An Examination of the Humber Bay Parks Project - FAQs

This is the updated version as it appears on the City webpage as of April 21, 2016. My personal queries and observations to this vague and unsubstantial FAQ are in blue print. It should be noted that the Master Plan and Pavilion are two separate projects which sometimes overlap but are lumped under one title, “The Humber Bay Parks Project.” Thus when a FAQ is talking about the Master Plan, it generally does not include the Pavilion Project and vice versa. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=828432c3893d3510VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=df0519cb2c521510VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Is the City proposing to construct a large event facility in Humber Bay Park East beside the ponds?

The Pavilion in Humber Bay Park East was proposed by the City to address increasing needs in the area and to complement or replace existing building facilities in the park.

What community needs is this pavilion addressing and how will it address them once built? The original public information meeting was intended to brainstorm ideas and get public feedback for possible uses of this facility; i.e. there was supposedly no business plan or vision for the purpose of this building in the park.

Councillor Mark Grimes stated that the reason he wanted to build this pavilion is, “I have been hearing for years that Humber Bay Shores needs a new facility and meeting space to serve the community (i.e. via the HBSCA). My original plan had been to repurpose the Eau Du Soleil sales centre building as a new community facility, but City Parks staff's assessment was that the building does not meet the City's standards. While this could have been the end of the project, I worked with the city and developed a different proposal, replacing the old buildings in Humber Bay Park East with a brand new, purpose-built facility to serve the community in a variety of ways.” (Feb. 26, 2016). https://www.facebook.com/groups/HumberBayShores/permalink/1563691953942090/

So if this an attempt to make up for the botched re-purposing of the Eau du Soleil Presentation Centre and the HBSCA initially said they are “not in favour of the HBPE site” (Feb. 29, 2016) then why is the project continuing? If this pavilion is in reality a multi-purpose community centre, why not use this $7 million to build a community centre where the community actually wants it? Neither Grimes nor the

City have given a concise answer about why this money (Section 37/42/45 benefits?) has to be used in Humber Bay Park East.

It should be noted that Eau du Soleil’s lease on TRCA property expired March 31, 2016. Also, Eau du Soleil and Councillor Mark Grimes never informed the TRCA that this building was gifted to another organization (i.e. HBSCA).

The intent of the proposed Pavilion is not to provide banquet facilities or a venue for large events that would require new parking, but to support the existing park uses and to complement any improvements proposed within the Master Plan.

Can we get this guaranteed in writing, perhaps in a legally binding contract? If there is supposedly no money or revenue for Humber Bay Park and all this money/reserve funds are being thrown into the pavilion project, where will the money come from to sustain and maintain this building? In the future, where will the community benefits and reserve funds for Humber Bay Park come from? If the park hasn’t been properly maintained for the last 30+ years due to no money or revenue, and there probably won’t be any money or revenue for the park in the next 30 years, what will become of this building? Will it fall into the same state of disarray as the current buildings on site?

The size and proportions of the building discussed in the Request for Proposals for the Pavilion design were placeholders until further consultation and refinement of the building's program, size and site could be completed. This information was intended to provide sufficient information to bidders.

Does this mean they are not building a 2 storey, 12,000 square feet building as stated in the BSNA Presentation that was revealed at the February 16th, 2016 public information meeting? Interestingly, the above information was not presented at this meeting.

Any new building within Humber Bay Park East or West would be required to meet environmental design and sustainability standards. These criteria would include:

a safe and accessible building following regulations for working in protected areas integrating the building with the surrounding ecology and habitat making the best use of existing roads, parking and utilities.

I.e. “environmental design” is more about the products used and not so much about the habitat destroyed. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=f85552cc66061410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

What is the status of the Pavilion proposal?

The public has expressed concern over the idea of a new building in the park and indicated that there had not been any public consultation to inform the proposal. Based on feedback from the February 2016 initial public consultation, architectural design work on the Pavilion will not proceed until further study and public consultation has established the appropriate program, size and site for any building within the park.

