STAFF REPORT

January 31, 2000

To: Toronto Community Council

From: Director, Transportation Services, District 1

Subject: Report on the Results of the Pilot for the Restoration of Paved Areas to Green Areas for Locations that had Previously been Refused a Parking Pad

(All Wards in the Former City of Toronto)

Purpose:

To report on the results of the pilot project which introduced the restoration of paved areas to green areas for those applicants who have previously been refused a parking pad.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Should City Council recommend continuation of this program, funding in the amount of $10,000.00 should be reserved on an annual basis from the Off Street Parking Account Code TP0148 for the restoration of a maximum of five paved pads.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) City Council approve the continuation of the restoration project of paved areas to green areas for those locations that do not qualify for pad parking on an 'as requested' basis to a maximum of five locations per year;

(2) if the owner of a property wishes to have the parking pad removed, the City would agree, at its own expense to:

(a) plant a City tree in the boulevard in front of the house;

(b) re-sod the area;

(c) provide free downspout disconnection service; and

(d) offer a free water conservation audit to the property owner; and

(3) if the City has removed the parking pad and restored the City boulevard at its expense, the owner and subsequent owners may not apply to repave the front yard, exclusive of any private approaches, for 5 years.

Background:

City Council, at its meeting of October 28, 29 and 30, 1998, considered staff's report entitled "Front Yard Parking and Changes to the Current By-law - Follow Up Report". Council adopted this report requiring the introduction of a pilot project for the restoration of paved areas to green areas for the year 1999 and that staff report on the results of the pilot project to the first Toronto Community Council meeting in the year 2000. (Clause No. 17 of Report No. 12 of the Toronto Community Council.)

Comments:

City Council, in considering staff's reports of September 8, 1999 and October 6, 1999, amended and adopted the reports which, among other things, approved two initiatives to encourage preservation of the City's green space. The first initiative was included as a by-law amendment and allows for the City, at the homeowner's request, to remove a previously approved parking pad and restore the boulevard to a sodded condition.

The second initiative was approved as a pilot program and authorized the restoration of paved areas to green areas for those locations that were previously refused a parking pad to a maximum of five locations per year.

Following the introduction of this pilot project, staff conducted a survey of the illegal front yard parking locations on file. Properties that were eligible under the new parking criteria were eliminated from the survey as these properties would be eligible under the first initiative, as were those properties that were determined to be eligible but where the applicant cancelled their application.

A total of 534 locations were surveyed in the spring and early summer of 1999. Of the locations surveyed, 126 properties were determined to be ineligible for front yard parking and therefore considered eligible for this program.

Letters were sent to the homeowners of these properties advising them of the restoration program and of their eligibility to have the paving in their front yard removed.

Of the 126 letters sent to eligible properties, 16 respondents indicated their interest in having the paving in their front yard removed. The program was set up on a 'first come, first served' basis and upon contacting the applicants in the order received, four withdrew their requests and two had proceeded on their own to remove the paving.

The five locations selected were restored in October 1999 for a total cost of $6,001.37 or an average of $1,200.27.

Conclusions:

The restoration of paved City boulevards to green space is an incentive to promoting and preserving community streetscapes and it is recommended that this program be continued on an "as requested" basis, with provisions as outlined in Recommendations (2) and (3) above.

Contact:

Angie Antoniou, Manager, Right of Way Management

Telephone: 392-1525, Fax: 392-7465, E-mail: aantonio@toronto.ca

Director

FL

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