I've been a resident of…

I've been a resident of south Willowdale for 30 years; I have witnessed not just the rapid growth and growing pains of the North York Centre Secondary Plan area.

I request:
- Section 37 Community Benefit can only be spent within 1km of development site
- "expired" Section 37 Community Benefit money should go to City - not Developer (really condo owner paid)
- Encourage the building large Section 37 Community Benefit infrastructure in phases
- Section 37 Community Benefit Money Must Not Be Wasted
- Rate of Section 37 Community Benefit fee NOT be decreased - this is money "For The People"! Not developer!!!

- Section 37 Community Benefit can only be spent within 1km of development site -

The original purpose of Section 37 Community Benefit is to provide new infrastructure (library, community centre, non-profit childcare, senior centre, etc,...) to compensate existing local residents adversely affected by the new development; as such I would strongly recommend a clause stating that:
- Section 37 Community Benefit fund can only be spent on new infrastruture within 1km of the development site (regardless of Ward boundaries) to ensure the existing local residents most adversely affected by development would be the ones compensated!
- Large development proposal like Concord-Adex Park Place with 23+ condo towers generates enough Section 37 Community Benefit fee to pay for large on-site Bessarion Community Centre (now under construction) with Library and non-profit childcare. (https://dailyhive.com/toronto/bessarion-community-centre-toronto-concor…) Even Aoyuan's M2M 5 tower redevelopment of Newtonbrook Plaza generates enough Section 37 Community Benefit for small on-site Community Centre, non-profit childcare facility and library (new addition).
https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2019/04/m2m-aims-create-hub-community-amen…

Avondale Community got 12 condo towers built between 2000-2007 - where is Avondale's Community Centre with & non-profit childcare??? Avondale's Section 37 Community Benefit money went 3km away to fund Edithvale Community Centre built in 2010 at cost of $14.75 million.
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/city-officially-opens-new-edithva…
Problem is the existing residents of Avondale adversely affected by all the intensification and new Avondale condo residents (who indirectly paid for the Section 37 Community Benefit fees) will not be walking 3km one-way to enjoy that Community Centre! Section 37 Community Benefit project should be 1km from development!

The current rules specifying Section 37 Community Benefit fund can be spent anywhere within the Ward where the development occurs and with no time limit is open to abuse.
- Councillors in Wards with high number of developments, essentially have a slush-fund worth tens of millions of dollars to reward neighbourhoods with high number of supporters; this typically happens in the third & fourth year of their term giving the incumbent councillor a strong advantage at election time.

- "expired" Section 37 Community Benefit money should go to City - not Developer

NOTE: Aoyuan's M2M 5 tower redevelopment of Newtonbrook Plaza is a 2 phase project - meaning City have received Section 37 Community Benefit for phase 1 (under construction now) but under Province's proposal - it may expire by the time Phase 2 completes and thus we'll only have enough for 1/2 a Community Centre, 1/2 Library, 1/2 non-profit child-care facility!

If Section 37 Community Benefit money isn't spent within a certain amount of time, it should NOT go to developer (it's the condo owners that really paid for it) - the money should go to City to pay for infrastructure.

- Encourage the building large Section 37 Community Benefit infrastructure in phases

Currently, for large Community Centres - as large development project proceed in phases (like Concord-Adex 23+ tower Park Place or Aoyuan's 5 tower M2M), City collect Section 37 Community Benefit fees before issuing Building Permit for each phase, money sits in safe Mutual Funds to guard against inflation. Only after all Section 37 Community Benefit amount required for Community Centre have been collected will construction begin; thus, Community Centre comes towards the end of a construction project that often last decades!

Building large Community Centre in phases as development phase occurs ensure greater utilization of Community space in a more timely manner.

- Section 37 Community Benefit Money Must Not Be Wasted -

Menkes 4800 Yonge (southwest corner of Yonge & Sheppard) generated $11.5 million in Section 37 Community Benefit fee; of which, $5 million went back to developer to pay for their Subway entrance via a loop-hole in North York Centre Secondary Plan (15,000m2 of office space will allow it and developer met bare minimum in latest proposal). Problem is this subway entrance will NOT be utilized by any of the locals since any locals walking towards this new subway entrance (regardless of which direction they're coming from north, south, east or west or even which side of sidewalk) must pass by another subway entrance to reach this new subway entrance!!!
https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/toronto-4800-yonge-street-168m-49…
https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/toronto-4800-yonge-street-168m-49…

- Rate of Section 37 Community Benefit fee NOT be decreased - this is money "For The People"! Not developer!!!