OMB File No. PL00054
Bloor/Avenue Road Investment Inc.
162 Cumberland Holdings Inc
Appeal of City of Toronto Rezoning By-Law 1171-2009
GYRA Participant Statement dated 26 May 2010
GYRA, the Greater Yorkville Residents' Association represents twenty residential buildings in and around the Village of Yorkville, home to over three thousand Torontonians. The Renaissance Plaza at 175 Cumberland Street is a GYRA founding member.
GYRA is participating at this hearing in support of the amended by-law and to give voice to the owners and occupants of 175 Cumberland Street who were evicted from their on-site garage parking spaces. I am here to relate to you their distress, aggravated by the appeal of the recently amended by-law that prevents owners and occupants from resuming use of the parking spaces. Much of that space is presently empty, yet Kevric refuses to lease to these owners and occupants.
Many owners and occupants are long-time residents, and several are advanced in years. Some have health and mobility problems and need readily accessible on-site parking. Care-givers of elderly and disabled residents, residents with wheelchairs or walkers, families with small children, and trades-people, need readily accessible on-site parking. Deprived of on-site parking, residents' plight was exacerbated this past winter by exposure to treacherous icy sidewalks while making their way to their vehicles parked elsewhere in the neighbourhood.
GOOD PLANNING PRINCIPLES
Condominium developments are required to provide a prescribed number of parking spaces for residents' exclusive use, based on a good planning formulated number. The City of Toronto, then and now will not approve an application without the requisite number of residential parking spaces. Thus, the Renaissance Plaza and Renaissance Court developments were approved and constructed in accordance with site-specific zoning standards, which provided residents of 175 Cumberland Street with readily accessible on-site parking.
It is important to note residents have occupied the bulk of the parking garage beneath 150 Bloor Street West/175 Cumberland Street for close to 28 years. The three residential elevators and one commercial elevator assess to the parking garage reinforces the site-specific zoning standards mentioned above.
The Toronto Official Plan discourages all-day parking, encourages shared use of parking in mixed-use developments, and promotes the use of public transit. Commercial tenants commuting to and from 150 Bloor Street West have close access to two intersecting subway lines and two bus routes.
Family friendly residential properties are encouraged in the downtown core. The Renaissance Plaza includes many family sized suites. Many families have raised their children from infancy to teenage years at this address. Access to on-site parking is essential in family friendly residences.
For these reasons, GYRA strongly supports upholding the amended by-law pertaining to this property.
SAFETY & SECURITY
Accessible on-site parking is an essential safety and security component of condominium living. For most purchasers, safe, secure and convenient access to parking is a number one priority for themselves, their care-givers and visitors.
Residents' reaction includes:
"One of the 'must have' features of living in this building is a secure underground garage. Although there were other things I am willing to forego, security is not one of them!"
"I am ninety-three years old and have lived in the Renaissance Plaza for nearly 25 years. I always feel safe and secure by parking in the building rather than having to cross a street late at night and in bad weather."
"I have lived here for many years, am now in my early eighties. Finding that the security and safety of my home has changed for the worse is really upsetting. My children were previously able to visit, my housekeeper and helpers were all able to come and feel secure."
ACCESSIBLE ON-SITE PARKING
"We were appalled that our vehicle would no longer be accommodated in the building's garage. In the last six years I have many health problems following two strokes, resulting in me being in a wheelchair. These circumstances make my situation very difficult."
"There was no question of parking being available, only that it would be on a rental basis, with a monthly fee. To find out years later that the situation has changed really concerns me. I do not understand how it was good business for the previous owners of the commercial portion to permit paid residential parking, and suddenly, for a new owner it is not feasible."
VISITORS PARKING
The withdrawal of on-site visitor parking causes undue inconvenience on a daily basis.
"I am nearly ninety years old. I require a caregiver to assist me with daily life. My family, friends and caregivers were able to come and go freely. All this changed when Kevric took over."
"My wife and I are both octogenarians. As we advanced in age we found it increasingly difficult to maintain our independence. A few years ago (when) we contemplated buying a condo suite, parking in the garage within the condo building was of special interest. We also needed visitor parking to allow medical and family access. The new commercial building owner stopped all of this.'
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL NEEDS
Commercial tenants are on the whole able bodied. They do not require care-givers, are unlikely to be struggling with babies or small children, or carrying bags of groceries to their workplace. Commercial tenants arrive in the morning, five days a week Monday to Friday, park their vehicle, and then depart at the end of the work day. Condominium residents, on the other hand, use their vehicles day and night, 24/7, for a variety of reasons.
CONCLUSION:
GYRA strongly supports the by-law as amended that specifies the number and location of residential and non-residential parking spaces in the garage at 150 Bloor Street West/175 Cumberland Street.
We trust the OMB will carefully weigh the good planning principles outlined above, and take into consideration the needs of residents as contrasted with those of commercial tenants. We further trust OMB will bear in mind that for 28 years, and with three successive commercial owners prior to the present owner, there were sufficient on-site residential and visitor parking. All of this arbitrarily ended when the present owner purchased the commercial portion of the building in October 2008.
Mr Chair, I thank you for the opportunity to bring the owners and occupants needs and concerns to this hearing.
Gee Chung President
THE GREATER YORKVILLE RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION
