Newsletters

From: Concerned Cottingham <[email protected]> Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:05:17 -0400

Subject: **time sensitive** CONDO & Community Council meeting

We have been working with Josh Matlow a great deal over the past week. Considering the inconvenient & nonspecific timing for the Community Council meeting tomorrow, we have good news. Tomorrow's particular Council meeting is NOT critical for our cause- therefore, if tomorrow is difficult for you, there is no pressing need to attend. Subsequent meetings are much, much more important. For those that would still like to attend, the Community Council meeting tomorrow begins at 9:30am & early indications are that our issue won't be tabled until 2pm or 3pm.  But note, this timing is influx, and our issue may be tabled much earlier than currently anticipated. We will post further timing information to our website tomorrow; as soon as we receive it.  Please see below for some comments from Josh Matlow on the next steps following tomorrow's meeting:

I believe it is absolutely vital to create a mixed use, green and people-friendly waterfront for Toronto of which we can all be proud.

While it is healthy to review plans, and consider new ideas, I would like council to build onto a decade of work, and millions of dollars invested by Waterfront Toronto rather than hastily shift to a new plan for the port lands.

Moreover, it is paramount that the City of Toronto genuinely consult with its residents before changing plans that were agreed upon through consultation in the first place.

Ultimately, all decisions at city council should be made thoughtfully and responsibly.

Given that so many questions remain unanswered regarding the proposed new course for the port lands, including potential liabilities, the need for new environmental assessments and how it may or may not compliment the investments made into Waterfront Toronto's plan to date, and the fact that there wasn't a genuine public consultation process included before changes were made, I cannot support it.

I will continue working with all of my colleagues to ensure Toronto has a plan for the port lands, and our entire waterfront, that builds on the good work done by Waterfront Toronto.

For more information on the subject, please see this article from the National Post.

Sincerely,

Josh
Councillor Josh Matlow
Ward 22, St. Paul's
City of Toronto
www.joshmatlow.ca

The City of Toronto has dozens of by-laws and regulations governing how streets and sidewalks are used. These regulations are for the most part left over from the previous municipalities (East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Toronto, York and Metropolitan Toronto) that were amalgamated to form the City of Toronto in 1998.

The City is working to harmonize these regulations into a single, consistent by-law that uniformly manages activities occurring on public streets. Harmonizing these regulations will streamline the approval process for several activities and will result in consistency, efficiency and fairness to all residents and business owners in Toronto.

Background
On July 14, 2011, City Council endorsed a plan to consult with the public and stakeholders on proposed changes to Chapter 743 (Streets and Sidewalks, Use of) of the Toronto Municipal Code, known commonly as the "Streets By-law." The report to Council and supporting information is found online.

Consultation will be conducted online, and will also include four public open houses, an information  session for representatives of Business Improvement Areas, and two information sessions for representatives of the City’s various residents' associations..

About the Streets By-law
The updated Streets By-law will provide a uniform set of regulations for most activities that occur in our public rights-of-ways. Many issues will be included in the by-law, including but not limited to the following:

• obstructing and encroaching on streets
• excavating and maintaining streets and boulevards
• temporary street occupations
• commercial/industrial boulevard parking
• banners in streets
• canopies and awnings
• temporary decorative lighting and street decorations
• memorials in streets
• approving driveways and walkways

A summary comparison of existing and draft proposed legislation here.

A summary of the draft proposed amendments is found here.

More questions? View our Frequently Asked Questions

Get Involved
Our proposed amendments to the Streets By-law is an important initiative that affects you and your property. Please take the time to help the City make sure the new by-law reflects the needs of your community. There will be four public open houses in the fall of 2011 where you will have the opportunity to learn more about the proposed changes, ask questions of staff, and provide feedback. Details of these open houses are as follows:

• September 8, 2011
  Etobicoke Civic Centre - Foyer
  6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

• September 14, 2011
  North York Civic Centre – Committee Room 3
  6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

• September 15, 2011
  Metro Hall – Room 310
  6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

• September 19, 2011
  Scarborough Civic Centre – Committee Rooms 1 & 2
  6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Contact Us
If you have questions about this project, please contact us:

