Message from David Juliusson of Long Branch who strongly argues in favour of a community meeting on the development of 220 Lake Promenade

Click here for previous posts featuring David Juliusson >

I became interested in news updates about this part of Long Branch when Mike James, who grew up in New Toronto, sent me a link to an April 24, 2023 Storeys article entitled:

“Five-Tower Development to ‘Rejuvenate’ Toronto Lakeshore With Two Public Parks.”

A useful starting point to get a sense of the part of Long Branch in question is a post I wrote some years ago about the history of Long Branch.

Archival photo of Long Branch Hotel. The image has been scanned from Villages of Etobicoke (1985). See Fourth Stop – Long Branch Hotel burned down in 1958 – Lake Promenade & Long Branch Ave.: May 5, 2018 Jane’s Walk

Some additional posts address the local history:

Click here for previous posts about Long Branch Park >

Click here for previous posts about Long Branch Hotel >

Slide 5. We owe thanks to Robert Lansdale for Photoshop colour correction on this image. Alex Stewart photo. See We owe thanks to Robert Lansdale for colour correction of this image from 1958 Long Branch Hotel fire

Message from David Juliusson to Councillor Amber Morley

To Councilor Morley.

My name is David Juliusson. [ … ] I will be directly affected by this proposed development. I believe you should hold an in person meeting for the community.

I know about the online June 27 meeting. We should be able to hold an in-person meeting. Online meetings were great during the pandemic but it is not the same as being able to attend in person. Moreover, many of the people most affected are not able to attend virtual meetings. Many of the residents of the buildings are elderly, have disabilities and are not computer literate. They will not be represented by a virtual meeting.

I believe the meeting should be held at the Assembly Hall. It is a city facility that will provide the space to a councillor should she request it. It is the only space near us that is big enough. The Long Branch Neighbourhood Association held a meeting at the Legion. It was pulled together in a mere matter of days and was standing room only. I believe an in person meeting at the Assembly Hall will be the largest community meeting you have ever held.

I understand Eno Udok-Oro feels planning cannot hold a meeting in six weeks. But you can. You can tell planning to show up and make the materials readily available to the public. I have left the response to being unable to below. Again, I don’t understand how a local volunteer led community group can pull together such a meeting in days yet the paid professional city staff are unable to do so in six weeks.

If it is about not understanding how the city works, I was employed by the City of Toronto for 32 years. I understand the bureaucracy involved here.

There are multiple documents. many of them quite technical. The developers have had years to prepare these documents. They have lawyers, architects, and other professionals to familiarize themselves with this proposal. We as the community have none of that. I found Eno suggestion that I read the documents and a link to them to be wrong. It was a form letter. I cannot hope to have the competence that the developers have. Neither can our local community. We need to rely on the city professionals to help us. The fact that Eno feels they cannot hold a meeting for us at such short notice leaves us at a disadvantage. You can use your office to help us

I believe this proposal is something unique and therefore precedent setting for the entire city. I can’t think of a single place in Toronto that has allowed 2000+ units to be built in the middle of an established neighbourhood.

I will briefly mention two documents. The first is the traffic study. I found it interesting that 33rd was looked at in August. Because of school being closed and people on vacation it is probably the time that street has the least traffic. To move the increased traffic, from the site we will have an extension of an existing single lane each way street. 33rd already has cars parked on both sides most days effectively making it a one lane road at many points. Long Branch is already busy at the light because of the traffic from the townhouses north of Lakeshore. This will increase as the townhouses on the former Marino site get built. 33rd will be full. They will come up to a stop sign which is the entrance to James S. Bell school.

I have not read the traffic study fully but it seems to me to be self-evident. No new infrastructure combined with a major increase in traffic equals congestion. I am not even looking at the effects Lakeview will have on Lakeshore Blvd. and the GO Transit.

As for other forms of traffic, Lake Promenade is a designated part of the Waterfront Trail. For pedestrians we don’t even have sidewalks beyond the proposed site on both Park Blvd going west or Lake Promenade going east.

The second is the shadow study. It was done on all four equinoxes which is a good time to do them. I found it troubling. I have solar panels on my house and will definitely be in shadow from the new buildings whereas I currently have none. Indeed, on the winter equinox, the shadow will extend all the way to 25th St. This is from the developers own shadow study

This does not even cover other city concerns. Where will children go to school? Will it be local or will they have to be bused like at Humber Bay Shores. The TDSB has a Safe Routes to School mandate. How will this increased traffic affect children walking and biking to school? Major sewer work is being done in the area right now. 33rd was just finished, 31st is being done now. Who will pay for the increased sewer work needed for this project as well as other needed infrastructure? Only the city professionals can answer these sorts of questions for us. I believe you as the Councilor can help us get some of the answers.

Compten is holding a meeting for the tenants only. I believe you should be at the meeting as should Ken Matthews and Eno Udok-Orok.

Finally, this proposal will forever alter the community of Long Branch. I believe if it is allowed that the Mimico Estates will immediately put in a similar proposal. That means all three southern communities of your ward will be altered beyond recognition. For those of us who have made this our home we deserve a chance to have our questions answered and to gain information from the city professionals working on this case. That can only be provided at an in-person community meeting. You can give us that opportunity.

Yours sincerely,

David Juliusson
[ … ]

Previous message from Eno Udoh-Orok

From: Eno Udoh-Orok
Sent: May 17, 2023 12:18 PM
To: David Juliusson; Councillor Morley

Subject: RE: I believe you should hold a community meeting on the development of www.toronto.ca/220Lake Promenade

Good afternoon David Juliusson,

Thanks for your email below. Your suggestions are appreciated.

Community Consultation Meeting (CCM) on June 27, 2023

Information about the virtual CCM is available online to everyone at https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/public-consultations/city-planning-consultations/. All documents submitted for this application are available at our public website at www.toronto.ca/220LakePromenade. Unfortunately we are unable to call an in-person CCM at short notice before the June 27, 2023 CCM at this time.

Additional CCM for Tenants

Yes there will be an additional CCM for tenants only. Please feel free to reach out to the assigned Housing Policy Planner on this tenants only meeting at keir.matthews-hunter@toronto.ca or 416-392-5092.

Kind regards,

Eno Udoh-Orok, MPl, MUD, MCIP, RPP

Senior Planner, Community Planning

City Planning Division

City of Toronto