Volume 22 Number 1 Newsletter of the Swansea Area Ratepayers' Association GENERAL MEETING NOTICE Tuesday, January 23, 1996 at 7:15 p.m., at the SWANSEA TOWN HALL 95 Lavinia Ave. Re: City Plan - Appeal by Ripley Ave Industrialists -Appeal by M. Overs re: subdivision height limit, severance of 225 & 221 Ellis Ave Topics: What position should SARA take? How should SARA be involved to support the affected neighbours? What should SARA and the neighbours be doing? See Ellis Ave Project and Ripley Ave. Appeal topics for additional information. TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP If you have not obtained your 1996 membership (look at your card to see the expiry date) please renew now. All memberships expired on the 31st of December, 1995 regardless of when they were bought. If your card indicates it expires on the 31st of December, 1996 then you are a 1996 member. THE FEES FOR 1996 ARE: Single membership ............. $8.0;, Family membership ............ $10.00 Business membership .......... $12.00 Please contact L. Gris at 766-2792 to renew. Membership inquiries may be sent to Swansea Area Ratepayers Assn. c/o Swansea Town Hall, Box 103, 95 Lavinia Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M6S 3H9. EXECUTIVE MEETINGS Please note that Executive meetings are public and held normally on the third Tuesday of each month. There may be seating limitations, so please contact the Executive before you come to a meeting. Our Executive is: Ron Luft, President; Ed Gaigalas and L. Clay, Vice-Presidents; L. Volpe, Secretary; J. Oreto, Treasurer; L. Gris, Membership; G. Martinsons, Past-President; Your Directors: Ritvars Bregzis, J. Bell, S. Campbell, Peter Chant, Tony Giniotis, Bill Gouweleeuw, W. Haines, O. Iwanyshyn, M. Pew, Wm. Roberts, M. Robertson, Tony Ten Kortenaar, G. Thede, and S. Wilkinson. January 1996 SOUTH KINGSWAY- HUMBER BRIDGES We continue to monitor the construction of the vehicle bridges to ensure the potential for pedestrian/bicycle access below them. For more information contact G. Martinsons at 766-1734. ELLIS AVENUE PROJECT The Ontario Municipal Board has set 10:00 a.m. on the 19th of February, 1996, to commence the hearing of the subdivision and other appeals by M. Overs. The Appeals will be heard in a Committee Room at City Hall. The early hearing date was the result of an application by the City to have all the appeals heard together - subdivision, minor variance and severance hearings - along with the others although his solicitor resisted this on the grounds of short notice and possible delay. The Board decided to set a hearing date for all matters in order to accommodate the concerns of Mr. Overs while allowing all issues to be heard together. Bill Roberts represented SARA at the hearing to ensure the community would not be cut out of the process. The Board, on the 19th of February, 1996, will set a date for the public to be heard. What role SARA will play will be dependent on the community's decision. For more information contact: Tony Ten Kortenaar at 763-7474, Oleh Iwanyshyn at 762-6724 or Bill Roberts at 769-3162. SWANSEA MEMORIAL LIBRARY You can arrange for any movie, book or any other library material to be delivered to the Swansea branch for pick-up. The town hall has arranged for a computer to be available during town hall hours so you can order books, etc, when the library is not open. You can also order books, etc. through your home computer. LIBRARY HOURS ARE: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday Closed 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 1:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m. Closed 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 P.M. Closed GARDINER LAKESHORE TASKFORCE The Colborne Lodge Road project has been completed. The City completed a board walk along the western beaches in the Fall. OFFICIAL PLAN We are continuing to monitor this matter and have discussions with the staff in regard to our concerns as part of the rezoning process. BLOOR WEST PARKING STUDY Glen Thede, Bill Roberts and Ed Gaigalas have been appointed to this committee which is to examine parking issues in the Bloor West Village. As yet the Committee has not met. SWANSEA BY-LAWS The 18 m height limit for Stelco was approved, along with the 60% retail/commercial frontage requirement for the Bloor West Village. At the hearing on December 15, 1995, the 9m height limit for the low rise areas of Swansea, other than the