[Northern Light]

Having cars and people hanging out on the street at night is scary? Do they know they live in a city?

Maybe the city should just not allow any individual to rent out anything anymore.

In fairness............the statement ends with ..... inebriated people falling on neighbours' lawns and staying there for hours

I don't know that I would find that scary, but I would certainly find it irksome!

 

[Jonny5]

In fairness............the statement ends with ..... inebriated people falling on neighbours' lawns and staying there for hours

I don't know that I would find that scary, but I would certainly find it irksome!

Sounds like the neighbourhoods around Universities in small Ontario cities on Friday and Saturday nights, except it's all summer not all winter.
It certainly does get irksome when it's non-stop, and they do point out there are clearly some houses renting every single Saturday and Sunday, possibly multiple bookings each day, an afternoon rental, then an evening party rental.

 

[W. K. Lis]

In fairness............the statement ends with ..... inebriated people falling on neighbours' lawns and staying there for hours

I don't know that I would find that scary, but I would certainly find it irksome!

Might be the ghost of Rob Ford checking out potholes.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Toronto cops have been illegally parking on this downtown plaza for decades​

From link.

The Toronto Police Service has been under fire throughout the year for its handling of anti-vax protests and its internal vaccination policies, but residents and businesses around 52 Division have been frustrated with cops for a very different reason stretching back over 20 years now.

For at least two decades and possibly even longer, police have been intermittently using the Dundas Street plaza out front of 52 Division as their own personal parking lot, despite the station having its own dedicated underground parking.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1266738181388591105

Every time the issue seems resolved, the cars gradually return to the plaza outside of 255 Dundas St. West near University Ave., and the complaints inevitably follow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1444740874718617601

The fight to get cars off this plaza has been well-documented, with the issue brought to City Council as far back as spring of 2001, when then-councillor Olivia Chow sought a redesign of the plaza to prevent police from parking their cars there illegally in response to community complaints.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1444741862074486802

It would be another three years before those cars finally vacated the makeshift lot, though it would not be for good.

In the intense media firestorm following the events of the G20 fiasco in Toronto, the police and the parking situation once again came into the spotlight in 2010.

Cops told the Toronto Star at the time that the square was being used for parking while repairs were being done to the parking garage, and that the outdoor parking situation would stop when the repairs were complete.

Of course, the garage repairs are long complete, and cops' personal vehicles still litter what should be a space for public use. Making matters worse, ugly temporary dividers were added to the mix last year, making the space even less inviting.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1444747155470704643

David Hopkinson, Media Relations Officer for the Toronto Police Service, initially told blogTO that "52 Division's parking garage is undergoing some construction today. The cars parked out front will be moved for tomorrow."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1445022142098198537

This first explanation didn't come close to explaining why this has been a recurring issue predating today's problems by decades.

https://twitter.com/antonlodder/status/1301530373793427459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1301530373793427459%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogto.com%2Fcity%2F2021%2F10%2Ftoronto-cops-illegally-parking-downtown-plaza-decades%2F

When pressed for further comment, Hopkinson stated that "parking anywhere in the downtown core is difficult," explaining that "52 Division doesn't have enough spots to house the police cars, so the city gave us a number of designated spots on St. Patrick Street."

"There's currently a condominium project under construction on St. Patrick Street, and construction trucks were having trouble turning onto the street with police cars using those dedicated spots. As a lesser of two evils, the unit commander decided that excess police cars would be parked on the plaza so we could deal with traffic problems on the street."

This response left many unanswered questions, including the barriers and the issue of prioritizing parking for personal vehicles — literally steps from St. Patrick subway station — over much-needed outdoor public space.

Councillor Joe Cressy of Spadina-Fort York , the ward that 52 Divison is located within, tells blogTO that "the publicly-owned space in front of 52 Division at 255 Dundas Street West should be accessible to all."

"In 2015, Council approved my motion to animate this area for public use, including a potential expansion of the Market 707 social enterprise container market at Scadding Court Community Centre. The current occupation of the space by parked police vehicles limits its accessibility and does not serve the best interests of our city or our community."

Cressy hopes that City staff can work with 52 Division to once again make this space part of the public realm, saying, "I will be bringing a motion to Committee this month to escalate the issue, and to ensure that we move forward in such a way that this area can be enjoyed by all Torontonians."

 

[picard102]

Funny how the report linked states "the area in front of 52 Division on Dundas Street West is wholly within the property limits and there is no public right of way other than the City sidewalk involved",
but people are tripping over themselves to claim this a public space. If the police need more parking, they should submit plans to build a parking garage there and be done with this.

