PMT
Senior Member
672 BIRCHMOUNT RD
Ward 20: Scarborough Southwest
Ward 20: Scarborough Southwest
- Thread starter PMT
- Start date
AlbertC
Superstar
Location wise, it's reasonable density. Also redevelops over some insignificant SFH's along this stretch. There's bus service on Birchmount, and this is actually fairly walkable to Warden station if someone really wanted to.
Amare
Senior Member
I wouldnt have a problem with this development, if they decided to use another colour asides from *sigh* grey brick preclad.......
Richard White
Senior Member
Probably easier to take the bus. I live just off Birchmount one street south and it is a hell of a walk from there, especially in bad weather. It is about a 15 minute walk to Warden from Anaconda and about 20 from 672 Birchmount. Either way you would need to walk to the bus.
Richard White
Senior Member
When I was younger in the 1990s, there was an elderly woman who lived there. She was a shut-in and quite petite. We called her the "gremlin lady" in elementary school.
I am just glad they are doing something with this property. For years it was run down and virtually abandoned since the owner passed away.
I am just glad they are doing something with this property. For years it was run down and virtually abandoned since the owner passed away.
AlbertC
Superstar
Yeah, the walk isn't ideal for everyone. I wouldn't want to do it all time, but 20 minutes is somewhat tolerable for me. I grew up on Davenport Road, which is about a 20 minutes walk from Bloor, so from my section of it the walk to either Dufferin or Lansdowne station takes about that long. I would do it sometimes if the bus wait times were out of whack or overcrowded, going in either direction.
Taking the bus is always preferable of course, but I'm not against walking for Plan B. If also in the walking mood, then I'd also be okay with trekking down to Dufferin Mall by foot.
Richard White
Senior Member
When I was younger I'd walk down the railway tracks just down the street to Kennedy Station. Not ideal anymore however due to increased track usage.
From 672 to Warden it's mostly hilly and very narrow sidewalks. Not fun.
AlbertC
Superstar
Sounds just like Dufferin Street, especially the stretch between Dupont and Davenport lol. And then again north of Davenport towards St. Clair, and some rolling hills on both directions surrounding Rogers Road. But yeah, I know what you mean.
A Torontonian Now
Senior Member
Great front-page article on this development with some additional details: https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2021/01/insoho-developments-plans-infill-birchmount-scarborough
While this is far from inspiring architecturally, it really is great infill from a land-use perspective, on the higher-intensity end of the missing middle.
While this is far from inspiring architecturally, it really is great infill from a land-use perspective, on the higher-intensity end of the missing middle.
Towered
Superstar
Your 20 minute walk would be an hour on Birchmount...
AlbertC
Superstar
I know the walk would be dreadful, but I'd still get to Warden station in 20 mins from here lol
Richard White
Senior Member
I did this exact walk today. It would be 20 mins in good weather.
If you have a storm, piles of snow or strong winds it will take longer.
To put this into perspective it took me 30ish minutes to walk from Birchmount just south of here to Warden and Eglinton today. That's in good weather.
Towered
Superstar
To illustrate my point, walks can be psychologically longer or shorter based on the context of the surroundings, even if the physical distance is identical.
allengeorge
Senior Member
Very true. This is why having variegated facades, plenty of small-scale retail, even corner shops in neighbourhoods are important. They make areas more pleasant for pedestrians, drive more foot traffic into businesses...hopefully a virtuous cycle.
Northern Light
Superstar
Preliminary Report on this one to the next SCC meeting on April 23rd, 2021:
Of note from the report:
Planning staff are cognizant that the introduction of a low-rise apartment built form on the subject lands could potentially be considered a basis for further such proposals should the flanking northerly or southerly lands be similarly assembled for redevelopment. Pursuant to Building New Neighbourhoods Policy 3.3.1. discussed above, staff believe further planning investigation into whether similar higher-order built forms and densities on these nearby lands might also be appropriate or warranted in today's planning context. The need, viability and conceptual configuration for introducing future internal public streets to serve coordinated redevelopment of the immediate area should also be evaluated. As noted in the Recommendations section of this report, staff therefore propose that this work be undertaken, concurrently with review of the subject applications, by way of City-initiated Official Plan amendment to develop an appropriate planning framework to guide such potential further redevelopment and intensification within the larger precinct. Similar consideration will also be given to new public street opportunities through possible amendment to Schedule 2: The Designation of Planned but Unbuilt Roads of the Official Plan and, by extension, inform the requirement for submission of a draft plan of subdivision application to establish a new public street on the subject lands.
***
I would read this as staff being favourable and wanting to re-think the yellow-belt layout. But that's a speculative read on my part.
Of note from the report:
Planning staff are cognizant that the introduction of a low-rise apartment built form on the subject lands could potentially be considered a basis for further such proposals should the flanking northerly or southerly lands be similarly assembled for redevelopment. Pursuant to Building New Neighbourhoods Policy 3.3.1. discussed above, staff believe further planning investigation into whether similar higher-order built forms and densities on these nearby lands might also be appropriate or warranted in today's planning context. The need, viability and conceptual configuration for introducing future internal public streets to serve coordinated redevelopment of the immediate area should also be evaluated. As noted in the Recommendations section of this report, staff therefore propose that this work be undertaken, concurrently with review of the subject applications, by way of City-initiated Official Plan amendment to develop an appropriate planning framework to guide such potential further redevelopment and intensification within the larger precinct. Similar consideration will also be given to new public street opportunities through possible amendment to Schedule 2: The Designation of Planned but Unbuilt Roads of the Official Plan and, by extension, inform the requirement for submission of a draft plan of subdivision application to establish a new public street on the subject lands.
***
I would read this as staff being favourable and wanting to re-think the yellow-belt layout. But that's a speculative read on my part.