Blog Posts - Rockwood Homeowners' Association

Shaping the Future at Pearson

5/13/2017

The GTAA is looking for 36 residents from across Durham, Halton, Peel, Toronto and York to be on a Residents’ Reference Panel. A request for participation is being sent to 20,000 households across these areas looking for participants to consider:

How terminals can grow to accommodate more passengers.
New transit options that can serve the airport and region.
Our approach to managing and mitigating noise.
New commitments to engage and inform area residents about our operations
Strengthening our environmental sustainability programs.

Participants will be required to attend four day long sessions to be held on May 27th, June 3rd, September 9th and 16th. With the recent activity at Pearson, those who want to provide their input into managing future changes are urged to apply. If you do not get this invitation by mail, you can access it here.

"ASK JOE" - YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD HANDYMAN

5/13/2017

The Rockwood Times As part of our pleased to announce a new regular feature. Ask Joe, our local handyman, jack (or Joe) of almost anything, will answer your questions about home maintenance. Do you have a question about maintaining your home? Ask Joe! Please submit your questions to rha.executive@gmail.com Use the subject “Ask Joe.”

Question: Hi, Joe, Any idea what all the construction work on Maple Ridge Dr. is all about? - Jimmy

Hi, Jimmy, If you recall, I wrote an article last year on power outages in Rockwood. As it turns out, it looks like hydro personnel must be reading our newsletter. The article mentioned the aging of the underground cables in our area as a cause for outages. This construction is to replace the main power cables and distribution transformers that provide power to our houses. This spring the following streets are being done: Branchwood Park, Saltdene Terrace, Maple Ridge Dr. (Ponytrail to Fieldgate Dr.) and Fieldgate Dr. (Maple Ridge to Rathburn). Please remember that there will be a significant power outage on the day they transfer from the old cables and transformers to the new ones. There is a plan to do the remaining of Rockwood as the cables approach the end of their lifetime.

Do you have a question about maintaining your home? Ask Joe! Please submit your questions to rha.exective@gmail.com. Use the subject “Ask Joe.”

Chelsea on The Green Coming Soon?

5/13/2017

The much anticipated launch of the condo development on the Forest Park lands is now a reality. Signage is now on the property announcing that pre-construction sales are imminent. Potential buyers are being urged to register on the chelseaonthegreen.com website for pre-sale information. According to the website, the plan is for two towers with a total of 153 units ranging in size from 524 to 749 square feet. Amenities will include 24-hour concierge, party room, meeting room, fitness center, a yoga/pilates room, guest suite, multipurpose room, lockers, and bike storage and a dog wash centre. There is no mention of any type of pool or exterior amenities other than green space and featured location in Rockwood Village. There is also no mention of pricing. The developer describes the project as follows: “The sky is blue, the grass is green, so get ready to enjoy life in one of Mississauga’s most vibrant and established neighbourhoods. Chelsea on the Green is a unique condominium that showcases its natural surroundings both visually and experientially.”

Is our Red hot real estate market cooling down?

5/13/2017

With relatively few homes on the market this spring, those brave sellers who listed early were rewarded handsomely. The average sale price of a town house rose to $624,325 between January 1 and April 28, 2017. During the same time period, the average price of a detached home rose to $1,236,600. In terms of detached homes, it should be noted that many of the 14 sales were high end, or larger homes, and this accounted for the huge increase over last year’s average sale price of $856,000. The red-hot real estate market is making a lot of news. Many politicians are putting the blame on a variety of targets including foreign buyers, vacant properties and real estate agents. Real estate agents are blaming the snail’s pace of municipalities’ approved in-fill projects and new housing developments, and a record breaking low inventory of homes coming on the market. However, this highly publicized attention on the market may be having some effect, as there are signs that things may be changing. There has been a spike in listings, which may be just the seasonal trend kicking in, or possibly that sellers are considering that, with values at record highs, it may be time to cash in and downsize to a condo or the cottage. The law of supply and demand may write the conclusion to this story. With more inventory, the market should cool and become more balanced so that sellers will no longer receive 10-30 offers on their properties. As for buyers, they may decide to take the “let’s wait and see” position, hoping that government will step in and fix everything. It is doubtful that the steps the governments have already announced will have much impact, but if we start seeing a substantial growth in inventory, the market will definitely change from being a windfall for sellers to a much more favorable market for buyers. Buyers will also have to keep a close eye on interest rates, as rates may rise while waiting for prices to fall. The other key player in the end game will be the financial institutions. After all, banks really have the final say in what a property is worth unless you have a lot more to invest than 20%. Right now, bankers are looking at real estate in the same terms as commodity futures. The big question is: “Will there be a correction?” There are lots of theories but I have no definitive answer. Like everyone else, I can only speculate that if there is, I believe it will only be to keep the market on par with traditional gains (2-5%) and possibly a little drop in current prices. In other words, the days of 30% increases may have come to an end, but hopefully, current values will remain established. We will have to wait and see. Unfortunately, values in Real Estate are based on past results. In the last week of April, with winter behind us we started to see a little more activity in Rockwood. Unfortunately, the noise from the airport, which is anticipated to continue until mid-May, might be a spoiler for those who are not advising potential buyers that current conditions are way outside normal.

