August 17, 1998

To:The Urban Environment and Development Committee

From:General Manager, Transportation Services

Subject:Removal of Trees from the Sheppard Avenue and Bayview Avenue rights-of-way.

North York - Centre; Councillors John Filion, Norm Gardner.

North York - Centre South; Councillors Joanne Flint, Milton Berger.

Seneca Heights; Councillors Joan King, David Shiner.

Purpose:

To authorize the removal of trees in connection with the construction of the Sheppard Subway, Bayview Station, and the reconstruction of the Bayview Avenue/Sheppard Avenue intersection.

Funding Sources:

The costs associated with the Bayview Station construction are the responsibility of the Toronto Transit Commission, the funds for the reconstruction and widening of the Bayview Avenue/Sheppard Avenue intersection are available in Account No. C-TR-023, Sheppard Avenue, Beecroft Road to Leslie Street.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that authority be granted for the removal of forty-two (42) trees from the Sheppard Avenue and Bayview Avenue rights-of-way.

Discussion:

Metro By-law 211-74, Section 10, ss(i) and (ii), provides that, "no person shall injure, destroy, or cut down any tree on a Metropolitan Road without the approval of Metropolitan Council".

The Sheppard Subway Bayview Station will lie roughly below the centreline of Sheppard Avenue, extending from the east side of Bayview Avenue to approximately 320 metres east of Bayview Avenue. In conjunction with the station construction, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will be undertaking the reconstruction of Sheppard Avenue and Bayview Avenue intersection on behalf of the City of Toronto.

According to established procedure, the TTC has had an Arborist assess the trees impacted by the station construction and have established a replacement value for the trees that must be removed. The TTC is responsible for the replacement value plus associated costs for all trees which have to be removed as a result of their work. The station construction requires the removal of twenty-one (21) trees, with an assessed value including associated costs of $21,655.00. These funds, and other funds collected as the result of the Sheppard Subway work, will be used for tree replacement in the Sheppard Avenue corridor, pursuant to existing procedure and practice in consultation with the Councillors, adjoining property owners, and the Community.

The improvements to the Sheppard Avenue/Bayview Avenue intersection were approved by Metropolitan Toronto Council on November 8, 1995, to support the approved development in the North Yonge Centre area. The widening will improve the safety and traffic handling capacity of the Sheppard Avenue/Bayview Avenue intersection. The design of the streetscape associated with the road widening is based on the Streetscape Study for the Sheppard Avenue Corridor, carried out by the former City of North York Planning department. This plan includes the planting of approximately ninety (90) new street trees within the project limits.

City of Toronto staff have also reviewed the impact of the reconstruction of the intersection on the existing trees. Site inspections have been carried out by staff to consider all possible design modifications to lane width, sidewalk layout, and boulevard treatment that can be made to minimize the impact on the sixty (60) existing trees within the construction zone. As part of this review process, thirty-nine (39) trees have been identified for protective measures and six (6) trees have been identified as potential transplant candidates. The proximity to underground plant, utilities, or site conditions may preclude the transplanting of all six trees identified as potential candidates in which case these would be removed. Additionally, fifteen (15) trees could not be protected on site due to conflicts with the proposed road works and are scheduled for removal, making a total of twenty-one (21) trees identified for removal.

Notwithstanding the tree removals resulting from the subway and road construction, the total number of trees in this area will increase by forty-eight (48) upon completion of the construction project.

Conclusion:

In order to facilitate the construction of the Sheppard Subway, Bayview Station, it is recommended that approval be granted to remove forty-two (42) trees.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

David Butler, Manager

Sheppard Subway Traffic Operations

(416) 392-5285

David C. Kaufman

General Manager, Transportation Services

Barry H. Gutteridge

Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services