Status Report - Abandoned CP Rail Spur Corridor

Lawrence Avenue to South of Canadian Road

(West of Warden) Ward 14 - Scarborough Wexford

 The Scarborough Community Council recommends that City Council:

 (1)direct the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services to report to The Scarborough Community Council on City Council's expressed interest in the potential use of the abandoned corridor for bicycle trail purposes; and

 (2)direct the City Solicitor to report to The Scarborough Community Council, in camera, on the ability of the City to expropriate these lands.

  The Scarborough Community Council submits the following report (July 14, 1998) from the Commissioner of Planning and Buildings, Scarborough:

Purpose:

 As requested by the Scarborough Community Council at its meeting on June 24, 1998, this is a status report with respect to a portion of the abandoned CP Rail Spur corridor running north from Lawrence Avenue to South of Canadian Road (west of Warden Avenue).

 Financial Implications:

 None.

 Recommendation:

 It is recommended that the Scarborough Community Council receive this report.

 Council Reference:

 Scarborough Council, at its meeting on September 7, 1994, considered CP's proposal to dispose of this corridor, and requested CP to offer the lands to the abutting homeowners. As well, Toronto Council, at its July 8, 1998 meeting, considered a report from the Urban Environment and Development Committee entitled: "Consultant's Study - Inventory of Cycling Trail Opportunities in Rail and Hydro Corridors" which identified the subject corridor as one of many corridors with potential for utilization as a bicycle trail, and recommended, amongst other things, that "the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be authorized to protect opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian trails in rail and hydro corridors wherever possible through the development approval process and secure implementation where appropriate."

 Discussion:

 SALE TO ABUTTING HOMEOWNERS

 At the request of Scarborough Council, CP Rail has been trying to sell the abandoned spur line corridor to the abutting residential property owners on the east side of Ellington Drive. The corridor is currently designated and zoned for industrial uses and Official Plan and Zoning amendments would be required before the land could be severed and sold. (CP would have preferred to sell to the abutting industrial property owners to the east, since this approach would have involved fewer transactions and would not have required Official Plan and Zoning amendments.)

 Scarborough Council's preference that the property be sold to the homeowners was based on Community wishes expressed at several Community meetings. In a letter dated May 8th, CP Rail advised that they have only been successful in signing up approximately 49 percent of the 103 abutting residential owners to purchase and sale contracts. It would appear that for many of the homeowners, the price being asked by CP Rail outweighs their conceptual support for acquisition of the corridor lands.

 The largest number of the purchase offers apply to lands in the northern half of the subject corridor. Even in this section of the corridor, however, there are significant gaps in the potential sale pattern. Since it would be inappropriate for the City to approve any severance and sale which would leave segments of the Corridor land-locked, the arrangements presented by CP Rail to date cannot be supported. CP Rail officials, in consultation with Councillor Tzekas, intend to continue their efforts to convince additional homeowners to submit purchase offers. It is anticipated that the results of this further effort will be known by the end of the summer. Unless CP Rail is able to secure a sufficient number and pattern of purchase offers to ensure that no land locked parcels are created, and to represent good planning in all other respects, the CP initiative will continue to be unsupportable.

 CP Rail, anticipating a positive outcome to its sales initiative has asked the City for assistance in obtaining the necessary Planning Approvals. If this circumstance arises, Scarborough Community Council and Toronto Council can decide whether or not to waive the application fees when considering the Preliminary Evaluation Report for Official Plan, Zoning, and Consent applications filed by CP Rail. Although contrary to normal procedure, Planning staff can process the applications to this stage despite the non-payment of fees.

 CYCLING TRAIL OPPORTUNITY

 During Scarborough's discussions with respect to the disposition of the abandoned CP Rail Corridor, the possibility of a cycling trail was discussed, but not pursued. The adjacent community was divided, at best, on the issue of whether or not it wanted to see a cycling trail passing behind their back yards. More recently, Toronto Council has expressed interest in the potential use of this Corridor for bicycle trail purposes. The Corridor itself is long and narrow with limited inlet/outlet opportunities, raising concerns about public safety on such a trail. Given its length, configuration and context; a bicycle trail in this corridor would perhaps have stronger merit as a transportation route than as recreational trail.

 Accordingly, it would be appropriate for the Urban Planning and Development Services Department, in consultation with Recreation and Real Estate staff, to investigate and report further regarding the desirability and feasibility of establishing a cycling trail in the abandoned CP Rail Corridor, between Lawrence Avenue and Canadian Road. This information is required to provide input to Scarborough Community Council's consideration of the planning approvals required by CP Rail in connection with its efforts to sell portions of the corridor to abutting homeowners. To properly address this issue it will be necessary to consider how a bicycle trail in this segment of the Corridor might contribute to a future network of bicycle trails in the broader area. Developing a better understanding of the priority for bicycle trail development in this corridor will also provide useful input for consideration, in the Fall, of the City's 1999 budgets for property acquisition, trail development, and trail operation.

 Conclusions:

 It is important that an assessment of desirability and preliminary feasibility be undertaken so that the City can determine whether or not it wishes to pursue development of a cycling trail in this corridor. Staff of the Urban Planning and Development Services Department will report further on this issue to ensure that Scarborough Community Council is fully aware of cycling trail opportunities and priorities when dealing with planning applications with respect to the abandoned spur line property. As well, staff of the Urban Planning and Development Services Department will continue to liaise with CP Rail with respect to its disposal of the abandoned spur line corridor north of Lawrence Avenue and keep Scarborough Community Council apprised of status changes.

 Contact Name:

 Edward S. Watkins, P.Eng., MCIP, RPP

Manager of Community Planning, Scarborough, West Section.