September 14, 1999
To:Etobicoke Community Council
From:John Thomas, P.Eng., MBA, Director, District 2
Subject:Bloorhill Properties Limited
Proposal to Dedicate City-owned Land as Public Highway
Bloor Street West, north side, between Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road
2842 to 2846 Bloor Street West
Ward 3 Kingsway-Humber
Purpose:
To advise Etobicoke Community Council of Bloorhill Properties Limited's request that the City dedicate a strip of
municipal property on the north side of Bloor Street West, between Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road, as a public
highway.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
This report has no direct financial implications.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)the City-owned land on the north side of Bloor Street West, between Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road, not be
dedicated as public highway; and
(2)the terms and conditions of a ten year lease agreement with Bloorhill Properties Limited be negotiated according to
Council's decision of November 25, 26 and 27, 1998.
Council Reference/Background/History:
On 2 June 1986, Council for the City of Etobicoke adopted Clause 11 of the Fifteenth Report of the Board of Control 1986
recommending the closure of three public lanes located on the north side of Bloor Street West, between Prince Edward
Drive and Kingscourt Drive (Attachment No.1). The Board of Control report stated that ". . . The most easterly and
westerly lanes are undeveloped and the centre lane [between Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road] only serves the
abutting owners on the south, being Bloorhill Properties Limited and Lorne Reynolds Holdings Ltd." The Board of
Control's report indicated that there was ". . . no need for a public lane" in the section between Kings Lynn Road and
Kingsmill Road, and that ". . . The Roads Technical Committee [of the City of Etobicoke] also agree there is no
foreseeable future road requirement for the east and west lanes" (Attachment No.2).
On 20 October 1986, Council for the City of Etobicoke enacted By-law 1986-221 closing the public lanes between Prince
Edward Drive and Kingscourt Drive (Attachment No.3). The by-law required that the former public lanes between Prince
Edward Drive and Kings Lynn Road, and between Kingsmill Road and Kingscourt Drive, be sold to the abutting owners.
The legislation directed that the former lane between Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road be leased to the abutting
owners at 2842, 2844 and 2846 Bloor Street West.
The possibility of selling the municipal property between Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road was discussed with the
abutting owner, Bloorhill Properties Limited, in discussions initiated by the City of Toronto's Facilities and Real Estate
Division in October 1997. Notice of closure and sale was published in the "Etobicoke Guardian" in October 1998;
however, responding to opposition to the sale from area residents and as recommended by the Manager of Realty Services
in his report of 28 October 1998 (Attachment No.4), Etobicoke Community Council decided against selling the property,
and ordered that ". . . steps be taken to renew the lease of the former laneway to the abutting owners for parking for a term
of ten (10) years at a rate to be negotiated by the City's Realty Services staff. . ." These recommendations were adopted by
City of Toronto Council at its meeting of 25-27 November 1998.
In correspondence dated 29 June 1999, Bloorhill Properties Limited requested that the municipal property between Kings
Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road be dedicated as public highway (Attachment No.5). They claim that the property is used
for ". . . public access," and that dedication as municipal road allowance is appropriate.
At its meeting of 15 July 1999, Etobicoke Community Council referred this matter to the September 1999 meeting for a
report from the Manager of Realty Services and the Manager of Traffic Planning/R-O-W Management (Attachment No.6).
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
Both Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road are two-lane local roads carrying daily weekday traffic volumes of
approximately 500 vehicles. The municipal property located at the rear of 2842 to 2846 Bloor Street West provides access
from the rear yard parking lot to both Kings Lynn Road and Kingsmill Road. There is an additional access from the rear of
these properties directly to Bloor Street West.
Arguably, the municipal property can be used by non-site generated traffic as an alternative access to either Kings Lynn
Road or Kingsmill Road, but this serves little practical purpose since the former lane is not a "short cut" to anywhere.
Closing one of the access driveways to either Kings Lynn Road or Kingsmill Road easily eliminates unauthorised access to
the rear of these properties.
On 20 August 1999, Councillor G. Lindsay Luby met to discuss this issue with Bloorhill Properties Limited, area residents
and representatives from the City of Toronto that included the City Solicitor and the Managers of Real Estate Services and
Traffic Planning/R-O-W Management. It was made clear to Bloorhill Properties Limited that there is no support from
either area residents or City staff for a proposal to dedicate the subject property as public highway.
Conclusions:
In 1986, Etobicoke staff identified that from a transportation perspective there was no need for the public lanes on the north
side of Bloor Street West, between Prince Edward Drive and Kingscourt Drive. With regard to the remaining municipal
property, there is no short- or long-term strategic benefit to dedicating it as road allowance. We recommend against
declaring this property as public highway, and that the terms and conditions of a ten year lease agreement with Bloorhill
Properties Limited be established according to Council's earlier directive, and with input from area residents and the Ward
Councillors.
Contact Name:
Allan Smithies, Manager, Traffic Planning/R-O-W Management, District 2.
(416) 394-8412; Fax (416) 394-8942.
John W. Thomas, P. Eng., MBA
Director, Transportation Services - District 2
Attachment
c: Street K
F. Bedard
