An application for five, three-storey townhouses and one single-detached home has been submitted for Baytree Crescent, a street off of Bayview Avenue, just north of York Mills Road. A partner in the project said he made every effort to come up with a high-end proposal that would fit in with the neighbourhood, but locals said townhouses are simply not appropriate for the area.
David Laren, a partner in Baytree Estates, said he consulted with city staff, the local councillor and ratepayers before submitting the application. Taking the context of the area into account, he applied for five larger, luxury units (fronting on Bayview Avenue) with the detached home serving as a transition onto Baytree Crescent.
“A lot of thought has gone into the design, trying to be very respectful of the community — in terms of trying to make it look like one, big, large mansion,” Laren said.
But for Mitchell Shnier of the St. Andrew’s Ratepayers, the Baytree Crescent application is yet another example of a troubling trend in the Bayview Avenue and York Mills Road area. “The developers all have the same cookie-cutter idea: a three-storey townhouse, crowded up against the sidewalk, with an industrial-looking back alleyway,” he said. “It’s all the same to us: it ruins the entire neighbourhood.” In light of the growing concern, and one that she shares, Coun. Jaye Robinson arranged meetings between city staff and representatives from various residents groups to determine a way forward. City staff put forward the idea of developing design guidelines for the area, but for now, residents will continue to fight such applications site by site.
“Everyone’s concerned that what’s happening on Bayview is going to creep into the neighbourhoods,” Robinson said. “But the official plan protects neighbourhoods from that.”
A preliminary report to North York Community Council is expected soon, which will set in motion the community consultation process.