residents on recent events, and to discussing together how best to move forward to ensure responsible development on the quarry lands.

We expect attendance at the AGM from our local elected representatives as well as from Build Toronto.

As we're reported in earlier communications, we are hopeful about the direction Build Toronto appears to be taking on its portion of the land. Recent attempts by the City and Build Toronto to negotiate a land swap with the private developer Conservatory Group, however, were not successful.

One thing that hasn't changed over more than eight years many of us have been involved with this issue: 1960s high rise zoning and planning principles are no way to build a healthy, livable, welcoming community.

Please join us at the AGM and renew your membership for 2012 to show your support.

Warmest regards,

Board of Directors,
Concerned Citizens of Quarry Lands Development

York University community consultation cancelled

Hi everyone,

We have been asked to post the following message from organizers of a York University public consultation on the Quarry Lands that had been planned for Nov. 10 at Variety Village:

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.

We will be back in touch with further updates as they become available.

CCQLD

October Update: Time for a New Approach

Hi everyone,

While it has been a while since our last update, there has been a lot of activity behind the scenes on the Quarry Lands file in recent months. Results have been mixed.

Since the summer and into the fall, Build Toronto and City representatives on one hand and the private developer The Conservatory Group on the other have had discussions over their respective parcels of lands on the 49-acre site.

Specifically, the parties were looking into the possibility of a land swap that would have seen The Conservatory Group gain development rights on a parcel of land currently held by Build Toronto near the Scarborough Town Centre. In return, Build Toronto would have assumed control over virtually the full Quarry Lands site. If successful, this approach would have allowed for much greater public say over the Quarry Lands and a development more in keeping with sound planning principles and the broader wishes of the community.

This week, those discussions concluded unsuccessfully and without agreement. We do not believe it is likely that a similar opportunity will present itself in the near future.

So, despite what we believe to have been sincere efforts on the parts of the City and Build Toronto, this much has not changed: Our predominately single-family home neighbourhood is still faced with the prospect of a roundly criticized, wildly inappropriate, 1960s-era seven-tower high-rise development in our midst -- a concept that flies in the face of the best judgement of every expert and every planner and every elected official we’ve ever heard from, and most certainly every area resident even remotely interested in the future of the place they call home.

That’s what gives us confidence this development will be stopped.

As a community, and for our elected representatives at all three levels of government, it is time to regroup and consider next steps. CCQLD will be meeting with Councillor Gary Crawford in coming days to discuss options, and to reiterate our message that this is an issue of city-building that requires even greater leadership from City Hall. Member of Provincial Parliament Lorenzo Berardinetti made the Quarry Lands one of his key planks in the provincial election; we will be holding him to his word as well.

On the positive side, we are strongly encouraged about the development direction being taken by Build Toronto on city-owned lands on the Quarry site. We have been told by Build that they will be ready to make a public presentation of their plans to the community in January. This could potentially take place at our 2012 Annual General Meeting, so stay tuned on that front.

Above all, we believe the solution rests with our community. We had more than 1,000 people at a rally in April 2010 – an impressive start, yes, but a small fraction of all those who live here. There soon may be a time to come together again in far greater numbers.

Thanks as always for your support. We’ll be back in touch shortly.

CCQLD Board of Directors

June 2011 Quarry Lands Update

Hi everyone,

It has been a long time since our last update. The news around the Quarry Lands in recent months is decidedly mixed. A few key points:

1) Developments at a recent hearing of the Ontario Municipal Board May 26 confirm our opinion that City planning staff either cannot or will not use the OMB forum to act on behalf of the community’s best interest and defeat the proposed development. There is little positive news emerging out of the OMB process and we have no reason to believe that will change. Issues before the OMB at this point are largely to deal with minor zoning and site plan changes; the OMB has, in effect, already given its approval to the general idea of Gerrard Clonmore Development's high rise plans. That said, the OMB is far from the only leverage point the community has to express its opinion and drive change and common sense planning around this issue.

2) Members of the CCQLD board met earlier this month with officials from the provincial Ministry of the Environment and staff from MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti’s office. We stressed the critical importance of public input into the Record of Site Condition process, which must be undertaken separately by both Build Toronto (ie. the City) and GCD before any approvals are granted. This process will take many months, as neither the City nor GCD have filed necessary documentation with the Ministry.

3) We are in regular contact with our elected representatives from all three levels of government. Councillor Gary Crawford and newly elected Scarborough Southwest MP Dan Harris attended CCQLD’s May board of directors meeting. MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti has also said he understands the importance of this issue to the community – and on that note, we expect the Quarry Lands to be an issue again during the provincial election campaign this fall. Overall, while ongoing discussion have not been able to produce substantial results to date, it’s up to our entire community to continue to put pressure on our elected officials, wherever and whenever we can, to achieve a sensible result.

4) There has been no meeting of Build Toronto, City planning officials, elected representatives and members of the CCQLD Board of Directors for well over a year. We are working to make this happen as soon as possible. Since the last such meeting, we have a new city councillor (Gary Crawford), a new key contact at Build Toronto (Prakesh David), a new head of Scarborough planning (Raymond David) and of course a new Mayor (Rob Ford). These parties need to have a united front and a vision for how we can and must all do better, based on a common interest in strong city-building. Give them a call and let them know how you feel.

5) The Quarry Lands issue remains, at its heart, an issue of city-building. When area residents, local elected representatives from all three levels of government, city planners and outside experts agree that this development is an inappropriate land use from the 1960s that doesn’t make sense for the community and defies all reasonable planning principles, shame on all those in positions of power if they collectively let it happen. Healthy, vibrant communities are not built this way.

6) There is still time to find a solution. With environmental and other necessary approvals, even in a worst-case scenario, we’re still several years from ground being turned. That said, the clock is ticking and we all need to raise the level of our game.

Back in touch soon,
CCQLD Board of Directors

Thanks to outgoing MP Michelle Simson

Hi everyone,

As you know, the federal election on May 2 brought in a new Member of Parliament for Scarborough Southwest, Dan Harris. Congratulations, Dan. CCQLD is very much looking forward to working with Dan going forward, along with elected representatives from other levels of government, to ensure a positive outcome on this issue.

At this time, we'd also like to thank and pay tribute to Scarborough Southwest's outgoing Member of Parliament, Michelle Simson, for her extraordinary support of CCQLD during her time as our M.P.

Michelle took on the Quarry Lands as a strong personal cause even though there is no direct federal responsibility or jurisdiction. Never afraid to take a strong public stand on important issues, she spoke passionately in support of the community's position at our public rally in April 2010 and encouraged her colleagues to do the same.

Michelle's work and generosity behind the scenes has been instrumental in our efforts to raise awareness and build momentum within the community and with other stakeholders. She made significant personal financial contributions that allowed us to order the lawn signs that are seen throughout our neighbourhood. In addition, she set up meetings and promoted our cause with other civic leaders and officials -- efforts that helped us put this issue on the map and gave CCQLD strong credibility in discussions.

We are extremely pleased that Michelle plans to stay involved with this issue, as we will continue to benefit from her experience and insights.

With much appreciation,

CCQLD Board of Directors