• Allan Smithies
  Project Manager
  Traffic Planning/Right-of-Way Management
  Etobicoke York District
  Transportation Services
  [email protected]
  416-394-8412

• Mae Lee
  Senior Public Consultation Coordinator
  Pubic Consultation Unit
  [email protected]
  P 416-392-8210
  TTY  416 397 0831 
  F 416 392 2974

The Oriole Park Association (OPA) is sponsoring a garage sale in its neighbourhood on Saturday, September 24th.  So if you live in the area bounded by Chaplin Crescent in the south, Yonge Street in the east and Eglinton in the north, this is your chance to turn some of those unused items in your garage into cash.  The Association is advertising the event in the Toronto Star and the Village Post and they will post signs in strategic areas to direct interested buyers into the area.  For more details and information on how to have your address listed in the Star ad, check out their website at www.orioleparkassociation.com.

TDSB Trustee Shelley Laskin will be hosting a St Paul’s Provincial Candidates Debate on Education Issues. It will be at Northern Secondary School on September 20th from 7:00 to 9:00pm, and will be moderated by Toronto Star Education Reporter Louise Brown.

For more information please email Shelley Laskin at [email protected] or you can call her office at 416-397-3094.

You are invited! Join City Staff at one of the six Open Houses being held across Toronto in September. These Open Houses are part of the first stage of the Official Plan and Municipal Comprehensive Reviews. This is a great opportunity to help shape your city, and share with them your observations and ideas on planning in Toronto.

Open House Format

You can attend at any time between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. to view displays and share your insights with City staff. A presentation and facilitated discussion will occur at 4:00 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. so you can attend the session that works with your schedule. See below for schedule dates and locations.

If you're unable to attend an open house, you will be able to review the open house material on-line. Display boards, handouts and the presentation along with a summary of each open house will be posted on this page. You can also complete a survey or submit your comments at any time.

For more information please visit the City website at www.toronto.ca/opreview/index.htm.

The Davisville (June Rowlands) Park Splash Pad construction has been delayed by two weeks.

While I've been told that weather was the cause for the delay, like many of you, I am frustrated that we were told that this splash pad would be ready for the community by a deadline that has come and gone- as I expect that when Parks staff provide us with information, it will be accurate.

This morning I spoke with Tony Nagy, Senior Project Coordinator with Parks, Forestry & Recreation,and he assured me that the splash pad will indeed be open for use by  the July 16th weekend, weather permitting. I consider this a hard deadline and told Mr. Nagy that the community will expect so too.

I very much appreciate your patience and understand your justified frustration, which I have shared, and I am determined to see this project through to fruition.

Our new splash pad will be a wonderful asset for the Davisville Village neighbourhood and our entire community and I look forward to seeing our local children enjoying it very soon

Dear friends,

I hope you had a fun and relaxing Canada Day weekend.

For your information, I'm providing you with a brief update on three items that may be of interest to you.

1. TOMORROW, July 5:  Eglinton 2020 (LRT) Forum
2. Oriole Park Update
3. Summerlicious - July 8 to 24, 2011

1.  Eglinton 2020 (LRT) Forum

Date:  Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Time:  7:00 to 8:30 pm

Place:  Forest Hill United Church - 2 Wembley Road - off Bathurst, 1 block North of Eglinton Ave W

I invite you to join me, other community leaders and interested stakeholders interested in participating in the planning and shaping of Eglinton Avenue both above ground as under ground work begins on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.  We will be talking about shaping the middle of the city – Eglinton Avenue – in a sustainable, neighbourhood and business friendly way where pedestrians, motorists, cyclists and people of all ages can live and move on the street.

Seating is limited and RSVP is required - please contact the Office of MPP Mike Colle by phone at (416) 781-2395 or email at mcolle.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org.

Please visit the Eglinton 2020 website or check out their page on Facebook.

2.  Oriole Park Update

At long last, our new playground at Oriole Park is now open! Thank you to everyone, including local residents and parks staff, who I've worked with to see this through to fruition by the Canada Day deadline I set. This is possibly Toronto's most beautifully designed playground. And it now belongs to our community.

