https://twitter.com/tpscalls/status/732550245419212804
Sighthill Ave. and MacLennan Ave don’t meet.
Ward 5’s De Ciano feels no conflict in rail tracks land vote
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Justin De Ciano
There’s a questionable aspect to the dealings of the City’s planning and growth committee to permit residential and commercial construction within just nine metres of the Toronto-Hamilton rail corridor. The decision to ignore a City planning recommendation against such development was spearheaded by Ward 5 Councillor Justin Di Ciano. That was last Wednesday and the vote was 4 to 2. Councillors Di Ciano, David Shiner, Christin Carmichael Greb and John Campbell voted to support Di Ciano’s amendments. Councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam and John Filion voted to support the original recommendations by City planners. Now CBC News says Mr. Di Ciano and his twin brother, Julian, have ties to the developer, Dunpar Developments. Some say this connection should have been revealed at the committee. Councillor Di Ciano was also the leader of an unfortunate City Council decision in October 2015 to reverse itself on its previous commitment to introduce ranked ballots at the next election Mr. Di Ciano said the system would be too complicated and he persuaded Council 25 to 18 to go back on its decision. Readers may see who voted in favour and against that motion here. Toronto councillor pushes for planning changes that benefit developer despite ties to company CBC
SHOCK: Liberals not denying end to gas home heating
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Glen Murray
Ontario’s Liberal government is not denying a published report that its long-awaited action plan on climate change aims to phase out the use of natural gas in both home heating and the electricity system. Premier Kathleen Wynne and Environment Minister Glen Murray have been working for months on an action plan to reduce carbon emissions through a mix of incentives to choose green options and new regulations to shift people away from using fossil fuels. At Queen’s Park, the opposition blasted the plans, saying they don’t make sense and will harm Ontario homeowners. CBC
RADICAL?
It seems like stunning news and opens many questions about what homeowners will wish to do to protect the family if homes, heated by electricity, go off grid in mid-winter. Gas furnaces and gas fireplaces can be kept running in a power outage. Would such a decision see a return to wood-burning fireplaces for emergency use? Are more dangerous fuels like propane likely to see a boom? Ministers won’t deny plan to phase out natural gas
Builder warns of OMB if Bayview plan not okayed by Fall
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Meeting in gymnasium of Hodgson school
The lawyer for the Brown Group, developers pursuing the mixed-use commercial and residential proposal for Bayview between Hillsdale and Soudan, says the company will go to the Ontario Municipal Board if the plan presented to residents Monday night is not approved by Fall. Adam Brown spoke for the Brown Group at an ad hoc residents meeting at Hodgson Senior Public School about the company’s compromises over the nine storey concept it first proposed last year for the 1700 block of Bayview Ave. He outlined how in negotiating meetings with Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and City planners the plan has been scaled down to seven storeys from nine. There was a mood of gratitude toward the Brown Group for apparent concessions. Mr. Matlow outlined concerns about the creeping height of future buildings justified by precedents set now.
MIDTOWN IN FOCUS
The issue remains the City’s desire to finish the Midtown in Focus (MIF) plan which attempts to assess the state of services and the encroachment on residential properties from the Yonge and Eglinton across to Bayview and south to the cemetery. Stampeding development inspired by the LRT seems to be beyond the control of planners at the moment. The target for finishing MIF is January of 2017 but even City representatives present admitted that this window might easily be missed. That was on Mr. Brown’s mind too. The height of the building was always an issue and some residents at the lightly-attended meeting grumped that five or six storeys should have been enough. The office and medical building across Hillsdale at 1740 Bayview is five storeys and stands as the highest structure south of Eglinton with the exception of the 1960s Cardiff apartments at 1460 Bayview and Davisville which extends to seven storeys.
Concept as envisioned at seven storeys
Heath E. at Hudson Dr. new brick asking $3,850,000
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The fine-looking home at 316 Heath St. East between Hudson Drive and Welland Ave has been listed by Heaps Estrin for $3,850,000. It is an eye-popping number but not much above the going rate for slightly larger lots in the south end of Moore Park on streets like Inglewood Drive and Rosedale Heights Drive. This is a nice location, mere steps from the picturesque Cat’s Eye Footbridge which crosses to Bennington Heights and has rapid access in all directions via Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Bayview Ave. It also sits on the lot of the home of the late Peter Worthington. That Moore Park original sold for $1,440,000 in April 2014.
240 ROSE PARK DRIVE
The large home under construction by Metro Developers Group is giving neighbors a bit of distress because work came to halt for a few weeks in the Spring. Previously, there had been furious action. A stoppage isn’t the kind thing anyone wants (or deserves) and the outlook is not all that clear, according to residents. This property also replaces a Moore Park original at the corner of Rose Park and Welland Ave.
Debit cards for disabled to beat payday cheque cashers
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As many as 46,000 disabled poor people will get a debit card they can use to withdraw their government monthly assistance money. The cards will replace cheques which in many cases have been cashed at private payday cheque cashing stores at a costly rate. Toronto Star
Mom says Malvern girl dragged off by hair by two youths
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Was a 16-year-old girl dragged out of a Malvern home by her hair by two young intruders? Her mom says so. But the girl has been found and the story is really left quite open as to what actually happened. She is okay.
Poll finds support for extended grid of bicycle lanes
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A poll produced for the cycling group Team Evergreen says that Torontonians favor spending on bicycle lanes in keeping with the City’s bike network plan to create a “minimum grid” of protected bike lanes. According to the pollster, Angus Reid, 86 per cent say they support the plan, and 67 per cent say they want the city to spend more money to get it built faster. City News
Hair-raising video as huge load slides off tractor trailer
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A man has escaped what seems like certain death in New York State because of his rule to avoid driving beside tractor trailers. In this case, Qing Chang slowed down to let the loaded truck get ahead of him, and then all hell broke loose.
Raptors whip Heat in Game 7 to meet Cleveland Cavaliers
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Is it a 20-year breakthrough or the road to nowhere? Whatever it is, the Toronto Raptors whipped the Miami Heat 116-89 Sunday night to advance to the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 21 years. “Just the things that we’d been through this year, and how hard we’ve worked,” Lowry said. “Just an emotional time, just being able to sit there and relax, and kind of breathe.” Now it’s on to another gruelling series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Raptors can win that series, they get to compete for the NBA championship.
Leaside Lightning U14 volleyball girls are silver medalists
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So proud of my daughter and the 14U Girls Leaside Lightning Volleyball team. They are Silver Medalists at the… https://t.co/zkD0rGmGWE
— Eleanor McCain (@Eleanor_McCain) May 15, 2016
Temps flirt with freezing but forecast says 2 degrees
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The temperatures are flirting with freezing overnight Sunday to Monday after a day that could easily have passed for March 15 not May 15. But the forecasters at the weather network say we will dodge frost tonight, if by not very much. Two degrees is forecast in Midtown.