Help! Make them go away...

5/13/2017

For more than three weeks, we have been subjected to a constant barrage of air traffic that has not gone unnoticed. We know planes use the north south runway for landings when the wind is coming out of the north and that this will end relatively soon. We also know that this runway is traditionally used only 5% of the year, which works out to 18 days. You get used to it, you can handle this. However, in the first two weeks of noise, we have already surpassed the 2016 usage and noise toleration.

It would appear that we are living in a seven-week nightmare that features the roar of planes, not only landing, but often taking off, every 30 seconds from early morning until late at night. It is extremely stressful. The RHA is getting calls and emails from Rockwood residents, all wondering, “What the heck is going on?” and “Have they added a new runway over our neighborhood?” The good news is that the noise is temporary; the bad news is that we will be in this holding pattern until mid May. There is a four-phase construction project underway on the main east-west runway (5-23) at the airport. The first two phases are underway now and scheduled to be completed by mid May.

In order to complete this work, traffic has been diverted to the north-south runways, right over our homes. Unfortunately, this whole scenario will be repeated in October when the balance of the work is scheduled to be completed.

On April 19, a regularly scheduled CENAC (Community Environment and Noise Advisory Committee) was held. Joe Silva, RHA President, described the meeting as “hot, lively, loud and crowded.” With rumours circulating that the current noise levels were a “trial balloon” for things to come, the meeting drew a large and diverse crowd. Since all levels of government, Federal, Provincial and Municipal, were in attendance, this issue is being taken seriously. Sightings of “close calls” and averted take offs were noted, and highlighted the need to ensure that safety protocols were being followed.

Peter Fonseca, our Member of Parliament, expressed the community’s sentiment of dismay that the GTAA failed to communicate to anyone its intention to change airport traffic patterns, let alone those of us who would be most affected. Robyn Connelly, Director, Community Relations, GTAA, has confirmed that she will attend our AGM on May 17 to address our questions. The GTAA has also issued an apology to our residents by way of an advertisement, printed on the back page of this newsletter.

A joint community meeting for Markland and Rockwood is also in the planning stage, tentatively to be held at Silverthorn Collegiate on May 27, 2017. If and when this meeting is confirmed, it will be posted on our website. Meanwhile, the skies over Rockwood were quiet the last weekend of April. Is this a sign that we are getting back to normal—or just a calm before the next storm?

Mayor Crombie, Councillor Fonseca, and the GTAA to Attend The RHA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MAY 17TH

5/13/2017

This year’s keynote speaker at the Rockwood Homeowners’ Association will be Mayor Bonnie Crombie. Of course, our Councillor Chris Fonseca will also be on hand to field questions on issues that affect our community. With the air traffic on everyone’s mind, we are pleased to announce that Robyn Connelly from the GTAA (Greater Toronto Airport Authority) will also be on hand to answer any questions and concerns. This is your opportunity to come out, listen and speak out on topics that are of interest to our community. If you have topics that you would like any of our speakers to address, please send them to us at rha.executive@gmail.com. We will forward them to the speakers, so that they can come prepared with appropriate information. There will also be sufficient time allocated to addressing your questions. We look forward to seeing you!

Rockwood Homeowners Association Annual General Meeting (AGM)
ednesday May 17th
Sts. Martha and Mary Church, 1870 Burnhamthorpe Rd E, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Councillor Fonseca Provides Airport Noise Update

5/1/2017

Mississauga Ward 3 Councillor Chris Fonseca provided the following update to the Rockwood Homeowners' Association on Monday, May 1st, 2017. Please note the following airport construction update:

I received the following information from the GTAA regarding CENAC, recent updates on airport construction, aircraft noise initiatives and opportunities for community members to participate.

