FALL 2021 UPDATE
Altree submitted a second proposal, without any meaningful changes to address the community concerns. In addition, they filed an appeal to take the proposal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), bypassing the normal municipal process and further avoiding community feedback and concerns.
WE NEED YOUR HELP. We are hiring professionals (planner, lawyer) to represent the community and to ensure a reasonable approach to development. Please donate NOW to help ensure tenants are not displaced, building size and density are reasonable, community streets and crossings remain safe, infrastructure is sufficient to support the building and to protect the Bluffs.
SAVE BIRCH CLIFF VILLAGE
Altree Development is proposing a massive 12 storey condo on the south side of Kingston Rd. between Lakeside Ave. + Birchcliff Ave. and encroaching onto Birchcliff Ave. by re-zoning 2 houses. It's just bad planning! It would encompass the entire city block and displace 33 families who currently reside in affordable rentals at Lenmore Court.
33
Families in affordable rental housing informed in the middle of a pandemic and would be displaced during an affordable housing crisis Toronto.
Tenants' rights must be protected with a full plan for compensation.
Altree needs to apply for a permit for Demolition of a Rental property and provide a replacement for a rental for tenants. Their proposed replacement unit has not been built yet.
12
Storeys proposed (35.5m high). The Kingston Road frontage is zoned for 4-6 storeys (20m high).
It's WAY too big, doesn't fit with the character of the neighborhood and contradicts the Kingston Rd. Revitalization Plan.
Altree needs a Zoning By-law Amendment to build greater than 6 storeys.
There are no condos greater than 6 storeys on the south side of Kingston Rd corridor.
2
Single Family Residential Homes on Birchcliff Ave. to be re-zoned from Residential zoning to make room for this massive condo
It is a direct contravention to the City's Official Plan to encroach into a protected interior neighborhood.
Altree needs an Official Plan Amendment to turn 2 Single Family Residential
homes in "Neighborhoods" designation into "Mixed Use Areas" for Condos and a Driveway.
This has never been approved before along the Kingston Rd corridor and would set an extremely bad precedent for neighbourhoods.
264
Condo units;
134 one bed,
100 two bed,
25 three bed
5 live/ work units
271
Parking Spaces
Increased congestion + conflict points w/ condo driveway for 271 cars across from a 52 unit townhouse driveway on a small street.
Altree needs to provide the city with a traffic study. The study submitted was done in 2018 and does not take into effect the 52 unit townhouses across the street.
Kingston Rd. is already a mess with too much traffic moving too fast. Spillover traffic will flow right into the small neighbourhood without sidewalks.
1. NO DISPLACEMENT OF LENMORE COURT TENANTS - protect our neighbours at Lenmore court and fight for their right to remain right here at 1615-1641 Kingston Road in Birch Cliff Village in permanent and affordable rental housing.
2. STOP ENCROACHMENT AND REZONING OF RESIDENTIAL STREETS - Do not allow rezoning of residential homes on Birchcliff Ave. to allow for encroachment. It’s not appropriate for this neighbourhood and it will set a bad precedent.
3. LIMIT DENSITY, WIDTH, AND HEIGHT OF ANY DEVELOPMENT - Limit density and keep height to between 4-6 storeys at maximum to ensure compatibility of any Birch Cliff development, the proposed building is 2 x bigger than it should be (see Kingston Road Revitalization Plan).
4. PROTECT SAFE TRAFFIC FLOW & SCHOOL INTERSECTIONS - any traffic flow from new developments in Birch Cliff must flow safely onto Kingston Rd and be designed to prevent dangerous traffic flows onto neighbouring side streets, at school intersections, etc.
5. REDUCE STRAIN ON BLUFFS ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE - This development will put our fragile bluffs environment at further risk due to the out-of-scale density and will put further strain on our local infrastructure including schools, public transportation which is already underserved, and roads.
1. Make a donation to support our legal and planning fund to fight the case at OLT
2. Contact these key decision makers to (1) voice your concerns, (2) ask to have your submission included in the official file + (3) request to be included in any future communications about the project.
Reference Application No: 20 203471 ESC 20 OZ
3. Add your name to our list - send an email to savebirchcliffvillage@gmail.com to receive updates from our committee.
4. Volunteer to drive awareness + talk to your neighbours about this proposed development.
5. Follow our social media below and share w/ your network.
6. Put up a sign on your lawn. (See Below)
Gary Crawford
Ward 20 City Councillor for Scarborough Southwest councillor_crawford@toronto.ca // 416.392. 4052
Christian Ventresca
City Planner for the Project
christian.ventresca@toronto.ca // 416.395.3439
City Clerk, attention: Administrator
Scarborough Community Council
scc@toronto.ca // 416.396.7287
If a person or public body does not make or submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the City Clerk, to the appropriate Administrator email before a proposed Zoning By-law Amendment is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
Scarborough Community Council Members
Paul Ainslie // councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca
Cynthia Lai // councillor_lai@toronto.ca
Jennifer McKelvie // councillor_mckelvie@toronto.ca
Michael Thomspon // councillor_thompson@toronto.ca
Gary Crawford // councillor_crawford@toronto.ca
These are the folks that vote on the proposal! They represent the residents of Scarborough.
Divisions Reviewing the Proposal
Urban Foresty - Amanda Puopolo // amanda.puopolo@toronto.ca
Urban Design - Shan Li // shan.li@toronto.ca
Engineering + Construction - Congming Ren // congming.ren@toronto.ca
Housing Policy - Allison Smith // allison.smith@toronto.ca
Toronto Buildings does not get involved until later in the process
LATEST NEWS.
Background
One-page summary of the process with key docs and steps noted. Prepared on Dec 2/20.
Kingston Road Revitalization Study - this is what the city is meant to follow (e.g. 4-6 storeys); our community already agreed on what should happen!
Developer Application
The full developer application - there are a lot of documents here including all the developer-paid studies
The developer's planning rationale - this is the most important submission from the developer, struggling to explain how this over-sized and over-massed development makes sense for Birch Cliff Village
Feedback So Far
As part of the application review process, City Planning circulates application materials to city divisions and some outside agencies for feedback. This is not a complete list of feedback at this stage (June 13/21) - there are more to come. Please click on each one to see the feedback received by the City.
Economic Development - concerns with lack of retail
Toronto Catholic District School Board
Toronto District School Board - concerns with accommodation (Birch Cliff Public School is FULL), shadowing over BCPS play areas (affecting student safety) and proximity to BCPS (construction concerns and Heritage status of building)
Urban Forestry - does not support this developer's proposal
City Planning - there is a significant amount of feedback for developer in this document, requesting more analysis to be done and suggesting many changes to the proposal
Engineering & Construction - re technical comments from the city's engineering and construction division requiring applicant follow up
Meetings
December 9/20 Birch Cliff Village Association Town Hall Meeting with Councillor Crawford (YouTube video)
January 6/21 Scarborough Community Council Meeting to review the Preliminary Report (YouTube video)
January 20/21 Birch Cliff Village Association Meeting (YouTube video)
March 1/21 Community Consultation Meeting (Webex Recording)
November 25/21 Birch Cliff Village Association Meeting (YouTube video)
Social Media Banners & Posters
We have created images for you to use in your personal social media posts - please download and use freely:
We have also created a "STOP ALTREE, IT'S BAD PLANNING" poster for you to print and include in your home or car windows or post in public places: