April 12, 1999
To:Toronto Community Council
From:Joe Halstead, Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism
Subject:2505/2513 Danforth Avenue - Municipal Code, Chapter 331, Article III, Trees
Ward 26 - East Toronto
Purpose:
Mr. Harpal Arora, 2 Secord Avenue, #1513, Toronto, Ontario, M4C 2C3, owner of 2505
Danforth Avenue, has filed an application for a permit to injure one tree on the private
property of 2513 Danforth Avenue to allow for the construction of a new building on the
property of 2505 Danforth Avenue.
Financial Implications:
N/A
Recommendations:
Either 1, or 2 below
- refuse to issue a permit for injury to the tree, requiring the applicant to redesign
plans for the construction of the building in consultation with an arborist with the
objective of protecting the tree located on the neighbour's property; or
- issue a permit for injury conditional on:
i)the tree not being injured until permitted construction and/or demolition related activities
in accordance with plans approved under the building permit application for the subject
property commence that warrant the destruction of the tree; and
ii)the applicant contracting an arborist to implement a tree preservation plan during
construction to minimize the injury to the tree.
Comments:
The tree in question is a fifty-three centimetre diameter Norway maple in fair condition. The
tree is located adjacent to a building on the property of 2513 Danforth Avenue and it is
growing completely surrounded by concrete. The tree requires remedial maintenance to
correct improper pruning cuts made previously. The applicant is proposing to construct a new
building on the adjacent property of 2505 Danforth Avenue that would require excavation
approximately one metre from the base of the tree. The proposed construction would
significantly impact the tree roots and substantial pruning of the crown would be required to
provide clearance for the building.
The applicant had originally provided staff with an arborist report and a plan for the proposed
building that would have provided adequate protection for the tree. In the opinion of staff the
construction of a building that incorporates and provides adequate protection for the tree is the
best solution for the community. If this tree is injured and requires removal there is no suitable
site to plant a replacement on either property.
The Norway maple is an important tree to the owners of 2513 Danforth Avenue, as can be
seen by the overwhelming support they have generated in the community. It is therefore
essential that any proposed construction at 2505 Danforth Avenue have the best interests of
the tree and the community in mind.
A notice of application sign was posted on the property for the required 14 day posting period,
in order to notify the neighbourhood and provide an opportunity for objection to the
application. Nine letters of objection, and a petition with over one thousand five hundred
signatures were received in response to the application to injure the tree in question. In
addition, the applicant has submitted a petition with approximately six hundred signatures
supporting his proposed construction. Copies of these letters and petitions have been
forwarded to the Community Council Secretary for the Community Council to review.
Contact Name:
Andrew Pickett
392-6644
Joe Halstead
Commissioner Economic Development, Culture and Tourism
