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Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative<br />
and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015.<br />
The Kensington <strong>Mar</strong>ket Drum, <strong>Mar</strong>ch <strong>1991</strong> MARKET MATTERS 5<br />
Kensington <strong>Mar</strong>ket Area Task Force:<br />
East <strong>Mar</strong>ket Report ~<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch 20 meeting, Task Force Test<br />
The following report will be one of several reports on the agenda<br />
for the next task force meeting. Also up for consideration are<br />
a report on Sunday shopping/tourist designation, a report on procedures<br />
governing task forces and standing committees, a report<br />
on the relationship between City revenues and expenditures in the<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ket area. And, at last, the long-awaited planner's report on<br />
what should replace-the restaurant control by-law, which will<br />
expire in July. -<br />
This east market report has been In preparation for all but six<br />
months of the task force's existence. The report touches on many<br />
of-the issues that have {:Orne to task force attention. (One section<br />
of the report, section 7: problems. related to garbage disposal, has<br />
already been used by the garbage action group in obtaining public<br />
works support for a new garbage collection schedule for the<br />
market.)<br />
People with concerns, questions or suggestions relating to anything<br />
in the report can communicate them to the writers of the<br />
report, and to the task force do the City Clerk.<br />
Summary, January <strong>1991</strong><br />
1. ll\'TRODUCTION<br />
This report is jointly submitted by Chris<br />
Melo, 13 St. Andrew Street and David<br />
Perlman, 24 Bellevue Avenue":<br />
2 BACKGROUI\'D<br />
This east market report is the result of<br />
setting up a BALDWIN STREET COM<br />
MITTEE, in 1987, while Dale <strong>Mar</strong>tin was<br />
the chair of the Task Force. The Baldwin<br />
Street Committee was to do an inventory<br />
of the issues and problems we could fmd<br />
in one small section of the <strong>Mar</strong>ket, to follow<br />
those issues and problems, and to recommend<br />
action.<br />
3. INITIAL STUDY AREA<br />
We chose as our study area Baldwin<br />
Street from Spadina: west to Augusta.<br />
4. TEN ISSUES<br />
Within a few months we had identified<br />
the following issues:<br />
1. at 376 Spadina, proposed demolition<br />
of a landmark building with Joss of stores<br />
on Baldwin, Joss of housing above the<br />
street, and aggravation of restaurant related<br />
parking problems along Spadina;<br />
2 problems relating to the design and<br />
function of the George Brown College<br />
building on Baldwin Street;<br />
3. possible impacts of the proposed<br />
Spadina LRT on access to Baldwin Street<br />
and to the Parking Authority Garage;<br />
4. possible impacts on Baldwin Street<br />
of the proposed expansion of the<br />
Kensington Parking Garage;<br />
5. arguments for and against limiting<br />
auto traffic and/or loading and deliveries<br />
on Baldwin Street;<br />
6. problems of littering;<br />
7. problems related to garbage disposal;<br />
8. problems relating to keeping and<br />
expanding affordable rental housing on<br />
Baldwin Street;<br />
9. community concerns with the style<br />
and focus of policing and Jaw enforcement<br />
on the street;<br />
10. problems relating to whether or not<br />
the city should enforce the street<br />
by-law permitting them to demolish a<br />
canopy (at Baldwin and Augusta).<br />
5.MEETINGS<br />
The committee conducted meetings<br />
with representatives of George Brown<br />
College, the parking authority, public<br />
works, planning department, Kensington<br />
Residents Association, Kensington<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ket Businessmen's Association, the<br />
developer/owner of 376 Spadina, and<br />
other individuals livmg and/or working in<br />
the area.<br />
6. CHANGES TO STUDY AREA<br />
Very early on in the work of the committee<br />
we agreed that we had set our<br />
sights too narrowly to deal with the issues<br />
we identified. For instance, it was not possible<br />