I draw your attention to these key dates:

May 4th — GTAA AGM - details below. Please plan to attend and share.
May 16th — Phase 2 construction is scheduled to cease. I will be requesting written confirmation. Please note, the GTAA has yet to provide information on an announced Phase 3 of construction in the Fall. I will be raising this at the May 4th AGM.
May 27th — HOLD the date for a community meeting. Confirmation and details to follow. Please plan to attend and share.
May 31st - Deadline to apply for the GTAA Residents Reference Panel. This is your opportunity to give input into how airport operations impact you, noise mitigation and noise sharing. Please note, I was informed by Hillary Marshall and Robyn Connelly that 20,000 notices were sent out to impacted neighborhoods, inviting residents to participate on this panel. There will be 36 residents chosen. If you are interested in sitting on this panel and have not received the invitation, please let me know. I will be advocating for representation on this panel from all Ward 3 communities impacted by the airport operations.
May 31st - Extended deadline to give input into the Toronto Airport Airspace Review (TorontoAirspaceReview@askhelios.com). This is a SEPARATE and independent study, although funded by NAVCAN, from the GTAA study. It is your opportunity to give input into how airport operations impact you, noise mitigation and noise sharing.
July 31st - Deadline to take the GTAA online survey on Noise Fairness & Airport Growth, online survey on Noise Fairness & Airport Growth.

I will be encouraging as many people as possible to provide input via the online surveys, applying to sit on the Residential Reference Panel, as well as attend the GTAA AGM on May 4th and May 27th (TBC) meeting.

I continue to request that the GTAA and NAVCAN be transparent, accountable and much more timely in their communications.

I will also continue to advocate for all Ward 3 residents and communities impacted by airport operations and make it clear that current operations, regardless of construction, are not sustainable. As well as any airport operations moving forward, should remain at 3-5% (what was in place for many years prior to the construction) use yearly of the north/south runways, no departure operations on 33R, and no extension of the night flight formula.

Respectfully,
Councillor Chris Fonseca, Ward 3
300 City Centre Drive
Mississauga, Ontario L5B 3C1
Telephone: 905-896-5300
Fax: 905-896-5463

Have You Heard? Rockwood Village to Experience Increased Air Traffic Until End Of Month

4/16/2017

Have you noticed increased air traffic above Rockwood Village lately? As Toronto Pearson International Airport resurfaces one runway, residents can expect increased air traffic until the end of April. Learn more about ongoing changes at the Community Environment and Noise Advisory Committee (CENAC) meeting happening this Wednesday, April 19th at 6:00 p.m., GTAA Admin. Building, 3111 Convair Drive, Pearson Boardrooms A&B. For meeting details, please visit the Toronto Pearson International Airport website.

If you cannot attend the meeting, please note that members of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association will be attending as per usual, and questions about the meeting or air traffic in Rockwood Village can be sent to the Rockwood Homeowners' Association here.

To file a noise complaint, please visit the Toronto Pearson International Airport website.

May 2nd, 2017 Update: The Greater Toronto Airport Authority has provided the following update to residents in regards to ongoing construction and noise issues in the Rockwood Village community.

May 2nd, 2017 Update: Peter Fonseca, Member of Parliament for Mississauga East—Cooksville has provided the following update to residents in regards to ongoing construction and noise issues in the Rockwood Village community.

Coyotes Trolling Rockwood

2/26/2017

During the last week of January, Mississauga Animal Services conducted a door-to-door canvas of streets in our neighborhood. Those who answered the door were informed that there had been two recent incidents, in broad daylight, of coyotes breaching fences and attacking small pets. In one such incident the residents were present and witnessed the attack. Those who were not home received a package containing brochures that included two pieces of material specific to coyotes.

As coyote sightings are most prevalent at dusk, sightings during the day are a cause for concern. Rockwood is an area with close proximity to a large population of coyotes that live in the ravine. For many years, they have regularly been spotted in the fields north of Audubon. Also, the hydro lines create a natural pathway for coyotes to gain access to a broader feeding area. Residents who live south of Audubon or in areas adjacent to the ravine, and the hydro fields, are all too aware that coyotes often wander on their streets or properties, but generally at night.

