Church Wellesley Update
News from the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association
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The CWNA's lane naming project continues, adding character and history to previously anonymous alleys. Anvil Alley, just north of Wellesley extending easterly from Church, pays homage to Dudley's Hardware, the long serving hardware store next door. Dapper Lane, west of Church Street extending northerly from Wellesley Street, reflects the historic presence of several barbers at Church and Wellesley. The names were approved by Toronto and East York Community Council on October 10.  With Halloween on the way, there are two events, sponsored by the Church Wellesley Village BIA, to look forward to. Pumpkins in the Park takes place on Saturday, October 2, from 3:30 to 7:30 in Barbara Hall Park.  Halloween falls on Thursday, October 31. Church Street will be for pedestrians only from 6 pm onwards, but the best costumes will come out later on. Whether you dress up on not, it's always a fun time on Church Street on Halloween.  Manulife Investment Management is proposing a 59 storey rental tower at Church and Charles, where the 7 storey Traders Building presently stands. At a second community consultation, on October 2, Manulife polled community members as to whether they would choose to preserve the current building facade as the podium of a new tower or to have the building demolished in order to create more green space. Option 1 would allow for 2600 square feet of publicly accessible open space; option 2 would allow for 6300 square feet.     As a matter of comparison, the new tower on the west side of Church at Charles (including the old Manhattan Apartments) was approved at 47 storeys. The Manulife proposal is still at an early stage; the developer has yet to submit a development application to the City.
To receive email updates or provide your feedback, contact Manulife at: info@625church.com The 2019 edition of the CWNA's Meet Your Neighbours took place in Barbara Hall Park on a sunny Saturday, Sept. 7. This year, we grouped the participating community organizations together near the Church Street side of Barbara Hall Park, which drew in many curious passersby. We had entertainment through the afternoon, starting off with a stellar performance by D'Manda Tension, followed by the Rainbow Ballroom Dancers and a special children's reading by Fay and Fluffy. All in all it, many neighbours met, making the afternoon a grand success, which we will build on next year.
Join your federal candidates to discuss their views on local and Canada-wide issues. The debate will be moderated by Jane Taber, veteran journalist and VP of Corporate Affairs at NATIONAL. Submit your questions for the candidates in advance at Organizing@The519.org. The debate is co-sponsored by The 519, Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association, McGill Granby Village Residents' Association, Bay Cloverhill Community Association and Upper Jarvis Neighbourhood Association. Date: October 2 Time: 7 pm to 9 pm Place: 519 Community Centre  Some of the last low- and mid-rise buildings on Charles Street will be replaced by a 48 storey tower, including a 6-storey podium. The site is currently occupied by The Charlesview, a 9-storey rental building at 55 Charles Street East (containing 76 units), and the 3-storey rental building at 61-63 Charles Street East (containing 24 units). Tenants will be compensated for moving and are being offered replacement rental units on the second to sixth floors of the new building. The rest of the building will be condominium units. The original application asked for 55 storeys; this has been reduced to 48. The exterior design has also been made more interesting. In July, the City met with stakeholders, including the CWNA, to review the developer's site plan. Renters had concerns regarding the lack of parking spaces designated for the rental apartments. As Charles can be very congested, another recommendation was making the laneway side of the building more amenable to mail, deliveries, pick-ups and drop-offs by adding a back lobby. Another concern was the lack of any designated outdoor space for dog relief. The City will raise these concerns with the developer.  Priority Retail Streets are identified in the former City of Toronto Zoning By-law 438-86 and they require a minimum 60% of the frontage of development on designated streets to be dedicated to street related retail and service uses. Church Street is designated a Priority Retail Street.
The Downtown Plan updates and expands the number and locations of Priority Retail Streets to include areas that are a focus for growth within Downtown. City Planning is holding public consultation on the draft Zoning By-law amendment. Please come and provide your input into the by-law on: Date: August 22, 2019 Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Place: Toronto Reference Library,789 Yonge St., Rm B1 Date: August 26, 2019 Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Place: Lillian H Smith Library, 239 College Street, Auditorium BC Date: August 30, 2019 Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Place: Fort York Library, 190 Fort York Boulevard, Meeting Room Date: September 5, 2019 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Place: Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 310 Read more about Priority Retail Streets By-law, or contact Igor Dragovic at igor.dragovic@toronto.ca, 416-392-7215 for further information. The City of Toronto is conducting a review of rooming houses, and wants to hear from you.
Multi-tenant houses are currently permitted in the former City of Toronto and some parts of Etobicoke and York. The review will focus on options to improve the licensing and regulation of these houses, including the rooming house hearing process. It will not look at whether multi-tenant houses should be permitted in other areas of the city. Attend a public consultation on Thursday, August 22 from 6-8 p.m. at Metro Hall, Room 308/309 (55 John Street). You can also provide feedback to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca until August 31, 2019. All feedback will be used to inform a report going to the Planning and Housing Committee in the fall of 2019. To learn more, visit toronto.ca/roominghousereview. |
