Residents concerned development will negatively impact heritage of Sunshine Valley

The houses are a warm reminder of a postwar Toronto, but some have struggled to stand the test of time over the last 70 years.

Thestar.com
Dec. 5, 2016
By Alicia Siekierska

Tucked away in a corner of East York, lies a quaint neighbourhood that, with its small wooden houses and manicured lawns, seems almost frozen in time.

The houses are a warm reminder of a postwar Toronto, but some have struggled to stand the test of time over the past 70 years. Should these homes - called charming by some, dilapidated by others - be protected?

Many of the houses that line the streets with such names as Valor Blvd., Warvet Cres. and Vicross Rd., were built in the 1940s for veterans coming home from the Second World War. And they share many of the same features: wooden framing, cladding, a steep roof, close to the sidewalk, with a separate garage in the backyard.

Some residents are concerned that new proposed developments for larger, modern houses will ruin the character of Sunshine Valley, a small enclave of the Topham Park neighbourhood, and want the area to be designated a Heritage Conservation District.

Designed by architect Bruce Haken Wright, the area is a distinct departure from Toronto’s grid subdivisions. The streets are laid out diagonally, with a grand boulevard with a central median, and four locations where houses stand around open green spaces. When they were first constructed in the 1940s, the 197 houses were staggered on the street in waves.

Last week, Ward 31 Councillor Janet Davis hosted a meeting attended by about 30 residents to discuss what options they have to try to stop the development of what she called “monster homes.”

Residents said they wanted more accountability and consistency from the Committee of Adjustment, which considers applications for minor variances on developments. Many raised concerns that some developments they consider to be “monster houses” are passing through the committee without serious consideration.

“We’re losing heritage buildings all the time,” an angered resident said.

Some residents also want the city to move ahead with the Heritage Conservation District study, which would determine whether the neighbourhood should receive the designation and the additional rules that consider characteristics of an area when it comes to new developments and upgrades.

“People tonight said we reject this model of development for our neighbourhood. They want to preserve green spaces and the smaller frame homes they chose when they moved here,” Davis said last week.

Although some houses in the neighbourhood that have been torn down and rebuilt still reflect the esthetic of the postwar homes, over the past several years, new developments in Sunshine Valley have been met with heavy skepticism and, in many cases, outright hostility.

Dave Duncan and his wife moved into a small, one-and-a-half storey home in Sunshine Valley seven years ago. When it was just the two of them, it suited them perfectly, but two kids and a dog later, the limited space was too much to handle. They decided to demolish and rebuild.

Duncan hired a local architect, who lives in Sunshine Valley, to design a home that would fit in with the neighbourhood. He met with concerned residents, showed them plans for his home, and still had letters submitted to the Committee of Adjustment over his development - including one letter from his city councillor, Davis.

“I found the process to be a lot less stressful and taxing than others have experienced, but part of that was we did a lot of ground work with our neighbours,” he said.

Duncan said although it’s important to maintain the character of the neighbourhood - something he went out of his way to do - the community needs to be realistic when it comes to development.

“I’m torn because one of the things we love is the character of the neighbourhood. But, on the other hand, if I buy a car, I can make it any colour I want. If I own property, I can put in a nice, modern house, if that’s what I really want.”

Duncan hopes the Sunshine Valley residents will be able to have a constructive conversation as more people move into the neighbourhood.

“I hope we can move forward as a community in a way that both respects the heritage but also respects the fact that development is a reality, and it’s not a bad thing.”

Aristotle Christou, a planning consultant, testified at the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) on behalf of the owner of 98 Squires Ave., who wanted to take down the existing property - a small home totalling less than 600 square feet - and build a substantially larger brick home.

Christou’s client’s requested variances were rejected because the mass of the house “would overwhelm its near neighbours and the adjacent neighbourhood and therefore would not ‘fit into the existing character.’ ”

Christou called the OMB decision “unfair” and dismissed the heritage value of the neighbourhood, saying that “because something is old and dilapidated, it does not automatically have to be preserved in perpetuity.”

“These are very inexpensive houses that were built to reflect the needs of the people of the time. People didn’t have cars, people didn’t have high expectations, they only had a need to house themselves,” Christou said. “Things have changed over the past several decades. People like to have a bit of luxury in their homes.”

He said new development and higher density homes are needed now more than ever because of Toronto’s housing crisis.

“If that designation goes through, there won’t be any changes and that is really detrimental for the renewal of an area where the houses are 90 years old,” Christou said. “This area needs renewal and reinvestment.”

When Clevys Monasterios first saw the cute house on Merritt Road 19 years ago, she fell in love with it. The house featured original details - glass door knobs, hardwood flooring, a cast iron bathtub that she adored, plenty of light, and a spacious backyard. It was the modest home she’d always wanted. She felt like she was in a small community, despite the fact that downtown Toronto is a relatively quick drive away.

Monasterios attended last week’s meeting because she wants to see what can be done to maintain the area’s charm/character.

“If we don’t pay attention, this charm is going to be lost,” Monasterios said. “It’s not that I’m against progress. There have been some changes that are great and really go with the neighbourhood, but now they are coming in with new kinds of construction that really don’t belong.”

She believes that going forward, new construction should be a compromise.

“It’s OK to build, but they should be respectful to the neighbourhood,” Monasterios said.

At the meeting last week, Davis and other city representatives explained how residents can engage in the planning process through the Committee of Adjustments and then the OMB.

“Neighbours have seen too many bad examples of inappropriate development,” she said.