 

[zang]

Funny how the report linked states "the area in front of 52 Division on Dundas Street West is wholly within the property limits and there is no public right of way other than the City sidewalk involved",
but people are tripping over themselves to claim this a public space. If the police need more parking, they should submit plans to build a parking garage there and be done with this.

Funny how city council (their boss) keeps telling them to stop parking there and they still keep parking there, and people are tripping over themselves to justify the police ignoring the will of the representative government that they're accountable to.

 

[picard102]

Funny how city council (their boss) keeps telling them to stop parking there and they still keep parking there, and people are tripping over themselves to justify the police ignoring the will of the representative government that they're accountable to.

Calling city council their boss is generous.
It's funny to see people tripping over themselves to complain about something so assine as to park on a slab of concrete due to construction.
I guess no one has been "pushed" off their balcony lately to whet their axe.

 

[zang]

Calling city council their boss is generous.

Really?

It's funny to see people tripping over themselves to complain about something so assine as to park on a slab of concrete due to construction.
I guess no one has been "pushed" off their balcony lately to whet their axe.

You forgot the part about it being *decades* now.

They could also park elsewhere and walk. But that would be too inconvenient, wouldn't it?

 

[W. K. Lis]

Maybe the officers who don't want to park in the garage, don't want to get the "taxable benefit" for it, if they don't pay for parking?

 

[Towered]

Just move the station and close this stupid ugly building already. Would make a perfect footprint for a massive condo tower. Enough of this BS from the cops.

 

[picard102]

Really?

Yes.

You forgot the part about it being *decades* now.

They could also park elsewhere and walk. But that would be too inconvenient, wouldn't it?

Your own sources shows it stopped, and has now started again due to construction.

 

[zang]

Yes.

Then please explain who exactly runs and funds police services?

Your own sources shows it stopped, and has now started again due to construction.

Those are W.K.Lis’ sources, not mine. Shows how much you pay attention.

It’s not a parking lot. it is a designated public plaza. There are other places they could park.

You’re just trolling at this point.

 

[picard102]

Then please explain who exactly runs and funds police services?

Council funds them, but doesn't have direct oversight.

Those are W.K.Lis’ sources, not mine. Shows how much you pay attention.

And you're using them.

It’s not a parking lot. it is a designated public plaza.

"the area in front of 52 Division on Dundas Street West is wholly within the property limits and there is no public right of way other than the City sidewalk involved"

It is not a public plaza.

 

[zang]

Council funds them, but doesn't have direct oversight.

He who pays the bills is the boss. Regardless, City Council (Tory, Ford and Nunziata) make up 3/7 of the board, Four members are appointed by the City Council, yada yada.

And you're using them.

And you're trolling again.

"the area in front of 52 Division on Dundas Street West is wholly within the property limits and there is no public right of way other than the City sidewalk involved"

It is not a public plaza.

Hume: In Toronto it could be hip to have squares

The contentious issue of the open space in front of 52 Division may yet be solved—if the city can afford it.

www.thestar.com

"Last year, spurred on by a local councillor, Adam Vaughan (Trinity-Spadina), the city hired regionalArchitects, a Toronto firm, to study options for the disputed property. It was always intended as a public plaza, but because it sits in front of a police station, it has been commandeered and fenced off by the force as its own private parking lot."

So the intentions of city council can be overridden by the need for police parking? Who knew all you had to do to circumvent public spaces is park on them! Lots of flat spots on Y&D Square that would make for excellent parking for the police. All they have to do is just decide to not do what City Council has prescribed for the land.

 

[W. K. Lis]

He who pays the bills is the boss. Regardless, City Council (Tory, Ford and Nunziata) make up 3/7 of the board, Four members are appointed by the City Council, yada yada.

And you're trolling again.

Hume: In Toronto it could be hip to have squares

The contentious issue of the open space in front of 52 Division may yet be solved—if the city can afford it.

www.thestar.com

"Last year, spurred on by a local councillor, Adam Vaughan (Trinity-Spadina), the city hired regionalArchitects, a Toronto firm, to study options for the disputed property. It was always intended as a public plaza, but because it sits in front of a police station, it has been commandeered and fenced off by the force as its own private parking lot."

So the intentions of city council can be overridden by the need for police parking? Who knew all you had to do to circumvent public spaces is park on them! Lots of flat spots on Y&D Square that would make for excellent parking for the police. All they have to do is just decide to not do what City Council has prescribed for the land.

Maybe the homeless supporters should arrest the police "squatters". Then maybe the homeless should set up encampments on the "public square". Except for the lack of grass to anchor them. Alternatively, maybe they should use SUV's as their new "homes".