Notes regarding your preparations for a Committee of Adjustment hearing

What follows is is a great resource for everyone in Long Branch, no matter where you happen to reside.

The following overview if from the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association.

Things to think about

Once built, new homes will affect you for as long as you live in the neighbourhood. You may want to think carefully about the implications of the new homes being proposed and ensure you can support the project.

Informing yourself of the changes and expressing any concerns to the Committee of Adjustment is your one opportunity to affect the decision.

You might start by walking or driving around the neighbourhood and remind yourself what it is you love about it.

Look at homes that are similar to what is being proposed and how they affect the look and feel of the neighbourhood.

The white house on the left is 14 Villa Road, the property which a developer has proposed to sever into two, smaller lots. Jaan Pill photo. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

What characteristics of the neighbourhood made you want to move here:

• large lots with green open space between houses?

• tree canopy?

• neighbourhood and street character? what aspects especially?

• unique characteristics of homes

• affordability of homes?

• size of homes?

• diversity of homes?

• proximity to parks and lake?

• heritage area with heritage homes?

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What kind of development do you want to see?

• do you think that it would improve the neighbourhood if some of the older, existing homes were replaced?

• what kinds of homes do you want to see?

• what other things are important to you in redevelopment of Long B

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If you live directly beside or behind the proposed homes:

• will the proposed home affect the curb or street appeal of your home [i.e. how attractive your home looks from the street?

• will the proposed home affect the general appearance and appeal of your street

• how will the height of the proposed homes affect the look of your street?

• will the proposed home[s] affect the ‘street or curb appeal’ of your home in any other ways?

• will the proposed home affect your front yard?

• will the shadow of the proposed home affect the lighting of your yard/garden/deck/pool/home?

• if a variance for the height of the first floor is requested, how will you feel having neighbours looking down on you from their front door?

• will proposed porches, decks or balconies affect your privacy? are they above the fence line?

• will the proposed home result in noise disturbance for your property?

• will the placement of windows affect your privacy?

• will the side yard set backs affect access to your back yard? access if major house repairs are needed?

• will the proposed home[s] create risk of storm water runoff with resulting flooding?

• will the proposed homes impact flooding issues you or your neighbours may already be experiencing?

• how will the proposed removal of trees or construction damage affect the trees in the neighbourhood?

• do you consider the variances requested to be ‘minor’? The official definition of this term is very subjective so residents need to express their own judgement if they have concerns.

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For all neighbours and local residents:

• will the proposed home[s] affect the general appearance and appeal of your street?

• will any heritage aspect of the homes or the character of your street be affected?

• is/are the proposed home[s] similar to existing homes on the street in terms of style, height and size?

• will two houses that are taller than the other homes affect the look and lines of your street?

• will front doors at the level proposed do to the look and lines of your street?

• will covering the property with the proposed mass of buildings affect drainage on your property?

• in your neighbourhood what happens on one property [may of may not: I will post some links about this topic – (This note has been added by Jaan Pill)] set a precedent for others; will anything change on your street and neighbourhood if many similar homes appear?

• will the proposed removal of trees or construction damage affect the trees in the neighbourhood?

• do you consider the variances requested to be ‘minor’? The definition of this term is very subjective so residents need to express their own judgement if they have concerns.

[End of text, adapted from materials from Long Branch Neighbourhood Association]

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Additional notes, regarding visualizations of proposed buildings

Also of relevance:

Mike Smith of GDSS is preparing awesome 3D renderings & shadow studies for Nov. 3, 2016 hearing regarding 14 Villa Road

Options regarding Photoshop overlays depicting severance proposals related to Committee of Adjustment & OMB meetings

Please note: The Photoshop overlay for 9 Meaford (see link immediately above the sentence you are now reading) was criticized by the Chair of the Committee of Adjustment at the Sept. 29, 2016 Committee meeting at the Etobicoke Civic Centre. He said, in so many words, that an amateur rendering of what a new development will look like, when set against a photo of an existing streetscape, will lack credibility because there is no way to know that the measurements match, between the drawings and the photos.

A professional rendering, such as the 3D renderings for 14 Villa Road, is a step toward addressing such a concern.