High Park Village tenant Melinda McInnes said she was less than impressed by her landlord's distribution of dust masks, non-industrial ear plugs and tape at a Feb. 2 town hall meeting to discuss the upcoming renovation to her building's balconies.
Minto Management Limited told those who attended the meeting - as many as 65 tenants - that construction was anticipated to begin Wednesday, Feb. 15 on the 65 and 95 High Park Ave. towers and is expected to take 28 weeks. The construction work, which involves taking down the old balconies and replacing them with new ones, is part of a series of capital investment improvement projects.McInnes, who has lived at High Park Village for four years and says she loves its location and amenities, said she takes issue with the short notice Minto provided regarding the renovations and the major disruption it will cause. "I work from home," said McInnes. "There are elderly residents, those with asthma, with children and pets."However, Doug Brunsdon, Minto Management Ltd. vice-president, told The Villager today that tenants were notified as early as November and will engage in "continued, ongoing dialogue" with them.Last year saw balcony renovations at 35 High Park and 66 Pacific avenues. Tenants in those buildings are in the midst of seeking a rent abatement for the disruption the construction caused. The issue is before the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, said Brunsdon. An outcome has yet to be determined, however, it will be precedent-setting, said McInnes. "My objective is to make sure people aren't getting sick," she said. "The mitigation measures Minto is offering - they're just lip service."Similar to last year's construction period, Minto Management says it will provide quiet suites for residents and their pets to escape to during the duration of the noise and vibration. It'll offer WiFi in each building's lobby. "Because of the nature of the work, there is disruption," said Brunsdon. "No doubt there will be noise and dust - that's just the nature of the beast, but we try to limit the impact as much as possible."As far as some residents are concerned, they were not aware the work was going to take place, said McInnes. "A lot of people are upset," she said. McInnes said she has contemplated moving, but doesn't want to deal with the cost and huge inconvenience. Last spring, then High Park Village tenant Steve Ladurantaye told The Villager noise from the jackhammers outside his fourth floor apartment averaged 95 decibels - peaking as high as 120 decibels. He used a decibel meter on his phone to measure the sound level as renovations to his building's balconies continued two floors below. "You've rendered my apartment unlivable," Ladurantaye wrote in a letter to Minto. "Stone dust is entering through a ventilation system you have already told us may not be up for the task. That's a shame."According to Brunsdon, the jackhammering is only a small part of the construction period. "The jackhammers are limited to a certain amount of time," he said.