An update on events in our neighbouring community from Councillor Vaughan:
Reminder: Town Hall about G20 Summit
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Date: Thursday, April 29, 2010 (tomorrow)
Time: Afternoon: 3-5pm, Evening: 7-9pm
Location: Metro Hall, 55 John Street (King & John)
Room 308/309 (afternoon)
Rotunda (evening)
Please join Councillor Vaughan at a meeting to hear about the security plans and other impacts of the G20 Summit, taking place in downtown Toronto on Saturday June 26 and Sunday June 27.
Representatives of the G20 Integrated Security Unit will be making a presentation and there will be an extended Q&A session for residents, businesses and other stakeholders to have their questions answered.
The evening meeting will also be broadcast live on Rogers Cable 10 from 7-9pm, for those who cannot attend in person.
Updates about the G20 Summit will continue to be provided through Councillor Vaughans e-newsletter as the event approaches.
Further information is available on the G8/G20 Integrated Security Unit website:
http://www.g8-g20isu.ca/g20/index-eng.htm
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Upcoming Ward 20 Events
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Join Councillor Vaughan for a Janes Walk this weekend!
Janes Walk is a series of free neighbourhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating opportunities for cities to discover themselves. Since its inception in 2007, Janes Walks have taken place in cities across North America and the program quickly expanding internationally. In 2009 Janes Walks were held in 46 cities with a total of 315 walks offered. In 2010, there are 67 participating cities and over 410 tours on offer. All Janes Walk tours are given and taken for free.
This year, I will be leading two Janes Walks.
John Street Corridor
Date: Saturday, May 1st
Start Time: 10:30am
Meeting Place: Grange Park, where John Street meets the park at Stephanie Street, just north of Queen
Meet in Grange Park for a walk south down John Street and explore one of the citys most interesting neighbourhoods in the midst of an astonishing transformation. John Street is one of the oldest streets in the city and is now home to some of Torontos most important cultural institutions. As parking lots get re-developed, new space for the arts are being created in the area. Find out how new public squares and existing heritage buildings will be accommodated as the road itself is re-designed and turned in a pedestrian boulevard.
Annex Park Renaissance
Date: Sunday, May 2nd
Start Time:10:30am
Meeting Place: Walmer street exit to the Spadina subway
After years of neglect, a handful of parks are being re-built in the Annex neighbourhood, north of Bloor. Find out how local communities are leading the way as residents take control of the design, construction, maintenance and programming of these vital green spaces in one of Torontos most cherished neighbourhoods.
Also, please feel free to join me on a walk which will be guided by residents of Alexandra Park:
Alexandra Park: The Sonny Side
Date: Saturday, May 1st
Start Time: 2:00pm
Meeting Place: Alexandra Park Community Centre, 105 Grange Ct, just west of Spadina and south of Dundas at the north end of Cameron Street
Get the inside scoop on the Sonny Atkinson housing co-op and its neighbourhood. Local residents will take you to learn about the hidden treasures in the heart of the city.
For a complete listing of other Janes Walks in Toronto, please visit:
http://www.janeswalk.net/participating_cities/toronto
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Adams Walks
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In the spirit of Janes Walks, I will be holding a series of walks throughout the ward. Please join me to learn more about the people, places and events that are shaping communities throughout Ward 20 and how we are working together to preserve and enhance our vibrant neighbourhoods. The starting places and other details will be finalized shortly. Please watch for more information on these walks in my upcoming newsletter and on www.ward20.ca.
1. Saturday, May 15th
11:30am
Wellington Place, City Place, Waterfront, Airport
2. Saturday, June 12th
11:30am
Harbord Village, Huron Sussex, UofT
3. Saturday, June 26th
1:30pm
Grange, Kensington, Chinatown, Alexandra Park
4. Saturday, July 10th
11:30am
Seaton Village, Annex
5. Saturday, July 24th
1:30pm
Queen Street West, Entertainment District
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Compost Days
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There are still a couple of days left to pick up your free compost! Visit us at one of the following dates:
Date: Monday, May 17th, 2pm
Location: Vermont Square Park, 819 Palmerston Ave, Bathurst and Dupont area
Date: Tuesday, May 18th, 2pm
Location:Margaret Fairley Parkette, Brunswick Avenue at Ulster, Harbord Village area
Visit www.ward20.ca for more information, including facts about your compost.
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The Tale of a Town - Queen West
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An upcoming play in Ward 20 looks at the Queen West neighbourhood in a unique way.
The Tale of a Town - Queen West combines merging live music, stock footage and oral histories of local icons to create a theatrical journey through the past 30 years of Queen West.
