Though Holy Blossom Temple and Leo Baeck Day School have already revised lot expansion plans, neighbour Lorne Silver said the plans are short-sighted and lack regard for the neighbourhood.
Silver lives next to a residential lot, bought by the Reform Jewish temple and school, that will be turned into a driveway, drop-off zone and parking lot as part of expansion plans.
“Every garbage truck, every service truck will run right beside me,” said Silver, who feels he won’t be able to enjoy his recently renovated backyard and said the driveway will decrease his house’s value.
Benjamin Applebaum, executive director of Holy Blossom Temple, said careful consideration has been put into plans for the site and that he has talked with neighbours on an ongoing basis.
“We have attempted to the best of our ability to certainly listen and adjust our proposal as best we can,” said Applebaum.
Holy Blossom first submitted a rezoning application in 2008 that proposed demolishing the existing three-storey school and replacing it with a six-storey school. Since then, the application has been revised. The current plan proposes that the school maintains three storeys and that the site protects several trees. The plan also eliminates an earlier proposal for two-way traffic on one-way Dewbourne Avenue.
However, neighbours are still concerned about elements of the expansion plan, such as a proposed playground that will run adjacent to Bathurst Street.
“What’s amazing to us is that they do it without taking into consideration the pollution problems it’s going to cause,” said Silver. “There have been studies.”
Silver suggested switching the location of the roadway and the playground.
Local councillor Joe Mihevc said it is not uncommon to have a playground by a main street and that a fence and berm will increase safety and minimize traffic noise.
“If a ball goes over, certainly it would be protected by the fence,” Mihevc said.
Mihevc said, considering circumstances such as the heritage designation of the site, expansion plans laid out by Holy Blossom are likely the best they can be.
“I understand it’s very hard to live next to an institution,” he said. “However … this has gone through a two-, three-year process. They have worked their best.”
City planner Sipo Maphangoh said the city is now writing a report on the most recent proposal and that it will go before community council this June.
— AS
