April 14, 1998
To:Scarborough Community Council
From:Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP.
Subject:THE GREEK COMMUNITY OF
METROPOLITAN TORONTO INC.
1998 ANNUAL FESTIVALS
1385 WARDEN AVENUE
WARD 14 - SCARBOROUGH WEXFORD
Purpose:
The purpose of this report is to grant an exemption from By-law No. 24389, The Noise By-law, to The Greek Community
of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. for their annual Festivals for the periods
July 1 to July 5, 1998, inclusive and August 21 to August 23, 1998, inclusive, subject to conditions.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
NIL
Recommendations:
It is recommended that The Scarborough Community Council recommend that Council:
(1)grant an exemption from By-law No. 24389, The Noise By-law, to The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto
Inc. for their annual Festivals for the periods July 1 to July 5, 1998, inclusive, and August 21 to August 23, 1998, inclusive,
subject to the following conditions:
(a)that The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. and St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church implement those
actions recommended by S.E. Coulter Associates Limited in their correspondence dated April 14, 1997, to mitigate the
effects of the noise to the adjoining neighbourhoods, and in particular:
(i)limit the number of speakers to 4;
(ii)cease the noise at 11:00 p.m. on July 1, July 2, July 5, 1998 and August 23, 1998;
(iii)on the remaining dates, reduce the sound level to 85 decibels at 11:00 p.m.;
(iv)progressively lower the volume of the noise after 11:00 p.m.; and
(v)cease the noise at 12:00 midnight;
(b)ensure the availability of rapid communications directly with someone with the authority to deal with unexpected
contingencies, equipped with cellular phones, with numbers being given to the neighbours;
(c)direct the parking to the Price Club parking lot; and
(2)declare the 1998 Festivals of The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Incorporated for the periods of July 1
to July 5, 1998 and August 21 to August 23, 1998 to be of AMunicipal Significance@ and request the City Clerk to issue
the appropriate letter to The Liquor Licence Board of Ontario.
Background:
By-law No. 24389, The Noise By-law, provides a procedure for the granting of an exemption from the by-law for a
specified time period, not in excess of six months, and the exemption may contain such terms and conditions as the Council
sees fit.
Scarborough Community Council, at its meeting of April 1, 1998, set May 6, 1998 as the date for the public meeting to
hear the request of The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. and
St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church for any exemption of its 1998 Festivals from the requirements of The Noise By-law.
As requested by the Community Council, The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. and St. John=s Greek
Orthodox Church held a community meeting on April 21, 1998 at St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church. Invitations to the
meeting were distributed to the adjoining neighbourhood. Eleven residents attended. In additions, the Ward Councillors,
and representatives of the Police Service were in attendance.
The residents, with the exception of a resident immediately adjoining the church property behind the stage, acknowledged
that the steps taken in conjunction with the 1997 Festival addressed the noise concerns of the neighbourhood. However, the
resident immediately adjoining the church property maintained that he continued to be impacted by the sound.
The Festival organizers indicated that they would consult with their sound engineer in an attempt to address the concern
expressed. Possible solutions include the use of a different speaker system and additional buffering.
Further, the residents as a whole, expressed concern that the church site would become the permanent location for two
annual Festivals. It was their feeling that the Festivals would be more appropriately held elsewhere.
In 1997, the former Scarborough Council granted exemptions for two Festivals held during the periods June 27 to July 2,
1997 and August 22 to August 24, 1997.
The former Scarborough Council recommended certain actions be undertaken in conjunction with the 1997 Festivals,
including the implementation of a program, as recommended by S.E. Coulter Associates Limited, consulting engineers in
acoustics, noise and vibrations, to mitigate the effects of the noise. Additionally, the organizers worked closely with the
Police to address the issues of traffic control, parking and crowd control.
The recommended conditions for the 1998 Festivals mirror those actions undertaken in conjunction with the 1997
Festivals to mitigate the effects of the noise.
Contact Name:
Frank Weinstock
Director, Property Standards
(416) 396-7731
(416) 396-4266 fax number
weinstoc@city.scarborough.on.ca
Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP.
Commissioner of Planning and Buildings, Scarborough