to look only at Baldwin Street problems<br />
associated with the proposed expansion<br />
of the Parking Garage, because two<br />
of the entrance! exits to the Garage are<br />
one block south, on St. Andrew Street. So<br />
we agreed to widen the focus a little, to<br />
add Kensington Avenue From Baldwin to<br />
St. Andrew, St. Andrew from Kensinlton<br />
to Spadina, and Spadina From St. Andrew<br />
to Baldwin. We did not, however, change<br />
our list of issues-only re-emphasized<br />
them where necessary.<br />
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Revised study area (not to scale)<br />
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BALDWIN STREET COMMITTEE OF~~ -. ·--~- . ·.~" . • ~ . ··· ·· ... j<br />
316-·-i<br />
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ~::~~<br />
_<br />
THE KENSINGTON MARKET AREA South ElevaUon<br />
TASKFORCE<br />
Balwln Street<br />
1: ARISING FROM A PROPOSED ~ND.HI11J<br />
DEMOLITION AND REDEVELOP<br />
....<br />
MEi'oi AT376SPADINA<br />
~& ........ Modlnr..iliiWI<br />
Concerns:<br />
-this was a landmark building-at one Recommendation 3 (A-B)<br />
of the gateways to the <strong>Mar</strong>ket;<br />
A. That the City recognize that the<br />
-the Joss of four stores on Baldwin<br />
LRT in the latest Metro plan still has significant<br />
impacts on the Kensington com<br />
would make that section of the street even<br />
more uninviting;<br />
munity; and that the City request Metro<br />
-dissatisfaction at the proposed<br />
and the TTC to consult with the<br />
Kensington community on the details of<br />
replacement of housing on the second<br />
floor-with yet another restaurant (on a<br />
the plan, if it proceeds;<br />
B. That the Task Force write to the<br />
section of Spadina with lots of retaurants)_.<br />
Minister of the Enviroment of Ontario<br />
Recommendation 1 (A·H)<br />
1) to say that, if the plan for the LRT<br />
A. That the developer of the site be goes forward to an environmental hearing<br />
required to restore the sense of that corner<br />
as a gateway to the <strong>Mar</strong>ket;<br />
individuals from the Kensington area, with<br />
unchanged from the way it passed Metro,<br />
B. That at least four stores be restored the support of the Task Force, will seek<br />
on the Baldwin Street side of the building; intervenor status at that hearing;<br />
C. That the developer be required to 2) to request a meeting with a representative<br />
from the environmental assessment<br />
restore a residential second floor;<br />
D. That the developer be encouraged branch of the Ministry, once Metro's<br />
to expand significantly the residential use Spadina LRT environmental report is officially<br />
filed with the Ministry-to explain<br />
ofthe building; ·<br />
E. That the City no longer grant parking<br />
exemptions for second floor restau<br />
the environmental assessment process.<br />
rants in the area;<br />
F. That the City grant parking exemptions<br />
for providers of affordable housing<br />
above commercial businesses in areas<br />
zoned CR (commercial/residential);<br />
G. That "cash-in-lieu" of parking revenues<br />
within the <strong>Mar</strong>ket area go into a<br />
neighbourhood account, not into the<br />
Parking Authority's general construction<br />
fund;<br />
H. That the Parking Authority report<br />
to Council its revenues from Kensington<br />
area "cash-in-lieu" payments.<br />
2. THE PRESENCE OF GEORGE<br />
BROWN COLLEGE IN THE KENS<br />
INGTON COMMUNITY<br />
Concerns:<br />
that the south building of the campus<br />
creates a. dead zone on Baldwin Street<br />
east of Kensington-windows largely<br />
opaque, no invitation to community or<br />
passers-by to enter, no incentive for students<br />
to leave the building and enter the<br />
community; minimal interaction between<br />
college and community; the perception in<br />
the community that the location of the<br />
College in Kensington and on Spadina has<br />
little impact on what goes on at the<br />
College; the fear, therefore, that George<br />
Brown College will recommend selling off<br />
the Kensington campus-with the<br />
prospect of some large private development<br />
on the site that might have a very<br />
big impact on the market area.<br />
Recommendation~ (A· F)<br />