The timeframe for the Pavilion project will now be extended to accommodate additional public consultation through the Master Plan public consultation process.

The FAQ fails to note that the presenters at the February 2016 meeting told the attendees that “numerous consultations were done beforehand both in the community and the park.”

Why not propose a building outside of Humber Bay Park East and West?

The purpose of the Master Plan is to plan for and improve Humber Bay Park East and West. This includes determining the appropriate program, size and location of any architectural improvements within the park. Planning community facilities outside of Humber Bay Park East and West is not part of this project.

This answer fails to illustrate the reason why these reserve funds can only be used for parks.

What is the role of public input in the development of the Master Plan including proposed buildings?

The City has planned for extensive consultation on the development of the Master Plan. While the consultant teams will do technical and creative work, the public and local stakeholders will inform the general vision for park improvements, including architectural improvements within the park. Technical studies, decision-making criteria, as well as conceptual and preferred designs will be presented to the Community Resource Group and the general public for their feedback.

The Master Plan and the Pavilion are two separate projects. The Master Plan bid was won by DTAH and is coordinated by Netami Stuart. The Pavilion Project bid was won by Baird, Sampson Neuert Architects and is coordinated by Peter Klambauer. The Community Resource Group, which is for the Master Plan and not the Pavilion, has no real decision-making power, they can only give opinions. They’re essentially a free public focus group.

How will the natural habitat be protected and enhanced through the Master Plan?

The Humber Bay Parks are a quiet refuge for people and are the site of important natural habitats.

The purpose of the Master Plan is to:

establish a vision and design to protect and enhance the highly valued naturalized landscape, habitat and recreational uses in Humber Bay Parks

improve safety and access ensure that proposed improvements respond to existing and future needs

of the community and city residents.

What does this even mean? This does not explain at all how the habitat will be protected. Furthermore, this FAQ only refers to the Master Plan and not the Pavilion Project. Obviously, the construction, clear-cutting, digging, and increased traffic to build this pavilion will be destroying a multitude of naturally occurring habitats in and around the pond area.

What is the process for approving the Master Plan and any building construction within the parks?

The City of Toronto operates Humber Bay Park East and West, however the land is owned and regulated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The Master Plan, including any proposed buildings within the parks, requires approval by the public board of the TRCA. Any construction within the parks must adhere to TRCA regulations and requirements. The TRCA is a partner in developing the Master Plan.

Here is a list of the TRCA board members, the majority of which are various City Councillors. http://trca.on.ca/about/boards-and-committees/board-members.dot Some of these councilors are environmentally conscious, others are not. One would think that the TRCA board was comprised of environmentalists but it is not. As well, the City funds TRCA so they do have to tread carefully when dealing with projects like these.

Ironically, the Pavilion Project is in direct opposition to the numerous recommendations found in the TRCA’s Humber Bay Park - Terrestrial Biological Inventory (March 2014). Again, the Master Plan is a separate project from the Pavilion. This states the TRCA is a partner in developing the Master Plan, not the Pavilion Project.

How does the Humber Bay Project fit into the Facilities Master Plan Active Spaces – People Places?

The Facilities Master Plan includes a review of Toronto's existing and planned Parks, Forestry and Recreation facilities, their uses and their demographic contexts, to guide planning over the next 20 years. New facilities proposed within the Humber Bay Park Master Plan will be included in this review. Research and study for the Humber Bay Park Master Plan is expected to continue through 2016, with the Facilities Master Plan being complete in 2017.

How does the Humber Bay Shore trails project connect with the Humber Bay Master Plan?

The Humber Bay Shores Trail project includes future multi-use trail upgrades that will provide improved connections and circulation to and from Humber Bay Park East and West. Trail improvements will include important improvements to trail safety and sight lines, design features to calm speed and improve trail capacity, changes in trail materials, as well as improvements to seating and views to Lake Ontario.