Overs properties was approved. As stated elsewhere the height appeal as it relates to the Overs properties will be heard 19 February, 1996. Bill Roberts appeared at the OMB in regard to the issue of roofing over rear and front decks and was successful in getting changes in the by-law to address our concerns. He gave special thanks to D'Arcy Dunal for his help in preparing for the hearing. Bill Roberts on behalf of SARA was able to negotiate wording changes in the Official Plan to strengthen the connection between the need to provide services and the approval of new developments. RIPLEY AVE. APPEAL As of the date of this newsletter, the owners on Ripley Ave. are seeking to increase the height of the bulk of their buildings to 10 m (approximately two and a half to three stories and increase their density to two times). Please note that the condominiums on Southport and Ripley range from 1.8 to 2.28 times coverage and that two times is greater than most of the High Park Apartments) SARA opposes this. There have been discussions but no resolution. Please note that SARA has spent large sums over the last four years holding public meetings and appearing before the Ontario Municipal Board. We need your support, both moral and financial to continue the fight BLOOR/BOOZE & LIQUOR REGULATIONS SARA's sub-committee consisting of Executive members, SARA members and representatives of other groups surrounding the Bloor West Village to deal with the regulation of licensed establishments to ensure compatibility has met. We are also in contact with groups in Parkdale and elsewhere. Contact Glen Thede at f63-5283 on this matter. Recently SARA made a submission in regard to a City wide rezoning which would control all restaurants in the City. We were concerned that the requirements did not provide sufficient protection. SARA recommended that accessory space not exceed 6% (instead of the City's proposed 10%) and that the distance between 4,000 so. A. restaurants and low rise residential should be increased from the proposed more than 15 feet. We also raised the issue of parking. The matter is working its way through City Hall. 99 COEHILL DR. (1 RENNIE TERRACE) Bill Roberts on behalf of SARA has requested that conditions should deal with run-off, clean-up and that any permission should not be permanent. We are awaiting for the response of the owner of 99 Coe Hill. POLLS FOR BOULEVARD CAFES SARA has raised concerns that allowing "temporary enclosures" should be carefully studied in regard to impact and from a planning perspective. CLEAN WATER AT OUR WESTERN BEACHES SARA in co-operation with Bloor West Eco Village held the meeting on the issue of the clean up of the western beaches. Various issues were canvassed, including the tunnel which will run from Parkside Dr. east to Ashbridges Bay. The tunnel will not deflect water coming from the Humber River, or the storm water run off pipes that flow into the western beaches west of Parkside Dr. Alternates were also discussed. STELCO SITE Tom Bertrand appeared before the Executive to show his Sports Complex proposal for the east side of Windermere. it is still in the development stage, he intends to se: temporary and permanent structures to allow various training activities to occur such as martial arts, rock climbing, basketball, dance studios, gymnastics. At this stage his proposal appears to meet the by-law requirements. He wanted to approach SARA to open lines of communication. He indicated once his proposal is more fully developed he would be glad to hold a public meeting, and SARA agreed to help notify our members when that time should arrive. The executive raised questions which are to be answered in the future, re access, parking. soil conditions, hours of operation and the "Sign" at the foot of Ellis. HIGH PARK TRAFFIC SARA is monitoring proposals to cut off through traffic to High Park. While this may have a beneficial affect on the Park there are concerns that traffic could end up being diverted to Ellis Ave, Windermere and South Kingsway. We have asked that this issue be examined before any plan is finalized. SAVANNAH LLBO HEARING SARA has learned that the Restaurant hearing will be held in January, 1996. ICE-SKATING PARTY Why not meet your fellow members on Sunday, February 4, 1996 from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. at the newly renovated ice rink in Rennie Park and try the new pleasure pad Editor- Bill Roberts Advisory Committee Ron Luft