After careful review of the recent presentation of the plans for the Sheppard Ave. E. reconstruction, the Henry Farm Community Interest Association would like to offer the following:
1. Sheppard Ave. E. between Bayview and Leslie is undergoing and will continue to undergo major redevelopment to large multi-unit buildings due to the proximity to the Sheppard Subway. This new development will greatly increase the amount of traffic on Sheppard Ave. E. but the city has made no provision for this increased traffic volume. Just the opposite. The current plans will reduce the road capacity.
2. Despite our previous objections and the results of our neighbourhood survey which clearly indicated that the residents of Henry Farm opposed the reduction of any vehicle lanes, the plan continues to recommend reducing the through travel lanes to two between Bayview and Leslie. We continue to oppose this part of the plan.
3. The speed limit on Sheppard Ave. E. is already 50 km/hr. Rather than finding ways to move traffic more efficiently, the plan recommends narrowing the vehicle lanes designed to slow down the traffic. Road
design to slow traffic speeds further on major thoroughfares does not lead to safer streets but merely contributes frustration, speeding and dangerous driving.
4. Despite our previous strongly held view that there was a need to address the current frequent congestion of cars turning left from westbound Sheppard Ave. E. to Bayview and Leslie southbound, nothing has been done to improve this situation and the status quo remains.
5. Some of the drawings and ilustrations are inconsistant with each other.
On behalf of the Henry Farm Community Interest Association
OUR GOVERNMENTS NEED TO HEAR FROM HENRY FARM
Province’s legislation a major threat!
The provincial government has recently passed or introduced three pieces of legislation that will have a significant, detrimental impact on our local democracy and on our region’s greenspace, including allowing development on some of Canada’s best farmland as well as conservation lands. The Henry Farm Executive is extremely concerned by the Province’s legislation. It is our hope that, with concerted opposition, this legislation will be reversed.
Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, and the similar Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022, allow the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa to pass bylaws with just one-third of council support, ostensibly to allow for more affordable housing to be built “as of right” in these cities and with minimal to no public consultation.
Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, is comprehensive legislation that amends several other pieces of legislation, including legislation governing the Greenbelt and Conservation Authorities, ostensibly again to allow for more affordable housing to be built more quickly.
Among its key provisions impacting the City of Toronto, Bill 23 reduces or exempts developers from paying fees related to new affordable housing, including affordable units required in many new developments anyway (inclusionary zoning) and which are currently subject to fees. The result will be significantly less annual revenue to the City ($200 million less on average) and much less capacity for the City to pay for the very infrastructure that supports these and other new homes.
More broadly, as much as building more affordable housing is a good thing, there is no guarantee that developers will pass the savings from lower or no development fees on to homebuyers. Moreover, the legislation defines “affordable” home ownership as 80% of the prevailing market rate. With most homes in the GTA now selling for more than $1 million and a typical one-bedroom condominium selling for $750,000+, this means a developer can sell a house for $800,000 or a condo for $600,000 without paying any developer fees, robbing the City of much needed cash while building housing that is hardly “affordable” to most.
Other provisions of concern can be found in an email being sent to the HFCIA membership, as well as posted on Facebook. We urge residents of Henry Farm to voice their opposition with the Premier, Cabinet, and our local MPP. It is our hope that, with concerted opposition, these pieces of legislation will be reversed.
Henry Farm Community Interest Association Executive
NEW RULES FOR ROOMING HOUSES EFFECTIVE MARCH 31, 2024
Currently multi-tenant (rooming) houses are not permitted in some areas of the city. The new regulatory framework will help ensure multi-tenant houses in Toronto are safer and permit affordable housing options across the city. It will also help support complete communities with a range of housing opportunities for different incomes and needs.
Effective March 31, 2024 the City of Toronto will
- Permit multi-tenant houses across the city and set standards such as maximum number of rooms and parking requirements: Multi-tenant houses with up to six dwelling rooms will be allowed in all neighbourhoods. Depending on the location and the zoning, multi-tenant houses may have up to 12 or 25 rooms in the former cities of Toronto, East York and York.
- Introduce enhanced licensing requirements for multi-tenant house operators that promote health and safety and new standards for personal care multi-tenant houses: Under the new rules, operators will be required to develop property maintenance plans, including processes for tenant service requests, pest management and waste management and collection, to help improve property maintenance standards and ensure that tenant requests are addressed in a timely fashion. Operators will also need to comply with the Ontario Building Code, Ontario Fire Code and Ontario Electrical Safety Code .
- Put in place an effective enforcement and compliance program: This will include a dedicated enforcement team, annual inspections, increased fines, a new Multi-Tenant House Licensing Tribunal and other enforcement tools.
- Preserve affordable housing and support tenants: This will include developing a multi-tenant house retrofit and repair program to preserve affordable multi-tenant houses. The City will also ensure supports are in place for tenants should they face evictions from a multi-tenant house or require emergency relocation.
- Roll out comprehensive communications and engagement strategies: This will include educating owners, operators, tenants and communities about the new regulations and the resources available to them as the new framework comes into effect.
PROPOSALS ON DEDICATED BUS LANES ON SHEPPARD AVENUE BY REMOVING EXISTING ROADWAY LANES
Over the last 12 months Metrolinks has held community meetings in regards to the Sheppard extention. The surrounding neighbourhood association have attending these meetings to review plans for either a subway extention to McCowen or have an LRT put in place. The assocations including Parkway Forest and Pleasantview along with the Henry Farm association have worked with our communities to send emails to the mayor as well as our councillor Shelley Carroll to hopefully put a subway in place of an LRT which we believe would be disasterous for traffic along Sheppard especially with the increase in developments.
Councillor Carroll moved a motion at TTC Meeting in February 2020 to study dedicated bus lanes on Sheppard Avenue East from the Leslie TTC Station to the Agincourt Go Station. HFCIA, as well as several other homeowner associations and residents made presentations in July 2020 at a meeting of the Toronto City Council Executive Committee against the introduction of these dedicated bus lanes.
HFCIA is opposed to conversion of these lanes because of the potential for traffic chaos on an already congested roadway. The major intersections along Sheppard are over capacity and more condos are proposed along the route. We are concerned that this will result in heavy traffic in surrounding neighbourhoods, including Henry Farm. Sheppard Avenue is seriously congested when there is a problem on the 401 or DVP. As at December 2020 HFCIA awaits TTC report on the above matter to take the next steps, including getting a petition signed by residents for and against this proposal.
SHORT TERM RENTALS (INCLUDING AIRBNB RENTALS) NEW REGULATIONS AND RULES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2021
City of Toronto has introduced New regulations and Rules effective January 1, 2021related to Short Term Rentals Including Airbnb Rentals.
