Residents fighting to keep forest in Forest Hill
Property owner disputes staff estimate on tree removal
Residents living near a proposed large, two-storey home on Chaplin Crescent say they’re fighting to keep the forest in Forest Hill.
On Thursday, Lucianna Ciccocioppo and others opposed to the planned development at 256 Chaplin Cres. will make their concerns known to the Toronto and East York Committee of Adjustment.
“When you’re building a house, we thought maybe one or two, a couple of trees would come down but when we saw the amount of it, we were shocked and dismayed,” Ciccocioppo, a longtime resident, said Wednesday.
She said the opposition isn’t a case of antidevelopment among residents, but stems instead from a desire to protect the lush greenery, mature trees and shrubbery in the front yard’s “beautiful ravine setting.”
“If I were an architect, I would see this as a beautiful challenge to design an amazing house fitting in with the landscape.
“They decided not to do that at all. They’ve taken out all of the beauty of the lot,” she said.
But Khosrow Choubineh, owner of the property, says the residents who have launched a “campaign” against the project are doing so based on a city staff report that “exaggerates” the tree removal numbers.
“There is some trees involved but not that many,” Choubineh said Wednesday, adding that he didn’t know the exact number. The businessman said that he will work with city officials to come up with a plan so that he can build the house, where he plans tolive with his family.
The city’s urban forestry department is recommending the Committee of Adjustment refuse the application, which seeks four variances to the zoning bylaw to make way for a stately home and new driveway leading to a below-grade double garage.
“The removal of at least fourteen trees or 50 per cent of all trees on site, and injury to the roots of six trees will be required to accommodate the proposed new building,” says the Sept. 17 report prepared by the city’s Urban Forestry, Ravine and Natural Feature Protection division.
Nine trees would also have to be chopped down to allow the construction of the proposed driveway, the report states, adding that “There is insufficient space on site to provide for tree planting that would compensate for the incurred loss of trees and canopy coverage.”
Councillor Josh Matlow is backing the residents and submitting a letter addressed to the Committee of Adjustment.
“The impact on Chaplin itself will be enormous if removed. This is really a quasi-forested area right here, it’s unique on the entire street, and something really special,” Matlow said Wednesday, standing in front of 256 Chaplin.
“It will adversely impact their quality of life and it will change the existing character of the neighbourhood.”
Ciccocioppo says she always figured that once the property was sold, a knock-down or major renovation job was inevitable since the home currently on the ravine-designated lot is in “bad disrepair.”
However, the University of Toronto employee said she decided to take on this fight weary of the march of “monster” homes through the neighbourhood.