A. That a joint college/neighbourhood/local<br />
business committee be formed<br />
to examine joint college/community projects<br />
and cooperative education courses;<br />
B. That this committee identify among<br />
other things underutilized facilities and<br />
resources on the campus that could be<br />
made available to community groups;<br />
C. That George Brown College<br />
Kensington Campus encourage staff and<br />
students to use transit by reducing their<br />
stock of monthly parking. permits in the<br />
Kensington garage;<br />
D. That George Brown College, the<br />
Parking Authority, the City's Urban<br />
Design division and other owners and<br />
stakeholders on Baldwin east of<br />
Kensington Avenue join with the <strong>Mar</strong>ket<br />
community in planning public improvements<br />
to Baldwin east of Kensington;<br />
E. That the community business centre<br />
situated in the basement of the baldwin<br />
street building of the college be. given<br />
resources, funding, and the mandate to<br />
support local initiatives, particularly those<br />
which involve joint college/community<br />
projects and ventures;<br />
F. That the college, and the Minister of<br />
Colleges and Universities make public -<br />
promptly any plan to sell off all or part of<br />
the Kensington campus; and that there be<br />
local public meetings on any such plan.<br />
Appbnrs Reclad Dfawmgs --·~-==--~ --=-=-==-=-= -.:.:_ ::..:·:__ :=--=:::::<br />
4: RELATING TO PROPOSED<br />
PARKING GARAGE EXPANSION<br />
Concerns:<br />
-that the spaces to be added will do no<br />
more than offset parking to be lost on<br />
Spadina as a consequence of the proposed<br />
LRT, and will therefore do nothing for the<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ket;<br />
-that the expa!lsion as presently<br />
planned entails sidewalk cuts on St.<br />
Andrew, with impacts on businesses and<br />
residents on St. Andrew;<br />
-that the expansion as planned will<br />
affect the value and use of adjacent properties;<br />
-that the Parking Authority does not<br />
seem to have to go through the same Citycontrolled<br />
planning processes as other<br />
developers.<br />
Recommendation 4 (A-L)<br />
A) that the Garage expansion be seen<br />
not as additional parking for the<br />
Kensington <strong>Mar</strong>ket, but as replacement<br />
parking for the Spadina parking lost to<br />
LRT·<br />
B)' that the Parking Authority immediately<br />
commence a study of how to meet<br />
the market's parking needs now that the<br />
Kensington garage has become primarily a<br />
Spadina garage;<br />
C) that any plannned expansion take<br />
into account recommendation 2D above;<br />
D) that any planned expansion be<br />
based on turning the garage into a multiuse<br />
building;<br />
E) that among the uses to be considered<br />
for the expanded Garage should be 1)<br />
facilities for cyclists; 2) facilities (e.g. parcel<br />
depot, short term child care) for shoppers;<br />
3) public street-related uses; 4) space<br />
for vendors, 5) a <strong>Mar</strong>ket tourist office; 6) a<br />
community police substation; 7) public<br />
washrooms;<br />
F) that the Authority not be permitted<br />
to proceed with the expansion of the<br />
Garage until they and the City's Public<br />
Works Dept have in place an effective<br />
plan for full use of both the Baldwin and<br />
St. Andrew garage entrances and exits.<br />
G) that the City not widen St. Andrew<br />
street by one extra lane until and unless<br />
there is a plan for the operation of the<br />
garage, otherwise the widened St. Andrew<br />
will end up ·being two lanes of cars parking<br />
to get into the garage;<br />
H) that the city examine the possibility<br />
in widening St. Andrew street not to take<br />
all the extra space off the south side of the<br />
street, but take an even amount off the<br />
north and south side;<br />
I) that in the event of widening St.<br />
Andrew the adjacent residential property<br />
owners be given the chance to apply for<br />
changes in zoning, to compensate them for<br />
Joss of amenity caused by the widening;<br />
J) that the plan for the proposed expansion<br />
of the garage be the subject of a<br />
Planning Advisory Committee meeting;<br />
K) that the Parking Authority be subjected<br />