Since there is no plan to control the coyote population, you need to be aware of the danger of leaving small pets and children unattended when they are outdoors. You should also ensure that your pets are properly vaccinated and always check your yard before letting your pet outside at night. While walking your dog, keep it on a short leash.

Most important in keeping coyotes away from residential areas is to make sure that they are not able to find food. Do not leave food for pets outside, do clean up bird feeder grains that fall on the ground and store all garbage and compost in containers. The City recommends a solid six inch fence with mesh underground to prevent burrowing, and light sensors and sprinkler systems to keep coyotes out of your property.

Coyotes will avoid scary situations. For personal safety when walking, particularly at night, bring a flashlight or an umbrella. If you see a coyote, wave your arms, flash the umbrella, and shout to startle and scare it away.

If you see unusual coyote activity, call Animal Services at 905-896-5858. If in immediate danger, call 911. For additional information visit: mypetmississauga.ca

Short-term ACCOMMODATION open house

2/26/2017

Use Airbnb in the City of Mississauga? The City will be hosting an open house to present ideas and receive feedback from residents on how to regulate short-term accommodations such as Airbnb. For more information on the open-house, please see the notice featured below.

City of Mississauga Stormwater Home Visit Program

2/19/2017

By: Victoria Kramkowski, Stormwater Charge Program Coordinator, City of Mississauga
Many residents of Mississauga have been affected by flooding or know someone who has. The City of Mississauga is doing its part by upgrading and improving the storm sewers, ditches, stormwater ponds, creeks and other components that form our stormwater system. However, there are changes, some of them very small, which can be made by property owners to also reduce their risk of flooding. Some of these changes – such as downspout disconnections, rain barrels, rain gardens, improved grading and soakaway pits – can even have multiple benefits for a home, such as improved curb appeal and lower water bills when irrigating lawns and gardens.

As a result, the City of Mississauga is launching a Stormwater Home Visit Pilot Program, beginning in May 2017, in order to give site-specific guidance to interested homeowners on how they can better manage stormwater on their property. By request of the property owner, a qualified professional will conduct a home visit lasting between 45 minutes and one hour. During the home visit, they will identify potential flood risks for your home and discuss opportunities to reduce these risks and implement other stormwater management best practices on your property that complement your priorities for your home. Participants can also receive a free rain barrel for their participation and will be provided with a follow-up report that summarizes the home visit recommendations and provides resources to help homeowners put these recommendations into action.

Participation in the Stormwater Home Visit Program is FREE. The pilot program is limited to 100 homes in Mississauga and registration will begin in Spring 2017. If you wish to be notified as soon as registration is launched for the Stormwater Home Visit Program, please email your name, address and contact information to stormwater@mississauga.ca or call 311 (or 905-615-4311 outside of City of Mississauga limits) and ask to be added to the Stormwater Home Visit Program notification list. Being added to the notification list does not register you for a home visit or commit you to having one, but it will ensure that staff will send you an email as soon as registration for the program is open. Questions about the Stormwater Home Visit Program can also be directed to stormwater@mississauga.ca.

Free BBQ and Fun Swim

5/29/2016

Join Ward 3 Councillor Chris Fonseca at her free BBQ and fun swim on Sunday, July 3rd from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Applewood Outdoor Pool located at 3119 Constitution Boulevard. Open to all residents, halal and vegetarian options will be available and parents can come to watch a car seat clinic for their children.

For more information on the event, please contact Councillor Chris Fonseca on her website: www.chrisfonseca.ca.

Lack of Inventory generates “Bidding Wars”

5/9/2016

Author: Dale Biason, Salesperson, Royal LePage Signature Realty and Director on the Rockwood Homeowners' Association

It is definitely a seller’s market. With very few homes on the market, properties are being sold quickly as buyer’s rush to secure a purchase in a very competitive environment.

There are so few listings that the majority of properties that come on the market are being auctioned to the highest bidder in what real estate agents refer to as “A Call For Offers.”

A call works like this: when the listing is posted, it includes a date that the seller will review any offers. On the date that the offer is reviewed, the seller hopes that there will be more than one offer to initiate a bidding war. With few listings, this is almost a guaranteed. This being said, sometimes homes do not draw many offers or any at all as the buyers are not prepared to pay more than the asking prices. In other words, the price is already at or above market value. The trick is that the listing price needs to be less than the anticipated purchase price or market value to create more interest and therefore more offers.