3.  Summerlicious - July 8 to 24, 2011

Take advantage of the incredible value of 3-course prix fixed menus at 150 of Toronto's favourite restaurants, whether it is for lunch or dinner.  Reservations recommended.  For more information on participating restaurants, please visit the City of Toronto website.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at (416) 392-7906 or reply to this email.

Best regards,

Josh

1. Funding for Northern School Field Approved By Community Council

2. Garbage Debate Far From Over

3. Avenue Road Watermain Update.

4. Toronto Service Review

5. Doors open Toronto

1. Funding for Northern School Field Approved By Community Council

I'm happy to report that today at City Hall, Toronto East York Community Council approved a development on Roehampton Avenue that will result in $500,000 toward a new field at Northern Secondary School, along with an additional $500,000 toward a new local park. The funding will be secured through a section 37 agreement between the City of Toronto and K & G Construction, owner of 299 Roehampton.

The Clarke Pulford Field, named after a former Northern physical education teacher, has long been in need of revitalization. The playing surface is patchy, full of holes and can be unusable at times. While working with the Northern community as a School Trustee, I saw first -hand the passion and dedication that students, alumni and parents have for this project. Through countless fundraising events including a "taste of the town" evening, raffles for Maple Leafs tickets and a 24 hour camp out on the field, the Northern Secondary School Foundation has remarkably raised over $1 million.

The new field will consist of a 400-metre, four-lane running track and a full football and soccer field built to professional standards. The grass will be replaced by high-quality artificial turf while bike racks and fencing will also be installed. The playing area will be used by physical education classes, Northern's many successful athletic teams and will provide recreational opportunities for the wider community. Through hard work, a consensus was reached on a Community Use Agreement at a recent meeting at City Hall with the support of Shelley Laskin, our School Trustee, the Sherwood Park Residents' Association as well as Northern students, staff, parents and alumni. When not in use for school activities, the field will be available for neighbourhood residents to play soccer, frisbee, running and many other activities.

I am honoured to be in the position to complete this project through City Council next month where I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that the remaining $500,000 needed for the field is approved.

We're nearing the end of a long journey to create a field that will merit the excellence of Northern's athletes and will be accessible to local residents. Thank you to our entire school and residential community for your support.

2. Garbage Debate Far From Over

Despite media reports that have suggested otherwise, garbage pick-up has not been privatized. Council voted to allow staff to issue a Request for Quotations (RFQ) from private bidders. Once those bids are received Council will vote on whether to accept, reject or amend the contracts.

Please read my column from Monday's Toronto Star for further information:

http://joshmatlow.ca/josh-in-the-news/city-hall-diary.html

During last week's debate on whether to accept private bids for waste collection, all four of my amendments were supported by Council. They helped to ensure that the environment, public service and taxpayer protection would be paramount if we choose to go down this path. I believe these amendments reflected much of the feedback I've received from residents.

Please click this link to view the amendments:

Motions by Councillor Matlow

3. Avenue Road Watermain Update.

I have some good news with regards to the Avenue Road Watermain reconstruction project.  While this is a necessary project for our city's infrastructure, it has also greatly impacted the amount of gridlock in the area and has understandably frustrated many local residents – including myself.

I can report that as of last week several lanes were re-opened to traffic including:

1) Along Avenue Rd. from Poplar Plains to just south of Balmoral

2) Along Avenue Rd. from just north of St. Clair to Lonsdale

3) Along Lonsdale from Avenue Rd. to Oriole Parkway

4) Along Oriole Parkway from Lonsdale to just north of Wilberton

There are lanes that are still closed along Avenue Road across the intersection of St. Clair.  These should be re-opened until work is completed in that area by the end of June.

I have been informed by Water that the City was considering replacing watermains on Mt. Pleasant and Eglinton West

I have requested that the construction be finished on Avenue before either one of the other projects begins and, if possible, to wait for the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown before moving ahead with that project so the work can be done at the same time.

City staff has confirmed that those projects will be delayed.

4. Toronto Service Review

To address Toronto's 2012 budget gap of $774 million, City Council has launched a review of all of its services and implemented a multi-year financial planning process.The City of Toronto is reviewing the services it provides and looking at how they can best be delivered to Toronto residents.