The audience takes off with a promenade trip through the neighbourhood - starting from Theatre Passe Muraille, then winding around new developments, through graffiti alley, past the fire site and into a devised model loft, a vintage clothing store and a local watering hole that resonates with the songs from the Cameron House.
Beginning April 1st, the FIXT POINT team will hit the streets of Queen West scouring for stories that will inspire the creation of the play and the transformation of a reclaimed commercial space into an unconventional performance environment in only 30 days.
The production is presented by FIXT POINT, in association with Theatre Passe Muraille and The Canada Council for the Arts and in partnership with the Queen West BIA, The Toronto Association of Business
Improvement Areas, and Jumblies Theatre.
Dates:May 1st to 2nd
May 6th to 9th
May 13th to 16th
Time:7:30pm
Location:Begins at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Avenue
Ends at SCAR MFC Theatre, 609 Queen Street West
For more information, visit www.TheTaleOfATown.com
Tickets at Theatre Passe Murailles box office 416.504.7529 (artsboxoffice.ca)
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Canoe Landing is opening to the public!
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Canoe Landing, the spectacular new park in the Railway Lands West, will finally be opening to the public tomorrow.
Thank you to residents for your patience as we have worked on overcoming the legal obstacles to getting this park opened. The park, which was constructed by developers Concord Adex, has now been conveyed to the City so the park can be opened for public access.
The park is located on Fort York Blvd, west of Spadina Ave. Its distinctive big red canoe can be seen by motorists on the Gardiner Expressway.
Besides the big red canoe, the 8-acre park includes playing fields, the Terry Fox Miracle Mile running path, and other art pieces designed by Douglas Coupland.
There is no off-leash area for dogs in this park, but the closest off-leash area is located at St. Andrews Park, at Adelaide St W and Brant Street (just west of Spadina). New off-leash areas are also being planned for nearby Clarence Square Park, and the future Mouth of the Creek Park, which will be located on the east side of Bathurst Street, south of Front St W.
The park was named through a competition hosted by Councillor Vaughan, City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and Spacing Magazine.
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Upcoming Community Meetings
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Seaton Village Residents Association - Annual General Meeting
Date: Monday, May 10, 2010
Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm
Location: Palmerston Public Library, 560 Palmerston Avenue
Join the Seaton Village Residents' Association (SVRA) for their 2010 Annual General Meeting! A mixer will start at 6:30 pm where you can have an opportunity to meet your neighbours and other SVRA members. The Annual General Meeting starts at 7:00 pm.
One of the most exciting items on the agenda is the redevelopment of Vermont Square Park. Funding for capital improvements for the park have now been approved, and this meeting will provide residents with an opportunity to learn about the process leading up to the park's redevelopment and how they can become involved and provide feedback.
Further details regarding the Annual General Meeting will be posted on the SVRA's website (www.seatonvillage.ca) in advance of the meeting. If you would like to volunteer or find out how to get involved with the SVRA, please email seatonvillagetoronto@gmail.com.
Public Meeting about 245 College Street
Date:Tuesday May 18, 2010
Time:6:00 - 7:30pm
Location:Lillian H. Smith Library, 239 College Street, Room BC (basement)
Join Councillor Vaughan to hear details and provide feedback about a proposed development at
245 College Street. This site is on the south side of College, east of Spadina, and is the former home of the UofT Press.
Please let us know if you plan to attend, at Councillor_Vaughan@toronto.ca or 416-392-4044.
Wellington Place Planning Meeting
Date:Monday May 17, 2010
Time:7:00 - 9:00 pm
Location:TBA
Join Councillor Vaughan to hear updates about proposed developments in the Wellington Place Neighbourhood. On the agenda for this meeting are:
32 Camden Street
508 Wellington St W
Railway Lands Pedestrian Bridge
Please let us know if you plan to attend, at Councillor_Vaughan@toronto.ca or 416-392-4044.
Central Waterfront Community Update Meeting
Date:Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time:6:00 - 8:00pm
Location:Radisson Admiral Hotel, 3rd Floor Ballroom, 249 Queens Quay West
The revitalization of the Central Waterfront is well underway. From the new wavedecks to the recently completed Queens Quay Environmental Assessment, the transformation of Torontos downtown waterfront is happening.
Join Waterfront Toronto on Wednesday, May 12 for the first in a series of community update meetings that will provide you with information on projects underway in the area. During the meeting, youll hear a variety of short presentations and youll have an opportunity to ask questions and give feedback to the project teams.
