Neighbours Launch New Residents Association
A group of concerned Scarborough residents has banded together and incorporated a new organization. The “Cliffcrest Scarborough Village SW Residents Association” was established in response to the growing threats to the unique nature of South Scarborough’s quiet family neighbourhoods.
Many constituents are unaware that Kingston Road was identified by the City as an area for redevelopment and that development proposals are accelerating in quantity, proposed scale, and potential impact to the nature of Cliffcrest and Scarborough Village.
The tipping point for the neighbourhood was a July 30th announcement by Samcor and LCH Developments of their intent to buy up residential properties on Windy Ridge Drive and Kingston Road to build a 12 story 367-unit condo with 2 floors of underground parking. The size of the proposed condo, when completed, would be almost half the height of the Statue of Liberty. The outrage was instantaneous, with almost every family on Windy Ridge and adjoining streets opposed to the scale of this development and the damage to the area. This passion quickly channeled into an organizing committee that brought together existing community activist groups already representing over 300 people.
According to Bret Snider, President of the new Residents Association, “The Samcor / LCH proposal would fundamentally change the nature of the neighbourhood. The number of households on Windy Ridge would balloon from 27 to over 400 and will add to the traffic pressure at an already congested 5-way intersection at Kingston Road. This is just one of several planned or impending significant developments in the area.”
The Residents Association is not against development but will oppose out of scale proposals that do not fit the character of neighbourhoods or damage the ecosystems and forests that residents so value. The proposed site is also located at the gateway to the Doris McCarthy Trail, which is of recreational, natural, and historical significance and on the list of Toronto Region and Conservation Authority’s erosion protection projects.
Dan Tadenc, Director of Community Outreach, explained that the association grew quickly because there was already an informal network of concerned citizens currently engaged in actions to influence decisions that are being made at many locations in our community. “On the one hand, we have an incredible amount of expertise right in this neighbourhood; development lawyers, architects, planners, project managers, environmental scientists, social media activists and community leaders to name a few. However, on the other hand, there are so many people unaware of how the process works. The Association wants to gather the voices in the neighbourhood and advocate for inclusion and awareness in an organized approach in the decisions that impact our community.
The Association intends to represent residents in the area bounded by Eglinton Avenue to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, Brimley Road to the west and Markham Road to the east. Its mission statement reads – “Together we can preserve the unique nature of our neighborhoods.” To encourage community participation the steering committee has decided to make membership free.
For more information; or to join you can, call: 647-508-8153 or send an email to save.scar@gmail.com. The website is
www.cliffcrestscarboroughvillagesw.ca
Cliffcrest Scarborough Village SW Residents Association
Inaugural Nature Photo Contest
Share what you see through the lens of your camera when you travel through the tree-lined neighborhoods of Cliffside and Scarborough Village. Follow the winding paths of the Waterfront Trail to explore Doris McCarthy Trail, Sylvan Park, our ravines and Scarborough Bluffs.
We are looking for photos taken locally that inspire us to appreciate our natural environment
‘Nature in all its glory’
Entries will be judged by Councillor Gary Crawford, John Smee, Local Scarborough Photo Journalist and Editor of the Bluffs Monitor & Marina Tadenc, VP Cliffcrest Scarborough Village SW Residents Association.
For more information on the Contest, including how to enter and available prizes, visit www.cliffcrestscarboroughvillagesw.ca/current-events-projects/ or e-mail the association at events@csvsw.ca