Over the next few years, the City of Toronto will deliver a number of coordinated neighbourhood improvement projects in Thorncrest Village that include Road Resurfacing, Green Streets Infrastructure installations and Sewer and Watermain replacements.
On Tuesday, March 30, 2021, a virtual information session was held. The public was able to learn more about the coordinated neighbourhood improvement projects happening in Thorncrest Village.
Notice of Site Work: Groundwater Testing in Thorncrest Village
Thorncrest Village Neighbourhood Improvements Update Spring 2019
In September 2018, the City of Toronto distributed a construction notice and community update about the status of the planned neighbourhood improvements. The project team appreciates the community’s efforts to share concerns with the local councillor and in turn with City staff. Given the scope and scale of the projects planned in this community, there are numerous complexities that must be taken into account before the work can start. The City is moving forward as quickly as possible to confirm the necessary improvements and the order of their delivery. We apologize for the delay in this work and we appreciate the community’s patience.
View the Common Questions Sheet addressing many of the questions the community has brought to our attention.
The City held a Public Drop-In Event to present the planned projects to the neighbourhood and to receive feedback from residents.
Please go to Social Pinpoint for an interactive map of the area.
On Tuesday, February 27, 2018, a public drop-in event was held. The public was able to learn more about the proposed works and meet with City staff and local Councillor John Campbell.
The City of Toronto has inspected the road and determined that it will require a full reconstruction to bring it to a state of good repair. The reconstruction design is underway and the work is scheduled to start in 2022.
In 2019, the roads below were resurfaced.
Road resurfacing on remaining roads in Thorncrest Village is planned for 2022. Please refer to the map tab.
Appropriate measures will be taken to manage traffic in the area for the safety of workers, road users and residents. Where appropriate, flag personnel will be present at peak times, such as before and after school, and when work is taking place near a major intersection.
There will not be sidewalks added or removed where roads are resurfaced; the existing ditches will be restored.
A sidewalk is planned as part of the road reconstruction of Thorncrest Road behind Thorncrest Plaza. Please see the map tab for details.
Green Streets Infrastructure does not involve adding new ditches. Green Street infrastructure includes trees, native plants, and low impact development (LID) stormwater technologies which allow stormwater to infiltrate, filter, store, evaporate, and impede runoff. Examples of LID include bioswales, rain gardens and bioretention cells. The City often selects existing ditched roads for LID infrastructure, as ditches are ideal locations for installing LIDs. Bioswales look like ditches, but they are a form of Green Streets Infrastructure that includes underground systems that promote water absorption.
The maintenance of the Green Streets Infrastructure will depend on the type of infrastructure that is implemented. For example, rain gardens or planted bioretention cells will require landscape maintenance, including garbage and weed removal similar to what is done now. Sodded options will require similar maintenance to current grassed areas.
The City will be responsible for the maintenance of the underground infrastructure (i.e. the parts that can’t be seen). Underground infrastructure includes underdrains, catch basins, and monitoring equipment. Maintenance of these structures includes inspection, downloading data and replacing batteries for monitoring equipment, and occasionally cleaning out subsurface features with vacuum trucks.
Property owners will be asked to help maintain the above-ground Green Streets Infrastructure. Maintenance activities required from residents will include: removing trash, weeding and cutting back overgrown vegetation. Homeowners will be provided an informational guide indicating their responsibilities and who to contact for maintenance needs.
The City has retained an engineering consultant to investigate options for Green Streets infrastructure in the City’s public right-of-way, the centre median or on the islands of roadways in Thorncrest Village. Optimal locations for Green Streets infrastructure will be selected based on several factors, including existing drainage patterns, ditches, soil type, and existing vegetation and infrastructure.
The design work has already begun, and construction will be coordinated with road resurfacing work in 2022.
The City will be reaching out to individual home owners affected by the planned work.
The City is undertaking further detailed engineering analysis following a review of resident concerns and responses to our flooding questionnaire. By undertaking this analysis, the City can determine if additional sewer system improvements are required.
The analysis will include a review of new and previous collected background data and questionnaire results to identify the potential causes of flooding. This information, along with flow data, will be used in the development of a new computer model to analyze how the sanitary and storm sewer systems function during rainstorm events.
Based on the results of the modelling, the works required to meet the City’s criteria to reduce basement and surface flooding will be identified.
Given the complexity of the analysis, the City now expects the study to be completed by mid-2019. The City is moving forward as quickly as possible to confirm the basement flooding improvements required to help address flooding in the neighbourhood.
If the analysis confirms that the planned improvements are all that is required, the City will move forward to have the work constructed.
However, if the analysis identifies that additional storm sewer work is required, it must first meet the City Council adopted cost per benefitting property threshold of $32,000. This means that the cost of the work, based on the total number of properties that would benefit, must fall under $32,000 per property. The project will proceed to detailed design and construction once the costs are confirmed.
If the costs are above $32,000 per property, the work cannot be scheduled for construction.
The construction of sewer upgrades are within City’s right-of-way. Any sewer upgrades outside City property and any potential private property impacts will be identified and the City will work with property owners before the work is undertaken.
The City takes measures to help avoid impacts to trees and landscaping features. Ahead of construction, the City will review any potential impacts and work with property owners to address any concerns.
The City’s Right-of-Way is the area that extends approximately 10 metres from the center of the road to the private property line. Features such as irrigation systems or fencing, heated driveways and landscaping that are located within the City’s property will be reviewed at the detailed design stage. The City will work closely with homeowners to address any concerns.
The City takes measures to help avoid impacts to trees and landscaping features. Ahead of construction, the City will review any potential impacts and work closely with homeowners to address any concerns. If this work affects a tree near your property, you will receive a separate notice. For every street tree removed due to City work, a replacement tree will be planted.
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