Community Update Meeting #1 - Agenda
-General update on waterfront revitalization
-Overview of upcoming opportunities for public involvement
-Introduction of the Downtown Waterfront Master Plan
-Queens Quay revitalization schematic design presentation
-York Quay revitalization (Phase 2)
-Portland waters edge (Phase 1) presentation
NNNow News Blog
Showing posts with label ward 20. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ward 20. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Ward 20 Affordable Housing Strategy Report Presentation
To: Ward 20 Residents and Interested Community Members
Councillor Adam Vaughan and the 20 Twenty Urban Consulting team cordially invite you to the final presentation of the "Ward 20 Affordable Housing Strategy Report."
Date: Thursday November 27th 2008
Time: 10:15 am*
Location: Ryerson School of Urban and Regional Planning
105 Bond Street,
3rd Floor. Rm. 312
Toronto, ON
*Presentation starts at 10:30 sharp! Please arrive early.
If you have any further questions please e-mail: ward20.studio@gmail.com
Coffee and Tea will be served.
We hope to see you there!
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BACKGROUND & a note from Councillor Vaughan
Dear friends,
As you know, sustaining the diversity of housing opportunities for all in Ward 20 is an important priority for me in my role as your Councillor. I know that inclusive, affordable housing for a wide range of individuals and families is also important to you and your neighbours. In order to focus my advocacy efforts on this matter, I have once again partnered with a group of 4th Year Urban and Regional Planning students from Ryerson University to identify opportunities to improve the affordability of housing within Ward 20.
The study will include an inventory of the current housing stock in the ward, policy tools and program models to promote affordable housing and to prepare a demographic analysis of each neighbourhood in the ward.
Many of you have participated in our recent discussions on the subject of affordable housing within your community and your input has been extremely valuable to our team.
I hope you will join us for the students final presentation on their findings.
Councillor Adam Vaughan
Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina
416-392-4044
www.adamvaughan.ca
Councillor Adam Vaughan and the 20 Twenty Urban Consulting team cordially invite you to the final presentation of the "Ward 20 Affordable Housing Strategy Report."
Date: Thursday November 27th 2008
Time: 10:15 am*
Location: Ryerson School of Urban and Regional Planning
105 Bond Street,
3rd Floor. Rm. 312
Toronto, ON
*Presentation starts at 10:30 sharp! Please arrive early.
If you have any further questions please e-mail: ward20.studio@gmail.com
Coffee and Tea will be served.
We hope to see you there!
------
BACKGROUND & a note from Councillor Vaughan
Dear friends,
As you know, sustaining the diversity of housing opportunities for all in Ward 20 is an important priority for me in my role as your Councillor. I know that inclusive, affordable housing for a wide range of individuals and families is also important to you and your neighbours. In order to focus my advocacy efforts on this matter, I have once again partnered with a group of 4th Year Urban and Regional Planning students from Ryerson University to identify opportunities to improve the affordability of housing within Ward 20.
The study will include an inventory of the current housing stock in the ward, policy tools and program models to promote affordable housing and to prepare a demographic analysis of each neighbourhood in the ward.
Many of you have participated in our recent discussions on the subject of affordable housing within your community and your input has been extremely valuable to our team.
I hope you will join us for the students final presentation on their findings.
Councillor Adam Vaughan
Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina
416-392-4044
www.adamvaughan.ca
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
A Letter from Adam Vaughan - OMB REFORM BEGINS NOW!
June 5, 2008
OPEN LETTER TO ALL WARD 20 RESIDENTS:
OMB REFORM BEGINS NOW!
A significant step was taken today, in the fight to reform, and in fact, eliminate part of the Ontario Municipal Board’s (OMB) functions. At the Planning and Growth Management Committee this morning, City Councillors approved the motion attached below.
This decision starts a process that will eliminate the Ontario Municipal Board as an as appeal body for Committee of Adjustment (CoA) decisions. As your Ward Councillor and as member of the City’s Planning and Growth Management Committee, I have been working my colleague Councillor Peter Milczyn on this idea and I was proud to support the motion which passed unanimously this morning.
Currently, significant development applications that fall just short of requiring an Official Plan Amendment, a formal re-zoning or are deemed to involve only minor amounts of additional density and/or changes to an approved or existing property or design are dealt with by the CoA.
In theory, the CoA was set up to deal with only minor variances such as; extensions to buildings (enlarged porches, rear additions, or the construction of new basement apartments, etc.). In practice, this work still forms the bulk of the cases heard by the CoA. In recent years however, this has begun to change, especially in Ward 20.
