Toronto 2 Cawthra Square | 206.97m | 63s | BV Realty Partners | ZAS Architects

[Northern Light]

How exactly does such a process work? Would such a removal of ROW come from advocacy by the local councilor? Or is it something staff determine with changing land uses like we will be seeing with this site? Or could the developer suggest it in lieu of new parkland on their land?

I know there's a ton of historical examples of this like a big chunk of Ontario Street thru St. James town,

There isn't really a formal process for a type of idea that is rarely proposed, let alone implemented.

In the context of a Planning Application, you would want to raise the idea w/the Planner on the file; but ideally, directly engage both Parks, and the local Councillor. For all intents and purposes each of these would have to sign off.

Removing public ROW that has infrastructure under it, as a road would, such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, and the telcos requires some additional discussion about how that infra would be handled (easement under new parkland, or removal/relocation.

The case to be made here is that its adjacent to an existing public park and therefore has accretive value.

Or could the developer suggest it in lieu of new parkland on their land?

They could try that; though I think the ideal pitch here, is one that creates a functional park expansion (land you can do something with), that would likely require an on-site dedication, and then the removal of the road bed in favour of park space could be the Community Benefit.

Or it could simply be a city project, which the developer carries out on their behalf (maybe in exchange for credits against development charges).

but how common would you say it is for this to happen nowadays?

Its not. There are only a handful of sites where it makes really good sense to me; and those, so far, have not been raised as possibilities publicly, except by me.

 

[AlexBozikovic]

This is all extremely stupid, but the garage entrance is here, hidden by foliage:

View attachment 613558

LOL! It’s really not. It should be located where that yellow brick house is. That yellow brick house doesn’t exist, by the way.

 

[Northern Light]

LOL! It’s really not. It should be located where that yellow brick house is. That yellow brick house doesn’t exist, by the way.

Just to add detail to this for the room.

This application covers all the SFH on this section of Cawthra.

The image below shows the most easterly property within the application, and then some of adjacent lot to the east:

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Amusing realization. The Block Context plans show a new public lane way on the east side of this development, on what is now an abutting property.

If this laneway existed today, and this proposal were taken seriously, vehicle access would almost certainly be off that laneway.

But its not, because that laneway doesn't exist yet, and can only exist by taking property this applicant doesn't own.

****

Then as you note above, Alex, not only did the applicant erase the garage entrance........there is also no paved lot to the east showing either.