For the seller who is eager to take an offer, they may also accept a Bully offer prior to the offer date. In this case, the Seller advises in advance that he may consider a pre-emptive offer, otherwise, all agents who have shown or booked an appointment must be advised that the offer date has changed.

In the case of multiple offers, a seller can expect a firm offer, without conditions on financing or inspection, if a pre-sale inspection report for is provided to prospective buyers to review before submitting an offer.

According to the Toronto Real Estate Board, there were only 977 active listings in all of Peel this March, which was down 10 percent from the 1085 at the same time last year. The number of days on the market also declined from 24 to 14. Not surprisingly, the ask to sell ratio has increased from 98 percent to 100.2 percent and March is just the start of the spring selling season.

This year, we are seeing offers come in more than 10 percent over asking price with as many as 30 buyers competing for the same property. The problem with this lop sided market is that there is no inventory. Lack of available properties is creating a frenzy for those looking to move.

Generally, agents advise their clients to sell before they buy. In this market, a seller might be better advised to buy first, unless their expectations for price are unreasonable or if there are other issues which might prevent a quick sale.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

“Ask Joe”Your Neighbourhood Handyman

5/9/2016

Hi Joe,

I remember you had a recipe for achieving a green lawn using simple household products. I wrote it down somewhere but lost it! I did try it and it worked very well. Any chance you can reprint that recipe?

- Carol

Hi Carol,

I’m happy to help you, neighbour. If you follow the recipe below, you should have the greenest grass on the street without using harsh chemicals and expensive fertilizers. First of all you need to buy a sprayer that fits onto the end of a garden hose. (see photo). Mix the following ingredients in the sprayer and spray your grass every 3-4 weeks dispensing at a rate of one sprayer bottle per ten gallons of water:

One bottle of regular beer
One bottle of regular pop
½ cup of liquid dishwashing soap (do not use anti-bacterial soap)
½ cup mouthwash

Spray this when the weather is warm or hot. The beer and pop contain yeast and sugars that will help break down dead grass. The liquid soap acts as a bonding and wetting agent to help the formula penetrate the roots. The mouthwash kills bugs and grubs. Remember: do NOT use antibacterial liquid soap as it will kill off microbes in the soil that are of great importance.

- Joe

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times. Have a question for Joe? Please submit your questions to rha.executive@gmail.com with the subject line: "Ask Joe".

Eastgate Parkway Bus Route ... a Bust?

5/9/2016

Representatives from the City of Mississauga provide an update to Rockwood Village residents at the RHA's 2012 Annual General Meeting. Photo courtesy of Wayne Gilbert.

If you are travelling along Eastgate Parkway during rush hour, you already know that the volume of traffic is overwhelming. From Rockwood, a trip to Hurontario along Eastgate with merging onto the 403 takes at least half an hour. Traffic is bumper to bumper all the way at least until you reach Mavis Road.

After several years of construction along Eastgate Parkway, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is now up and running but the buses are empty. There are no cars in any of the parking lots and the stations seem to be deserted.

According to some, the BRT is already a white elephant even though it will not be completed until 2017. Gil Penalosa, a renowned city planner, and previously a business planner with the City of Mississauga, believes this is an example of “doing the right thing, but not doing things right.”

Years before Rockwood was built, the City’s vision for a light transit line was along the north side of Burnhamthorpe Road. Proof of that vision is the empty swath of land that forms Rockwood’s southern border. According to Penalosa, a transitway along Burnhamthorpe, which is considered the main access road across the city, would have made more sense. Penalosa believes that the Burnhamthorpe corridor would have connected more people to key destinations.

The explosion of industry along Eglinton has created longer commute times for employees, many of whom live in the west side of Mississauga. A bus route to service these commuters seemed to make sense; but according to Penalosa, 95 percent of workers in the 905 drive to work.

When completed, the BRT will hook up with Metrolinx and continue into Etobicoke. Perhaps, when all the stations are completed, ridership will be more convenient for commuters and as a result will reduce drive times for those who occasionally want to access the 403 in rush hour. Otherwise, this whole experiment has been a costly mistake.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

MiWAy makes changes and undergoes makeover

5/9/2016

Transit users should be informed of MiWay construction and service changes. With construction already underway since April 11, the Square One Terminal for buses has closed, and the bus stops are relocated along Rathburn Road. Services still available include the ticket booth, washrooms, customer service, and the north and south doors.