Residents now see large projects that have gone through an extensive planning process and careful debate (and occasionally, have even been settled by the OMB) resurface at the CoA with months of a settlement.
The project is restructured, the community is often ambushed, the political and planning process are undermined, and less informed, less regulated and less challenged developments are re-configured and approved in lightening speed.
Today at the Planning and Growth Management Committee, we set in motion a process to put an end to this form of backdoor re-zoning by instructing staff to take advantage of the new powers afforded council in the City of Toronto Act, and to begin work in creating a made-in-Toronto appeal process that will eliminate the OMB as an appeal route for applicants unhappy with the CoA decisions.
CoA decisions would still be open to appeal, but the body that would have carriage of the issue would be appointed by City Council and would operate within guidelines and rules set by Council. This could include instructions to adhere to heritage guidelines, render judgments consistent with Avenue studies and Part II plans. The new appeal body could also be required to interpret all non-planning city by-laws much more literally as the impact of a development is considered and approved.
This is a significant initiative. It heralds and hopefully begins the process of making Toronto’s planning process much more accountable, community-based and sensitive to local conditions and more importantly a more neighbourhood-based process.
There is still a lot of work ahead and as a member of the Planning and Growth Management Committee, I will do all I can to make sure that the concerns of resident groups are front and centre in how the proposal evolves. As it stands now, a working group of committee members and staff will jointly develop a proposal to bring to the community in the fall. At that time, public consultations, financial impacts and responses from all stakeholders and City diviisons will kick-off a public process to bring this idea to life and a introduce a new approach to planning approvals to City Hall.
This initiative won’t solve all of the problems we have with the OMB or the CoA, but it is a serious start and may be the first step in Toronto becoming a self governing city when it comes to planning.
Yours truly,
Adam Vaughan
City Councillor
Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina
MOTION PGM 16.11
Background
The new City of Toronto Act ushered in expanded powers and responsibilities for municipal government in Toronto. One of the significant new powers which were given to the City is the ability to establish our own Appeal Panel for Minor Variance and Consent applications heard by the Committee of Adjustment.
Section 115 of the Act gives the City the ability to establish its own Appeal Panel and appoint members of the Panel according to its own criteria. The only restrictions the Act imposes are that members of the Appeal Panel may not be Members of Council, Committee of Adjustment members, or City staff.
Recommendations:
1. A Councillor-Staff Working Group is struck to develop the structure for an Appeal Panel to hear appeals of Committee of Adjustment decisions on Minor Variance and Consent Applications.
2. The Working Group should consider;- the staff and financial resource requirements for the establishment of such an Appeal Panel- the fee structure for Appeals- the structure and size of the Appeal Panel- qualifications and criteria for appointment of members to the new Appeal Panel
3. The Councillor-Staff Working Group should report to the Planning & Growth Committee by October 2008. The Executive Committee and Budget Committee should be kept apprised of the work of the Working Group so as to be able to plan for the new Appeal Panel’s implementation.
The City of Toronto, residents and generations of municipal politicians have lamented the fact that the Ontario Municipal Board has jurisdiction over appeals of local Planning matters. The Government of the Province of Ontario has offered the City the ability to take over responsibility for a fair, rule-of-law based Appeal Panel for hearing appeals of decisions of the Committee of Adjustment.
It is important that the City of Toronto grasp this opportunity to demonstrate its ability to more fully take control of the Planning process at the municipal level. A successful implementation of this measure would strengthen the City’s calls for wresting more control over the Planning process away from the Ontario Municipal Board.
The new City of Toronto Act ushered in expanded powers and responsibilities for municipal government in Toronto. One of the significant new powers which were given to the City is the ability to establish our own Appeal Panel for Minor Variance and Consent applications heard by the Committee of Adjustment.
Section 115 of the Act gives the City the ability to establish its own Appeal Panel and appoint members of the Panel according to its own criteria. The only restrictions the Act imposes are that members of the Appeal Panel may not be Members of Council, Committee of Adjustment members, or City staff.
OPEN LETTER TO ALL WARD 20 RESIDENTS:
OMB REFORM BEGINS NOW!
A significant step was taken today, in the fight to reform, and in fact, eliminate part of the Ontario Municipal Board’s (OMB) functions. At the Planning and Growth Management Committee this morning, City Councillors approved the motion attached below.
This decision starts a process that will eliminate the Ontario Municipal Board as an as appeal body for Committee of Adjustment (CoA) decisions. As your Ward Councillor and as member of the City’s Planning and Growth Management Committee, I have been working my colleague Councillor Peter Milczyn on this idea and I was proud to support the motion which passed unanimously this morning.
