The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Incorporated

1998 Annual Festivals

Ward 14 - Scarborough Wexford

 The Scarborough Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report (April 14, 1998) from the Commissioner of Planning and Buildings, Scarborough, subject to:

 (1)amending Recommendation No. (1)(a)(iii) by striking out the words A85 decibels@ and substituting therefor the words A80 decibels@, so that such recommendation shall now read as follows:

 A(1)(a)(iii)on the remaining dates, reduce the sound level to 80 decibels at 11:00 p.m.@; and

 (2)requesting that St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church implement a sound system similar to that used by St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in an effort to further reduce the ambient sound.

Purpose:

 The purpose of this report is to grant an exemption from By-law No. 24389, The Noise By-law, to The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. for their annual Festivals for the periods

July 1 to July 5, 1998, inclusive and August 21 to August 23, 1998, inclusive, subject to conditions.

 Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

 Nil.

 Recommendations:

 It is recommended that The Scarborough Community Council recommend that Council:

 (1)grant an exemption from By-law No. 24389, The Noise By-law, to The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. for their annual Festivals for the periods July 1 to July 5, 1998, inclusive, and August 21 to August 23, 1998, inclusive, subject to the following conditions:

 (a)that The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. and St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church implement those actions recommended by S.E. Coulter Associates Limited in their correspondence dated April 14, 1997, to mitigate the effects of the noise to the adjoining neighbourhoods, and in particular:

 (i)limit the number of speakers to 4;

(ii)cease the noise at 11:00 p.m. on July 1, July 2, July 5, 1998 and August 23, 1998;

(iii)on the remaining dates, reduce the sound level to 85 decibels at 11:00 p.m.;

(iv)progressively lower the volume of the noise after 11:00 p.m.; and

(v)cease the noise at 12:00 midnight;

 (b)ensure the availability of rapid communications directly with someone with the authority to deal with unexpected contingencies, equipped with cellular phones, with numbers being given to the neighbours;

 (c)direct the parking to the Price Club parking lot; and

 (2)declare the 1998 Festivals of The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Incorporated for the periods of July 1 to July 5, 1998 and August 21 to August 23, 1998 to be of AMunicipal Significance@ and request the City Clerk to issue the appropriate letter to The Liquor Licence Board of Ontario.

 Background:

 By-law No. 24389, The Noise By-law, provides a procedure for the granting of an exemption from the by-law for a specified time period, not in excess of six months, and the exemption may contain such terms and conditions as the Council sees fit.

 Scarborough Community Council, at its meeting of April 1, 1998, set May 6, 1998 as the date for the public meeting to hear the request of The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. and

St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church for any exemption of its 1998 Festivals from the requirements of The Noise By-law.

 As requested by the Community Council, The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc. and St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church held a community meeting on April 21, 1998 at St. John=s Greek Orthodox Church. Invitations to the meeting were distributed to the adjoining neighbourhood. Eleven residents attended. In additions, the Ward Councillors, and representatives of the Police Service were in attendance.

 The residents, with the exception of a resident immediately adjoining the church property behind the stage, acknowledged that the steps taken in conjunction with the 1997 Festival addressed the noise concerns of the neighbourhood. However, the resident immediately adjoining the church property maintained that he continued to be impacted by the sound.

 The Festival organizers indicated that they would consult with their sound engineer in an attempt to address the concern expressed. Possible solutions include the use of a different speaker system and additional buffering.

 Further, the residents as a whole, expressed concern that the church site would become the permanent location for two annual Festivals. It was their feeling that the Festivals would be more appropriately held elsewhere.

 In 1997, the former Scarborough Council granted exemptions for two Festivals held during the periods June 27 to July 2, 1997 and August 22 to August 24, 1997.

 The former Scarborough Council recommended certain actions be undertaken in conjunction with the 1997 Festivals, including the implementation of a program, as recommended by S.E. Coulter Associates Limited, consulting engineers in acoustics, noise and vibrations, to mitigate the effects of the noise. Additionally, the organizers worked closely with the Police to address the issues of traffic control, parking and crowd control.

 The recommended conditions for the 1998 Festivals mirror those actions undertaken in conjunction with the 1997 Festivals to mitigate the effects of the noise.

 Contact Name:

 Frank Weinstock

Director, Property Standards

(416) 396-7731

(416) 396-4266 fax number

weinstoc@city.scarborough.on.ca

The following persons appeared before the Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter:

 -Mr. Kostas Menegakis, Chairman of the Board, The Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto Inc., who also tabled with the Clerk=s Department, a petition containing 1,182 signatures in support of the Festival and the Noise By-law exemption request;

 -Mr. Harry Ratcliffe, Area Resident;

 -Mr. Jeff Cooper, Area Resident;

 -Mr. Ivan Watts, Area Resident.