I am writing in support of…

I am writing in support of the Yonge-Eglinton Official Plan Amendment No. 405 (“OPA 405”). This plan is in my view the only one that can support a liveable community. I am a resident of now Ward 15 – at 900 Mount Pleasant Rd. I have been living in the Yonge-Eglinton area for the past 26 years. The reason I chose to remain in this neighborhood after selling my house (two blocks north) that had been my home for 16 years prior to 2008 when I bought and moved to my condo on Mount Pleasant Rd was the following: it combined everything I was looking for. This was a safe, quiet, family oriented residential area and yet it offered the convenience of shopping and entertainment at a walking distance. The view from my 12th floor balcony (a 19-story building) offers me a feeling of city living: a healthy mix of concrete structures, of green space – albeit limited - and of something very precious: the sky with, when we are lucky, the sun during the day and the stars at night. I am about to lose all that with the construction of two towers on 110, 114 and 120 Broadway Ave: 24 and 35 stories, practically next door to my balcony facing west. I will be facing a wall. This is my retirement investment. Why should developers be allowed to profit at my expense, at the expense of many of us who have been living in this area for over ten years? I am not against progress and I am not anti-development per se, but it has to make sense. There is a way to allow for growth while respecting the existing and future residents and that way is to limit the height of future developments. My concerns with the existing and proposed development in the area are the following: - The Yonge-Eglinton Urban Growth Centre (UCG) has already significantly exceeded Provincial growth targets - The existing infrastructure will never hold with the influx of so many new residents - Additional pressure on parks, community centres, libraries and especially school spaces for our children… imagine seeing from your balcony a school you cannot attend! - Increased traffic and congestion specifically on Broadway, Roehampton and Redpath, overcrowding on transit and sidewalks and safety issues for pedestrians - Shadow impact on adjacent schools and parks - Health impact from poorer air quality, noise level, and especially loss of sunlight - without mentioning the mess and dust and noise generated by endless construction sites Thank you for considering the plight of all of us living in the Yonge and Eglinton area.