First, an announcement: the Leaside Property Owners’ Annual General Meeting will take place on Mon., Nov. 4, in the Tennis Lounge at Trace Manes. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. We have lots of issues to discuss, and announcements to make, so I hope you will join us.
Traffic!
In the month since my previous column several residents have contacted me with traffic-related concerns. Most fall under the category of “non-enforcement of traffic signage.” Drivers of heavy trucks continue to ignore “No Trucks” signs posted on Leaside’s residential streets. They do so at all hours including the middle of the night, when the arterial streets they are meant to use are clear. As well, I get frequent complaints that many drivers and cyclists continue to interpret stop signs as merely optional, not as the law. These are city-wide problems, not just Leaside’s. Given the City’s Vision Zero 2.0 plan, we should expect some serious discussion of alternate and effective methods of enforcement.
The recent Astor Ave. stop sign relocation continues to confuse. According to Southvale Dr. residents, it has also led to a noticeable increase in westbound speeding in the block between Rolph and Astor, creating a new safety hazard. This needs to be brought to the attention of both our councillor, Jaye Robinson, and the Traffic Department, and considered when the City formally assesses the change.
Development!
Moving on (pun not intended), the City’s Planning Department has received an application for a condominium development on the former site of Stanley Cleaners at 922 Millwood at Randolph Rd. It is likely to be the subject of a public consultation meeting sometime this fall. Stay tuned.
Both Geoff Kettel and I have often mentioned in our Leaside Life columns how difficult it is to control inappropriate development within Leaside. More and more traditional Leaside homes are demolished and replaced, with little attempt to fit into the neighbourhood streetscape. It seems as if almost every applied-for variance, no matter how egregious, gets the Committee of Adjustment’s go-ahead. A key reason for this is Leaside’s lack of formal protection for the neighbourhood’s residential character. We only have design guidelines, which have no weight in law, and consequently, all too often, no weight at the Committee of Adjustment. The LPOA has written to Councillor Robinson requesting a meeting to discuss this with planning staff and develop protective measures that actually have teeth.
The LPOA’s 2019 Annual General Meeting is on MON., NOV. 4, at Trace Manes at 7:30 p.m. The next regular monthly LPOA board meeting is on NOV. 6 at 7:30 p.m., at Trace Manes. We invite you to attend and learn what is happening in our community.
