Toronto Berczy Park Revitalization | ?m | ?s

[tripwire]

I haven't gone there yet but it's on my to do list. I've heard many good things about it as well. The only negative are those stupid cheap plastic city garbage bins.

Yup. Took this photo not too long ago - wedding photos already happening, but then you get those bins.

 

[Edward Skira]

Hopefully we'll get something this good when they redo St James Park.

The current one is a tad underwhelming though at least it works.

 

[Miscreant]

Finally got a chance to have a good gander at this park today. It's obviously fantastic, as everyone here has reported. Lots of people around, etc. Just goes to show you, if you tax them, they will come and enjoy the spoils.

Also a fantastic view of the South Core corridor from the south side of the park, bringing out an entirely new vista in Toronto that was literally not there just over twelve years ago.

The garbage bins are crimes against urbanity, however.

 

[ponyboy]

I realize that the sanitation workers want to be able to roll the bins to the curb to empty them. How about building a stylish wooden enclosure that the bins can be easily rolled into and out of. The opening to the bins will line up with an opening in the enclosure. Some homeowners have nice enclosures for their bins. I didn't find precisely what I have in mind, but some variation of one of these (below), with some modifications would work for these high visibility spaces. Perhaps they already plan to do something like this.

 

[condovo]

Contact your councillor and let him/her know that you don't want Solid Waste Management to continue handling garbage disposal in city parks once this contract is done. It should go back to Parks, Forestry & Recreation where it was pre Rob Ford, I believe. Please chime in if my info is wrong.

 

[condovo]

Unbelievable. The sidewalk's spray painted. Already. And don't tell me this stuff disappears. I've lived here for 20 years. Fades, maybe, but never disappears. The "phantom" markings never go away. And then the hideous Solid Waste Management garbage bins. Sigh. This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[TDotTeen]

I really don't understand why these things seem to happen in Toronto, and not anywhere else. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like there are a pretty wide variety of impediments to having a nice urban environment that simply don't exist in other places. I mean, why is it so hard to get nice garbage bins, or to leave brand new paving unmarked?

 

[Ryan_T]

I don't understand why they need to mark the utility lines if there's no work planned....

Presumably, they're not planning to rip up whatever was just installed there...right?

 

[jje1000]

Unbelievable. The sidewalk's spray painted. Already. And don't tell me this stuff disappears. I've lived here for 20 years. Fades, maybe, but never disappears. The "phantom" markings never go away. And then the hideous Solid Waste Management garbage bins. Sigh. This is why we can't have nice things.

Well, then it's time to make it a scandal then- post on Reddit or contact the newspapers or post and send them the pictures asking why a brand-new, taxpayer (gotta emphasize this)-paid park is already marked up with utility lines.

The utilities department is awfully inefficient (a bunch of managers were already fired this year for incompetence)- perhaps this could push Tory and the others to finish up rehauling the department.

 

[Bogtrotter]

It's bizarre to craft such a lovely park at significant expense and then sanction a department to immediately mark it up with spray paint for utility work. Reflects a real lack of coordination.

 

[interchange42]

AFAIK, the utilities don't have to make a call to ask about marking up anything when they're planning some work.

42

 

[Bogtrotter]

Either way it seems clear that there should have been greater coordination between departments. Perhaps there should be clear rules for outstanding public spaces so work isn't essentially being immediately undone or defaced. Why bother laying attractive tile when it is going to be dug up just weeks later- ludicrous and a waste of money. How are they going to fix it- black top?

 

[jje1000]

It's pretty clear that the utilities don't coordinate or care, because they've never been held up to a standard.

 

[Miscreant]

This is completely ridiculous. I'm not being sarcastic: there has to be someone in charge. Who?

 

[allabootmatt]

I'm surprised Tory hasn't been more vocal on this kind of thing. It's a natural issue for him. Not partisan in any way and the fix doesn't require money - in fact, fixing it would probably save money, since unnecessary repairs would be avoided. It's just a question of basic co-ordination.

Hopefully such a high-profile example gets his attention...