to the same public planning processes<br />
as any. other developer;<br />
L) that notification of public meetings<br />
relating to land use and public works mat·<br />
ters in the market area be somehow<br />
extended to tenants as well as to property<br />
owners.<br />
5: AUTO TRAFFIC AND/OR<br />
LOADING AND DELIVERIES ON<br />
BALDWIN STREET<br />
Concerns:<br />
-traffic congestion at times of heaviest<br />
deliveries;<br />
-not enough offstreet parking for merchants<br />
to store their cube vans (so merchants<br />
not moving vehicles after delivery<br />
made);<br />
-some people's desire for pedestrian<br />
mall, in conflict with interests of those<br />
merchants whose customers are accustomed<br />
to being picked up, with heavy<br />
parcels, right outside the store.<br />
Recommendation 5 (A·F)<br />
A. That the Parking Authority remove<br />
the barrier gateway to its Bellevue lot<br />
presently preventing cube vans from using<br />
the lot;<br />
B. That the "I:ask Force support the<br />
heaviest users of Baldwin Street for deliveries<br />
(European Meat) in trying to get a<br />
rear loading dock for their store;<br />
C. That there be a ten minute parking<br />
limit, except loading and deliveries, on<br />
Baldwin Street during retail market hours<br />
(including people driving cars picking up<br />
shoppers);<br />
D. That the Task Force and local associations<br />
support the reintroduction of a<br />
pedestrian mall in the <strong>Mar</strong>ket on a trial<br />
basis during the next twelve months-on<br />
up to 12 days, excluding Saturdays;<br />
E. That a working group be established<br />
to organize these Mall Days;<br />
F. That these Mall days be jointly sponsored<br />
by the City and the local associations.<br />
6. PROBLEMS OF LfiTERING<br />
Concerns:<br />
-there is chronic litter problem in the<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ket (as distinct from the garbage problem,<br />
which is also serious). Litter getsstrewn<br />
all over market streets in the course<br />
of a day, and there are almost no litter<br />
containers, primarily because public works<br />
department prefers to send in people to<br />
sweep the street than to empty litter containers.<br />
Recommendation 6 (A·D)<br />
A. That all stores selling snack foods or<br />
other products leading to immediate casual<br />
litter be provided with litter containers<br />
by the City for use on the boulevard outside<br />
the store;<br />
B. That the Public Works department<br />
with the help of local associations identify<br />
the sites where most casual litter accumulates<br />
and provide appropriate containers<br />
to reduce the amount of litter on the street<br />
in those places;<br />
· C. That the design of appropriate litter<br />
conta,iners be included in all areas of the<br />
market where "street furniture" is being<br />
designed for the <strong>Mar</strong>ket;<br />
D. That the introduction of containers<br />
to reduce litter be accompanied by the<br />
introduction of a public awareness campaign<br />
and material.<br />
!<br />
376 Spadina<br />
3. IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED<br />
SPADISA LRT<br />
Concerns:<br />
-that the LRT would cause traffic<br />
restrictions on Baldwin Street (no turns<br />
onto Baldwin from northbound Spadina<br />
at least 6 hours a day-a.m. and p.m.<br />
peak, and no turns onto northbound<br />
Spadina from Baldwin at the same times);<br />
-that the elimination of angle-parking<br />
on the adjacent block of Spadina Avenue<br />
will lead to increased traffic on Baldwin<br />
and St. Andrew, of Spadina shoppers looking<br />
for parking;<br />
-that these Baldwin restrictions, combined<br />
with the expansion of the Parking<br />
Garage would lead to traffic chaos on St.<br />
Andrew Street;<br />
-that the loss of the St. Andrew Street<br />
transit stop (southbound) will further isolate<br />
·the <strong>Mar</strong>ket and make it less accessible,<br />
and hamper local efforts to encourage<br />
a reduction of cars in the <strong>Mar</strong>ket;<br />
-that proposed changes to the street<br />
system (making Kensington one way north<br />
between Baldwin and St. Andrew) will<br />
make the <strong>Mar</strong>ket's traffic problems even<br />
worse.<br />
continued on page 15