Residents, politicians divided over townhouse redevelopment plans.
Municipal Licensing and Standards inspectors examine an apartment complex at 1955 Victoria Park Avenue after Toronto councillor Michael Thompson prompted a survey in this 2008 file photo.
File photo/ANDREW PALAMARCUHK
A so-called slum on Victoria Park Avenue has been approved for a much needed makeover.
"I live in that slum, because that's what it is, a slum," Shirley Conn told councillors, her voice filled with emotion. "This deal is taking far too long to be resolved. The landlord/owner is doing nothing while you're waiting to make a decision."
Conn won't have to wait any longer for a decision. Scarborough Community Council approved the redevelopment application for 1973 Victoria Park Ave., south of Ellesmere Road. It is an area of rental townhouse that has been marred by violence, including two murders - the most recent being in July 2008 when a 21 year old was killed in a double shooting that also sent another man to hospital.
The neighbourhood of 84 rental units is the scene of daily drug deals, said Councillor Michael Thompson, and the conditions have deteriorated over the years with some units boarded up, while broken windows, long grass and weeds round out the landscape.
Thompson, the local councillor for the area, has been working to bring an improvement to the site for at least the last decade, before he was even elected as the Scarborough Centre representative.
"We've had two murders at this site, a third of the units are boarded up," he said. "There isn't a week that goes by where police aren't called to the site, not a week or month goes by where I don't receive a call from residents in the area asking what I'm doing."
Margaret Bowers might not like what's happening there now, but she doesn't like the proposal either. Bowers lives on Greylawn Crescent, just east of the property.
"There's too many people that they want to put in my backyard," she said. "I've lived there for 54 years and I do not appreciate what they want to put at my back door."
The proposal would see the seven buildings of townhouses replaced with three 11-storey condominium buildings containing 575 units and another 86 units would be contained in an eight-storey rental apartment building and townhouses at the south end of the property.
Bowers is opposed to the 11-storey buildings, which originally were to be 16.
"I don't mind low buildings...I'll even settle for six to eight storeys, but I don't want 11 storeys or higher," she said.
Former politician Dennis Timbrell, speaking in favour of the development, said change is inevitable and this development was reasonable. He said the development is needed to improve the site, but also to prevent the surrounding neighbourhood from deteriorating.
"It's not just that site. It's the neighbourhood around it," he said. "I think the neighbourhood would start to catch some of the blight."
Heather Piro, who also lives on Greylawn Crescent, also voiced her concerns at the meeting.
"We all know something has to be done, but we all feel this proposal is not neighbourhood friendly," she said citing concerns with privacy, traffic and overcrowding at schools. "We are not for it because it is such a large proposal for a small piece of property."
The local residents' association, the Maryvale Community Association, forwarded a letter to Thompson in May enthusiastically supporting the plan.
Thompson said he understood change was difficult, but in this situation it was necessary.
"There are people living in what I would call Third World conditions," he said. "I believe that this is the best opportunity for redevelopment on this site...I'm proud to stand behind what we have here today."
Scarborough-Agincourt Councillor Mike Del Grande and Scarborough East Councillor Ron Moeser did not support the proposal.
"To me this is just outside what I feel comfortable with," Moeser said.
The rest of community council voted in favour of the application.
"I would argue it's in the economic interest to make sure this neighbourhood on Victoria Park is improved as rapidly, as dramatically and as affordable as possible and I this application does that," said Scarborough-Agincourt Councillor Norm Kelly.
The development would be completed in three phases with the townhouses and northern most condo building built first while tenants remain in the townhouses in the middle of the site. The middle condo would be built in phase two and then the rental building and last condominium would be built in phase three. The community would receive $800,000 in benefits if the development goes forward, including $400,000 for the relocation and/or expansion of Maryvale library branch.
The application still needs to go to city council for final approval.