Drivers should be aware of expected traffic delays in and around the Rathburn Road area near Square One until September 5 when construction is completed.

Route changes to our local 26 and 76 bus routes are already underway.

As of April 11, Route 26, which previously served Burnhamthorpe Road and turned north to loop into the Square One transit terminal, will now only run along Burnhamthorpe both east and west from Islington subway station to South Common Mall, bypassing the Square One transit terminal.

To travel to the Square One bus terminal, transit users can now hop on the 76, which will run all day during weekdays between the Square One bus terminal and Islington subway station. On weekends, the 26 bus will run along Burnhamthorpe and through the Square One bus terminal.

For more information on MiWay routes and construction, please visit the MiWay website linked here.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

Mississauga Considering Seceding from Peel Region

5/9/2016

Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey, Photo courtesy of: The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette

Mayor Crombie, backed by City Council, has commissioned a study to review the feasibility of the City of Mississauga leaving the Peel Region. The Region of Peel, comprised of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon, was formed in 1974 to assist emerging municipalities by sharing costs. In two-tier regional governments, municipalities only contribute taxes to the region for the services provided at that level.

For example, policing in Peel is handled and paid for by the region. However, other services, such as Parks and Recreation, Mississauga collects its’ own taxes for its own municipal government. Seceding would bring everything under one roof, controlled by one council, so Mississauga would have nothing to do with the other municipalities.

Now that Mississauga is the third largest city in Ontario and the sixth largest city in Canada, Crombie feels we should be making our own decisions as a city. Although any such decision would have to be approved by the Province, it may be difficult from a political standpoint for them to say no.

This is not a new idea. Former Mayor, Hazel McCallion, had been pushing Queen’s Park for separation since 2004, arguing that Mississauga was too big to be a part of a two-tiered system, and that it is paying too large a share of the costs. Back in 2004 McCallion told CBC news that a report prepared by chartered accountants found that Mississauga was paying $19 million to cover services in Brampton and another $6 million for Caledon. Some councillors have recently questioned why we should be paying to maintain Caledon’s rural roads.

In a recent press release Crombie stated, “We are currently undertaking a review of the governance of the Region of Peel, and I think it is important that Council and the residents of Mississauga understand what Regional governance means for them and whether a change would mean a better deal for Mississauga.” If the results of the review are positive for leaving Peel, the issue will be put forth to residents as a referendum in the Municipal Election in 2018.

Brampton Mayor, Linda Jeffrey, says, “Mississauga’s growth and development is a direct result of the city’s participation in the Region of Peel and the billions of dollars contributed by Brampton taxpayers. Seeking to leave the region is not only disingenuous, but a frivolous use of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga taxpayers’ money.” She went on to say that if Mississauga goes on its own, “Brampton expects to be compensated for its decades of investment to the regional system” and that “Brampton was there to help Mississauga as it grew and built out and that, now as infrastructure investments are needed in Brampton, it wants to cut and run.”

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

So, who is running City Hall?

5/9/2016

While both the RHA, PDOC and many individuals delivered compelling arguments against the Forest Park Development, none spoke more directly to the underlying issues of who is really in charge at City Hall, than Gord McLean. The following is his address to City Council:

My wife Christine and I have resided in the condominium town home community situated at 4165 Fieldgate Dr. for the past 22 years. We both appreciate the well established, family-oriented, character of both our complex and the unique surrounding Rockwood neighborhood. Although I’ve long endeavored to give back to our community, including serving as a founding Director of the RHA, tonight I come before you as the current President of Peel Condominium Corp. 180. Many of our unit owners are highly apprehensive regarding what they believe will be negative ramifications of the application before you. Question as to this development were raised at our last three AGM’s. Though clearly out of order, they were allowed because it was adjudged wrong to see good neighbors understandably upset and not hear-out and consider their concerns.

Over the past three years, I’ve attended four local public meetings, all attended by hundreds of your fellow citizens, and heard the same fears City government will act in an arbitrary manner contrary to their interests and making a mockery of its Official Plan that they accepted at its face value. Even perceptions of injustice should rightly concern you since they serve to undermine the basis of our civil society: the reciprocal relationship between governed and governing where the former pay required levies and abide by the rule of law and the latter pledge to act justly, conscientiously and, overall, in the best interests of those governed.

This is Canada, where if you keep your end of this societal deal, you’re not to fear to the actions of the State.