Currently, significant development applications that fall just short of requiring an Official Plan Amendment, a formal re-zoning or are deemed to involve only minor amounts of additional density and/or changes to an approved or existing property or design are dealt with by the CoA.
In theory, the CoA was set up to deal with only minor variances such as; extensions to buildings (enlarged porches, rear additions, or the construction of new basement apartments, etc.). In practice, this work still forms the bulk of the cases heard by the CoA. In recent years however, this has begun to change, especially in Ward 20.
Residents now see large projects that have gone through an extensive planning process and careful debate (and occasionally, have even been settled by the OMB) resurface at the CoA with months of a settlement.
The project is restructured, the community is often ambushed, the political and planning process are undermined, and less informed, less regulated and less challenged developments are re-configured and approved in lightening speed.
Today at the Planning and Growth Management Committee, we set in motion a process to put an end to this form of backdoor re-zoning by instructing staff to take advantage of the new powers afforded council in the City of Toronto Act, and to begin work in creating a made-in-Toronto appeal process that will eliminate the OMB as an appeal route for applicants unhappy with the CoA decisions.
CoA decisions would still be open to appeal, but the body that would have carriage of the issue would be appointed by City Council and would operate within guidelines and rules set by Council. This could include instructions to adhere to heritage guidelines, render judgments consistent with Avenue studies and Part II plans. The new appeal body could also be required to interpret all non-planning city by-laws much more literally as the impact of a development is considered and approved.
This is a significant initiative. It heralds and hopefully begins the process of making Toronto’s planning process much more accountable, community-based and sensitive to local conditions and more importantly a more neighbourhood-based process.
There is still a lot of work ahead and as a member of the Planning and Growth Management Committee, I will do all I can to make sure that the concerns of resident groups are front and centre in how the proposal evolves. As it stands now, a working group of committee members and staff will jointly develop a proposal to bring to the community in the fall. At that time, public consultations, financial impacts and responses from all stakeholders and City diviisons will kick-off a public process to bring this idea to life and a introduce a new approach to planning approvals to City Hall.
This initiative won’t solve all of the problems we have with the OMB or the CoA, but it is a serious start and may be the first step in Toronto becoming a self governing city when it comes to planning.
Yours truly,
Adam Vaughan
City Councillor
Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina
MOTION PGM 16.11
Background
The new City of Toronto Act ushered in expanded powers and responsibilities for municipal government in Toronto. One of the significant new powers which were given to the City is the ability to establish our own Appeal Panel for Minor Variance and Consent applications heard by the Committee of Adjustment.
Section 115 of the Act gives the City the ability to establish its own Appeal Panel and appoint members of the Panel according to its own criteria. The only restrictions the Act imposes are that members of the Appeal Panel may not be Members of Council, Committee of Adjustment members, or City staff.
Recommendations:
1. A Councillor-Staff Working Group is struck to develop the structure for an Appeal Panel to hear appeals of Committee of Adjustment decisions on Minor Variance and Consent Applications.
2. The Working Group should consider;- the staff and financial resource requirements for the establishment of such an Appeal Panel- the fee structure for Appeals- the structure and size of the Appeal Panel- qualifications and criteria for appointment of members to the new Appeal Panel
3. The Councillor-Staff Working Group should report to the Planning & Growth Committee by October 2008. The Executive Committee and Budget Committee should be kept apprised of the work of the Working Group so as to be able to plan for the new Appeal Panel’s implementation.
The City of Toronto, residents and generations of municipal politicians have lamented the fact that the Ontario Municipal Board has jurisdiction over appeals of local Planning matters. The Government of the Province of Ontario has offered the City the ability to take over responsibility for a fair, rule-of-law based Appeal Panel for hearing appeals of decisions of the Committee of Adjustment.
It is important that the City of Toronto grasp this opportunity to demonstrate its ability to more fully take control of the Planning process at the municipal level. A successful implementation of this measure would strengthen the City’s calls for wresting more control over the Planning process away from the Ontario Municipal Board.
The new City of Toronto Act ushered in expanded powers and responsibilities for municipal government in Toronto. One of the significant new powers which were given to the City is the ability to establish our own Appeal Panel for Minor Variance and Consent applications heard by the Committee of Adjustment.
Section 115 of the Act gives the City the ability to establish its own Appeal Panel and appoint members of the Panel according to its own criteria. The only restrictions the Act imposes are that members of the Appeal Panel may not be Members of Council, Committee of Adjustment members, or City staff.
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