MRA Letter to Toronto Hydro re: redundant poles along Lake Shore Blvd West

Sent:   November 14^th 2014.

To: Gordon Baird, Public Affairs Specialist, Toronto Hydro.

Dear Mr. Baird,

The Mimico Residents Association (MRA) is a community resident association that serves the Mimico community by promoting measures to enhance the character, safety, attractiveness and environmental viability of the area as well as promote and maintain a sense of community within the area by informing and engaging residents. Our membership is open to all in the community and our current following is around 400 people/organizations.

We have a concern that the street poles are being installed by Toronto Hydro in a way which lowers the quality of the urban fabric and streetscape of the Mimico neighbourhood. The following are two specific examples that we would like addressed.

Firstly, in Oct 2014 a new Hydro Pole was installed in a flower bed at the edge of Mimico Square (refer to the images at the end of this letter). Our understanding is that this pole was installed to anchor a pole on the opposite side of the street. Over the last 4 years, the city has invested millions of dollars building and upgrading Mimico Square to make it a central meeting place to bring our community together. This pole was installed with no consideration for the impact to both the streetscape, the flower garden maintained by the Mimico-by-the-Lake BIA, and the roots of the nearby tree.   We would like to meet with you to understand what can be done to remove this pole.

Secondly, on Mimico Avenue there are at multiple places where two poles are installed within two feet of each other. We request that the sites of all poles on this street are reviewed and that one pole be removed in situations where two poles are adjacent to each-other.

In addition, at this time of limited provincial financial resources our supposition is that a careful review for efficiency and effectiveness takes place prior to the placement and erection of street transmission poles.

Regards,

John Cary
President, Mimico Residents Association
cc: Mark Grimes, Councillor Ward 6
cc: BIA Mimico-by-the-Lake.