How we’ve reached a point where this isn’t so falls into two general areas.

First, there’s the proposal for an untried and bizarre development experiment where existing rental properties and small condominium units - primarily one bedroom and thus alien to the surrounding family-oriented neighborhood, are to exist cheek-by-jowl, sharing amenities and presumably lying down together in peace and harmony like the proverbial lion and lamb. Suffice to say, residents in the impacted area have no wish to be de facto lab rats in an experiment as to the possible results of a mutant form of high density development on an established community.

Second, I doubt city staff have generally failed to act with integrity and professionalism. Rather, I believe they’ve been asked the wrong question and one that rightly falls to our elected representatives as opposed to members of the public service. Setting aside the disingenuousness of Council sending Staff to look for areas to increase density while still finalizing the details of an Official Plan the public was falsely led to believe was black letter law settling such questions for the foreseeable future, the Corporate Report before you is a wholly technical answer that ignores the morality, the right and wrong, of shoe-horning this development into our neighborhood. It’s your responsibility, not theirs, to adjudge the social impact of the proposal. All Staff has really told you is you have the collective vocal capacity to yell fire in a crowded theater. The wisdom and propriety of doing so is entirely Council’s to decide.

Skilled lawyers are said not to ask questions to which they don’t already know the answer. Here, it’s gone a step further and staff have effectively been asked a question where a righteous answer is impossible under their appropriate limitations. Throwing-up your hands crying `the bureaucrats have spoken’ abrogates due responsibility while offering the appearance of a Kangaroo Court’s manipulated pre-determined outcomes.

Councillor Fonseca has made it clear that she is adamant this is not the appropriate development for this neighborhood. Unless any among you truly believe your colleague to be other than an honest, perceptive and conscientious representative of our neighborhood, conscience should dictate you support her in this matter.

Reject this Application because to rule otherwise betrays our community’s demonstrated good citizenship. Reject this Application because to rule otherwise undermines Mississauga’s Official Plan as well as your own integrity. Reject it because it seeks to bend existing law to self-evidently offend social justice and because, as Dr. King wisely counseled, “I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all.”

As always, we welcome your comments, questions and any concerns you may wish to share. Please email to rha.executive@ gmail.com.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

City Approves Forest Park

5/9/2016

On Monday, March 21, 2016, the City Planning Committee heard all the arguments against the Forest Park Development Plan, and then voted 7-2 to approve. Councillor Chris Fonseca and Councillor Karen Ras voted against the application. The Mayor left the Council Meeting before the vote was taken.

The bottom line was that, since the City Planners had already approved the plan, the developer indicated that they would take the City to the Ontario Municipal Board. In essence, the Council would be reversing the decision of its own staff. The legal council for the City, when questioned by Councillor Carolyn Parish, advised that fighting the decision at OMB would cost the City upwards of $200,000.

On these grounds, and faced with the fact that their track record was not good when fighting OMB, Council approved the development, with some conditions. The conditions included a list of upgrades to the existing buildings and removing paid parking prior to moving forward with the final plans.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

Mayor Crombie to attend AGM

5/8/2016

Mayor Bonnie Crombie will be the keynote speaker at the Annual General Meeting of the RHA. In order to accommodate the Mayor’s schedule, the date has been moved to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 17, at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

Other speakers will include Chris Fonseca, our Ward 3 Councillor, and Sabrina Selvaggi, from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). This is an opportunity to come out, meet your municipal representatives, and engage yourself into the community. As always, there will be plenty of opportunity for questions and have your say.

A very short part of the program will be the RHA nominations and elections for the 2016/17 Board of Directors. We are still looking for someone to step forward and fill the role of President. If you are interested, or know the perfect candidate, please drop us a note at rha.executive@ gmail.com. No experience required, the only pre-requisite is that you must be a homeowner in Rockwood Village.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

REport Dismisses Resident Concerns

3/17/2016

The City's Planning Committee met Monday, February 22 to hear the case for Forest Park Development. RHA, PDOC, and residents put forward cases that contradicted a report from Planning Department to support the plan for two new condo apartments. The Planning Department Report basically dismissed all issues raised by concerned parties as not persuasive enough to decline the project, making the case for residents almost impossible.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

Storm Water Charges for 2016

3/17/2016

As announced last year, a storm water charge will be added to your water bill starting on the first billing period of 2016. While the rates are fixed for the year, they will be billed as a daily rate. For example, a medium-sized house is assessed at $100 per year. If the billing period is 60 days (since the last bill) the rate charged would be 27 cents per day (this is a leap year so $100/366) for 60 days = $16.39. If the next billing period were 65 days, the charge would be $17.76.

