Attendance: Tony Bolla, Linda DeGiorgio, Harry Lay, John Keating, Mike Foderick, Beth Marcilio, Anita Kung, Dick & Florence Watts, David & Marilyn Shanoff

• Heritage & History
  Regal Rd School portico – the Preservation Services division of the City of Toronto will be starting up a grant program towards the restoration of heritage buildings in the city. Regal Rd School is already a designated heritage building and repairs to the portico may be an acceptable project. Mike Foderick will inform RHRA when applications for this grant come available. The school/school board, the community and the councillor’s office may submit a joint application.



• Street Beautification
  
  1. gardens, planters & garden sign – the sign for the Rosemount gardens, informing everyone that it is a community garden, was affixed to the wall behind the gardens in late November. Thanks to Ovo Syptak for installing the sign.
  2. Tour with Councillor Palacio and city staff reps – took place on November 29th. The meeting focused on the care and maintenance of the Glenholme and Springmount steps and the Springmount boulevard-gardens. It is felt that a working relationship with staff from the West District of Toronto Parks and Rec, Forestry and Public Works departments has been established. Some scrub growth and major tree trimming was completed a couple of weeks after that meeting. We still need to develop some kind of long term plan for planting and caring for the landscape around the two sets of steps.
  3. Dufferin/Davenport litter receptacle – some special construction work may be required to place a litter container at the base of the steep bank near the bus stop. A site meeting will be held with Councillor Palacio and Works staff on January 26th to determine what work might be necessary.
  
  
• Communications & Website
  David will speak to Art Dacks, our Webmaster, re how much available space there is on our Website. Suggestions for change include: setting up a picture gallery of photos taken from our community events, reducing the archive of meeting minutes to one year. Everyone is being asked to visit the Regal Heights Website and bring their suggestions for improvements to the next meeting.



• Schools
  1. Regal Road school – applications to the city for 6 free deciduous trees must be completed and sent in before February 1st. Linda will make inquiries whether this has been done. The parent council and Madame Von Aesch have been looking into the traffic control issue. The drop off times will be extended 15 minutes on either end of the pick-up times; the “no parking” signs will be changed to “no standing” outside of pick-up times; and an additional pick-up time will be introduced for the afternoon drop-off of kindergarten children. Any other suggestions for change to this proposed parking bylaw should be directed to Mike Foderick before the February City Council meeting.
  2. Oakwood C.I. – Florence is working with the Environmental Club on planting plans for the St. Clair side of the school; application for the 6 free ”Environmental Angel” trees has been completed and sent. A grant has been received from TD Canada Trust, which will be used to purchase and plant two cedars at the St. Clair entrance.
  
  
• Carol Sing
  We had a great turnout this year. 150 cups of hot chocolate were served. Thank you letters have been written and sent out to all who helped with the event. Florence suggested that, next year, we consider increasing our donation to the Salvation Army Band.



• Planning and Zoning
  1. Mount Royal Parkette planning – Councillor Palacio has been working with the nearby residents to make improvements of new equipment and design to the parkette. A conceptual design on how the parkette should look will be circulated among the residents before it is implemented.
  2. 41 Rosemount OMB hearing – Alex Russell, Bruce Gordon (city forester), John Keating, Florence and Dick Watts, attended the hearing to oppose the proposal to build a house on the lot and to support saving the two mature maple trees. The owner did not attend and therefore no one presented a case in favour for the proposed building. The application to build was denied by the OMB.
  3. Rogers Tower meetings – Rogers has made no commitment to remove the offensive tower in our neighbourhood. Discussions are still ongoing. In the meantime, at the request of the federal government, the City is preparing proposed guidelines for the design, placement and public consultation requirements for the installation of such towers in Toronto.
  4. Street Renaming – is no longer an issue. City Council has decided that changing duplicate names is too contentious an issue. Less contentious solutions are being worked out.
  5. 77 Oakwood – a $5700 fine has been levied against the owner of 77 Oakwood for the illegal removal of trees from his property last spring. City permission is required for the removal of mature trees from private property.
  6. 75 Regal Rd – on November 18th, the Committee of Adjustment denied an application from the owner of 75 Regal Rd. “to legalize and to maintain the converted dwelling house and exterior fire escape”. David Self and Harry Lay addressed the committee on this matter and three other members of RHRA attended the meeting. The decision of the Committee contains the following comments: “the two residential dwelling units and the exterior fire escape were constructed without building permits … the exterior fire escape is an exterior alteration, not listed as an exception under the by-law, which has altered the appearance of the building … the variance is not considered desirable for the appropriate development of the land … the variance is not minor”. The owner is planning to appeal this decision.
  7. St. Clair Transit Study
     1. an appeal to the ministry has been submitted by “Save our St. Clair” requesting that a full environmental assessment be carried out for this project. The minister has until early March to make a decision.
     2. urban design public consultation - City staff are soliciting applications from interested citizens to assist with the public consultation for the urban design aspects of the St. Clair Transit project. 28 residents from Ward 17 have applied. 2 positions are available. City Councillors and BIA’s will automatically be granted representation.
     3. St. Clare’s piazetta – there has been a proposal made to renovate the open space belonging to St. Clare School into a 2 level facility that would include parking and maybe a green space above ground. The school council will meet with the Catholic School Board on February 24th to discuss the plans and the direction they wish to take.
     
     
  
  
• Finances
  After paying for the garden plaque and the Salvation Army, there is some $500 in our account, plus $305 in trust for possible future work on the library murals.



• Other
  1. formation of St. Clair West Village Residents’ Association – the boundaries have been drawn to include the areas north of St. Clair, south of Rogers Rd, east of Dufferin and west of Winona Ave. 25 to 30 persons attended the first meeting. The next meeting will be held on February 24th at Rawlinson school.
  2. Cimmeron Fund benefit program – an evening of music entertainment, appetizers, cash bar, and a silent auction will be held at the Regal Heights Bistro on Wednesday January 26th at 7 pm. This event if to raise funds for the children’s needs.

  Next Meeting: Tuesday February 15th, 7:30 pm at 33 Regal Rd. DeGiorgio residence.