As part of the review, a public consultation process has been launched called the Toronto Service Review.  This is your chance to send a strong signal to City Councillors and the Mayor about the kind of Toronto we want to live in and pass on to our children.  To find summary and detailed information on each service, facts and figures about the City's budget and decision-making processes, please go to:  http://www.toronto.ca/torontoservicereview/.  You can also fill in the online feedback form to directly provide your input.

5. Doors open Toronto

Finally I would encourage you to participate in Doors Open Toronto on Saturday and Sunday May 28th and 29th.  This is one of the city's most popular annual events, which provides free access to buildings of architectural, historic, social and cultural significance.

Some of the buildings you can visit in Ward 22 include;

City of Toronto Archives at 255 Spadina Road

Empress Building -  at 124 Merton Street

Fire Station 311 -  at 20 Balmoral Avenue

Frontier College -- Gzowski House at 35 Jackes Avenue

Grace Church on-the-Hill at 300 Lonsdale Road

Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens at 285 Spadina Road

Most buildings will be open from 10:00am – 5:00pm on both days – but some building hours do vary so please visit the Doors Open website at www.toronto.ca/doorsopen/buildings.htm

I particularly would like you to join me at Fire Station 311 at 20 Balmoral.  The station is celebrating its 100th Anniversary – and I will be there for a special ceremony at 1pm.

I hope you found this informative. For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (416) 392-7906 or email [email protected].

Best Wishes,

Josh

Dear residents,

This morning, Premier McGuinty and Mayor Rob Ford announced a new plan for rapid transit expansion in Toronto. The mayor’s plan replaces the previous Transit City initiative which would have seen Light Rapid Transit (LRT) lines on Eglinton, Sheppard, Finch and through Scarborough with some portions built underground.

Mayor Ford has put forward a transit plan that will put the entirety of the Eglinton LRT line underground and a replace the Scarborough Rapid Transit line with an LRT. The Mayor has also proposed to construct a $4 billion subway on Sheppard Ave using private financing.

The original Metrolinx plan for the Eglinton LRT, funded by the provincial government, called for the line to be underground from Black Creek to Laird. The difference between the plans is that an 8km portion of the Eglinton line from Laird east to Kennedy will now also be underground at an additional cost of $2 billion. To bury this portion of the line, Toronto will have to reallocate funds away from the proposed Finch West LRT, as the City would no longer have the capital dollars to construct a rapid transit line there. However, there is some discussion about enhancing bus service along that route.

It is important to note that there is no additional money from the Province towards today's announcement. The City will be required to fund the Sheppard subway on its own. The Mayor has mused about various private financing schemes but has yet to provide formal details. While I strongly support transit expansion for Toronto, without ensuring that the revenue needed for the ongoing operating costs can be found, I am concerned that constructing subways through suburban areas of Toronto with low densities will become a long-term liability for taxpayers. The current stretch of the Sheppard subway is already subsidised by our property taxes due to low ridership.

I applaud the provincial government’s commitment to fund rapid transit expansion for our city and am delighted that work will begin on the Eglinton line this year- something we’ve been waiting for far too long. In addition, when funding is made available, I'd like to see the Eglinton line extend to Pearson airport and beyond as part of a regional transit strategy.

I am concerned, however, about the process in which this plan has been delivered as Toronto residents have not been consulted and there is no surety that this plan, nor its finances, will be debated at Council. It is also prudent to consider the estimated $49 million that Toronto will have to pay to cancel the Transit City plan at a time when there is a projected $784 million gap in the 2012 City operating budget.

Public transportation is the primary mode of travel for many of us and affects the planning of our neighbourhoods. Toronto residents deserve an opportunity to provide their input regarding the future of transit as it is an integral part of our lives.

Ultimately, I believe we need to have a thoughtful, evidence-based debate at Council to achieve a financially feasible transit plan with a detailed, transparent budget that will be accessible to as many Torontonians as possible.

To ensure your ability to have your voice heard, I plan to co-host a town hall meeting on transit in the coming weeks with fellow midtown city councillors to hear your feedback and answer any questions you might have. We will send you details about the date and location very soon along with posting on my website at: www.joshmatlow.ca. Meanwhile, always feel free to send me an email to [email protected]

Sincerely,

Josh Matlow
Toronto City Councillor
Ward 22, St. Paul’s