City planner on zoning of Station R land

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The sale of the old Postal Station R has raised interest in what will now become of this property. It is on prime land at the address known as 2 Laird Drive. Steve Forrester, senior planner at the City of Toronto, has been good enough to send on the particulars of the zoning now in place, and the prospect for future use under the Official Plan. Here is what Mr. Forrester wrote:
The property is currently zoned C1 (General Commercial Zone) by the former Town of Leaside By-law 1916. The zoning permits a number of commercial uses such as retail stores, banks, restaurants, service shops, and business offices. The zoning also permits residential uses but they are limited (i.e., dwellings units could only be above a permitted commercial uses, in other words, not on their own). The site is designated Mixed Use Areas in the City of Toronto Official Plan. The Plan states Mixed Use Areas are to be made up of a broad range of commercial, residential and institutional uses, in single use or mixed use buildings. They are intended to absorb most of the anticipated increase in retail, office and service employment in Toronto in the coming decades, as well as much of the new housing. The Plan does note however that not all Mixed Use Areas will experience the same scale or intensity of development.

Sidewalk work looks like the real deal

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Sidewalk work scheduled for this week on South Bayview is looking like the real deal as City and contractor guys huddle outside Your Clothes Friend figuring exactly where the new concrete will go. At right, Dom, Chris and Sal move the wooden display stands from in front of Badali’s so the sidewalks can be replaced. The rip up is said to begin tomorrow (Tuesday).

That was the Halloween that was

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That was the Halloween that was — and it was a good one. Above left and centre, teachers who got into the spirit of the kids Halloween parade from Maurice Cody Public School. They marched down South Bayview Monday. Upper right, Romy and Sebastian pose on the porch of their Moore Park home before venturing out. She belongs in a Vermeer painting and he in a Munch. Below, the amazing Harry Potter Jack O’Lantern carved by their talented mom, Franca.

243 Rose Park nearing completion

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The handsome three storey home being built at 243 Rose Park Drive is just about finished. The driveway has been installed at the side door home. We reported April 20, 2011 that the legal preparation for the demolition (lower left with old house) took quite a while. Now it looks as if there will soon be new neighbors at this prime address. Previous post.

Weather, music videos good for Halloween

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The good news is that the Halloween weather for South Bayview and all of Toronto will be clear. Temperatures for Monday night are forecast to be no lowers than five degrees and there will no rain. In the meantime, enjoy the remarkable displays in the video bar to the left by the group LMFAO. It is an American electro pop duo that formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, California, consisting of rappers, producers, dancers, and DJs Redfoo (Stefan Kendal Gordy, born September 3, 1975) and SkyBlu (Skyler Husten Gordy, born August 23, 1986). Redfoo is Skyblu’s uncle. Their music incorporates a theme of partying and drinking, and the group commonly refers to their music style as “party rock”. We’re not sure who owns the house.

Tech guru weighs the promise of Google TV

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What’is the mystical promise of Google TV? We saw Google stub its toe last year with version 1 of its attempt to do to television and cable what its done to almost everything else. That is, organize it in a simple and radically different way and then deliver it over the Internet. The ideas are tantalizing. Maybe even someday watching television from any satellite without paying for it — or at least not the way you do now. As technology guru Harry McCracken (inset) outlines in the linked story, Google announced on Friday that it is working on Google TV 2. For one thing, Google TV 2 will make much greater use of the Google property You Tube. Again, it might be possible to search and play You Tube like television, and says McCracken with breathtaking nonchalance, possibly provide a service with more professional content. Amazing huh?

Long job to get Leaside Cleaners open again

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Friends and neighbors are rallying around as Mimi and Phillip try to put things back together at Leaside Cleaners. The electrical fire of last week has destroyed the interior of the store and contents– machinery, records and customers clothes. The insurance companies work slowly and the best guessing is that it will be a few months, perhaps as long as a year, before Leaside cleaners can re-open. But those have read their sign (right) know that the owners are determined to get back in business.

Klees won’t run for Speaker of the Legislature

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MPP Frank Klees says he never expected the “firestorm” of criticism he received from his colleagues for saying he would run for the Speaker’s job. Mr. Klees might as well say he didn’t know the gun was loaded. His plan was a calculated punch in the gut to his party and it played into the hands of the Liberals. That may or may or not have been good for the province but for him to be surprised by what happened is somewhat disingenuous.

Renovations begin at 1600 Bayview

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The renovations have begun at 1600 Bayview, former premises of the Sleuth of Baker Street. As readers of The South Bayview Bulldog will know, 1600 has been leased by Tribute Communities to house its sales centre for the Canterbury Lawrence Park development. Today carpenters were busy building new walls in the space. It appears there will be a reception area separate from the actual sales presentation area.

Sidewalk replacement to begin on Monday

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Merchants on South Bayview received notices this morning that construction will begin on the new sidewalks Monday morning. That’s October 31, 2011. The representative of the contractor said the work will be done in about a week weather permitting and that access will be maintained to all stores during the work. The relatively brief estimated time for completion will be related to the hours of work — 7 am. to 7 p.m. These are long hours for such work. But, it will be a welcome thing to have new sidewalks especially if they can be completed in this short time.