There are currently two development applicants being considered in the Upper Hunt Club area – a Site Plan Control Application at 2582 and 2600 Bank Street, and an application for an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment at 1470 Hunt Club Road.
On November 17, 2021 I hosted a public meeting regarding the application at 2582 and 2600 Bank Street, during which participants expressed several concerns about traffic, limited pedestrian and bicycle access to the site, and the removal of landscaping that would act as a buffer between the site and the neighbouring co-cop.
Since then, residents have called and emailed me to share their thoughts on the application. The primary issue that I’ve heard relates to the impact of the development on traffic, particularly at the intersection of Bank Street and Sieveright Avenue. This is an intersection that already suffers from congestion due to the difficulty of turning east off Sieveright onto Bank Street, and the addition of vehicular traffic from this development could worsen congestion and heighten safety concerns.
The application at 1470 Hunt Club Road would also have the potential to increase vehicular traffic at the intersection of Bank and Sieveright, and many residents have contacted me to raise this concern.
When the two applications are considered together, it strengthens the case for a realignment of the intersection of Bank Street and Sieveright with one of the proposed accesses to the site at 2582 and 2600 Bank Street, and signalization of the intersection. These changes would help traffic flow more logically onto Bank Street and improve the safety of the intersection. While I am completely supportive of signalization this intersection, it is also important to consider the potential implications of this change. Signalization could make Sieveright Avenue a more attractive cut through route, resulting in more vehicular traffic flowing down Sieveright Avenue.
I am pushing to have this intersection realigned and signalized. I have met with the two City Planners leading on the development applications as well as City Staff from Transportation Services, to discuss improvements to this intersection, and I have another meeting scheduled with the proponent of the 2582 and 2600 Bank Street application.
I believe that we should be considering these two applications together, in a holistic way, to better serve community interests. I am hopeful that through these conversations we will find some solutions to community concerns about traffic in the area.