Letters to the Editor

Letter: Re: Stephen Wickens’ column “Destination: Victoria Park Station?” (January 10, 2017)

There is a solution for transit-oriented development on the Victoria Park TTC station parking lot that’s been right under the noses of the TTC and Build Toronto.

The TTC head office at Yonge and Davisville has been adjudged obsolete and too small. The TTC could build a new head office on the Victoria Park TTC parking lot. The result would retain commuter parking and solve the TTC’s head office needs.  Precedent lies with the Parking Authority of Toronto’s head office in a parking structure on Queen Street East opposite St. Michael’s Hospital.

Alan Demb

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Letter: What to do with old VHS tapes?

If you are like me, you have stored your VHS tapes in a box, refusing to dump them in the garbage. It turns out that 80 per cent of a tape is recyclable and that we can recycle them right here in Toronto. Red Propeller takes other media tapes too, and even child safety car seats. Check them out at http://www.redpropeller.ca. They apparently have people from as far away as Saskatchewan mailing tapes to them for recycling!

Marilyn McKim

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Clarification: The article “Queen and Coxwell plans expand” (January 10, 2017) stated that the development application at 1630 Queen falls within the Queen Street East building design guidelines.

In fact, the city staff report says that the rezoning application “is generally consistent” with the guidelines, but does not fall completely within them.

It notes three areas of non-compliance with the guidelines and area-specific zoning bylaw: the ground floor height, the overall building height, and the building setback from the curb of Queen Street east.

Staff then provide rationale as to why the project should be approved despite these areas of non-compliance. Beach Metro regrets the error.

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