You can check your rate by using the estimator tool on the City of Mississauga website linked here.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

Development May Become a Reality

3/17/2016

On Wednesday, January 13, the City put residents on notice that the Forest Park Development, will in some form, become a reality. While we may lobby City Hall and the Planning Department with every legitimate argument, the reality is that the Province and the City are hungry for development. Even if the City accepts our plea to nix this development, it will go to OMB (Ontario Municipal Board) and, in all probability, it will get the green light.

The province is pushing municipalities to look for the opportunity to increase density in areas that could accommodate some intensification, and that already have transportation and other infrastructure. Mississauga is looking for new revenue streams, and new development equals more revenue. City representatives came to the meeting and told us that from their perspective Ward 3 has all the right services in place to move forward with encouraging new development.

Mississauga is looking at development in every potential space they can identify for intensification. This includes the land around Rockwood Mall, The Kingsbury Plaza and every apartment building with some currently unused land.

Intensification of plaza property may be anything from adding residential units in the parking lot to tearing down the existing plaza and replacing it with retail, condos above the stores, and possibly satellite buildings or town homes. This is currently underway at Humbertown Plaza in Etobicoke at Royal York and Dundas. Adding new development around existing apartment buildings is exactly what is planned for Forest Park and what has already been approved for 1315 Bough Beeches.

If by some chance we win the “battle” over Forest Park, it looks like OMB may win the “war” again.

As always, we welcome your comments, questions and any concerns you may wish to share in over 3,000 newsletters distributed quarterly in your Rockwood neighborhood, please forward your information to rha.executive@gmail.com.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

No Changes to Land Transfer Tax

3/17/2016

As reported in our last newsletter, the Ontario Municipal Board was considering the possibility of allowing the municipalities to add a tax on top of the Ontario Land Transfer Tax. This practice is currently allowed only in the City of Toronto. Shortly after the article was published, the OMB announced that it would not allow municipalities, including the City of Mississauga, to add any surcharge to the current Land Transfer Tax paid by a home buyer.

This is good news for buyers and sellers and will keep Mississauga properties more attractive to those willing to move a block west of the Etobicoke border, in order to save from $6.00 - 16,000 on the cost of the Land Transfer fees.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.

Size does Matter

3/17/2016

Are your new carts too big or too small? No problem, you can exchange them for larger or smaller units at no charge, between April 1 and April 30. After May 1st, an exchange fee of $25.00 per cart will be charged to cover the cost of pick up, cleaning, and delivery of new ones. Contact the Region of Peel by phone: 905-791-7800, by email linked here, or on their website at www.peelregion.ca.

If you have excess garbage, it must be tagged and set beside your bin for curbside pick up. Tags cost $5.00 for a strip of 5 and can be purchased on line using a credit card linked here. Alternately, you can purchase them at the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre, the Burnhamthorpe Library or the Fewster Community Recycling Centre. Of course, you can also take your additional waste to the Recycling Centre; however, there is a minimum charge of $5.00 and you will need proof of residence in Mississauga.

locations to purchase garbage tags:

Burnhamthorpe Community Centre
1500 Gulleden Drive, Mississauga, ON, L4X 2T7

Burnhamthorpe Library
3650 Dixie Rd. Suite 101 L4Y 3V9

There will still be exemption dates when you can place an unlimited amount of acceptable garbage at the curb on scheduled collection days. These will be following Victoria Day, Labour Day, and the Christmas holidays. There is no limit to the number of clear or blue recycling bags that can be placed at the curb. Excess bags of recyclables or organics do not need to be tagged. The former replaced bins will not be collected until later this spring. As of now, timing has not been confirmed. However, they can be taken to the Fewster Recycling Centre at your convenience.

You can keep your old bins. The Region of Peel is suggesting that you consider re-purposing them. Green bins would be ideal to store pet food, birdseed, sand or walkway salt. Blue or grey boxes could hold yard waste, or store household items such as seasonal decorations.

If your carts are damaged, broken, lost or stolen, they will be repaired or replaced, free of charge, except in the case of negligence.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of the Rockwood Homeowners' Association quarterly newsletter, The Rockwood Times.