PARKS in CRISIS Part 2 - How the Money Flows

8/19/2019 PARKS in CRISIS Part 2 - How the Money Flows

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PARKS IN CRISIS part 2:How the money flowsAPRIL 14, 2015 | BY JOHN LORINC

By John Lorinc and Kimberley Noble

The information shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the numbers are

nonetheless startling.

According to data obtained by Spacing under access to information

requests, development in three downtown wards — the eastern portion

of Trinity-Spadina, and the two halves of Toronto entre — generated

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/http://spacing.ca/toronto/author/john/https://www.dropbox.com/s/0aiw6lm659ji52w/Park%20Levies%20by%20District%202011-2014.pdf?dl=0http://spacing.ca/toronto/author/john/https://www.dropbox.com/s/0aiw6lm659ji52w/Park%20Levies%20by%20District%202011-2014.pdf?dl=0http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/


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!"# of all the revenues that $owed into the city’s par%land acquisition

reserves between &'(( and &'(!.

The dollar amounts, moreover, are huge) across the city during this

three-year building boom, developers anted up *&+. million, to be

spent on new par%s or the development of eisting ones. Those three

wards /&', &" and &0 between them produced *(!&.1 million of that

total, than%s in large measure to the forests of high-rise condos that

have sprung up south of 2loor in recent years.

3hat’s more, the South 4istrict — ta%ing in most of the former ity of

Toronto and 5ast 6or% 7 generated 1+# of the total par%land reserve

revenue in the period we canvassed. 5cept for growth nodes li%e 6onge85glinton, 9a%eshore :oad in south 5tobico%e and the ;orth 6or%

ity entre8Sheppard avenue corridors, the rest of Toronto contributes

relatively little to this fund.

To put those s%ews in contet, the developer of a single large pro


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3hat’s far less clear is what ultimately happens to all the money that

pours into the city’s rapidly growing par%land reserve funds. The policy

framewor% for spending those dollars is comple and, despite drastic

changes in the real estate mar%et, hasn’t been updated in well over a

decade.

ity sta> occasionally release reports with updates on the state of the

par%s acquisitions programs in response to requests from council, and

also there’s information on the sums held in various par%land

acquisition reserve funds buried deep inside the capital budget. 2ut

there’s no analysis of where the money comes from, how it is spent

and whether these investments in Toronto’s public open spaces

conform to council’s long-standing par%land provision policies, which

are laid out in the ?@cial lan.

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-62799.pdfhttp://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2015/PDFs/Briefing%20Notes/BN40%20OP%20Corporate%20RRF%20(Feb%2019,%202015)%20merged.pdfhttp://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2015/PDFs/Briefing%20Notes/BN40%20OP%20Corporate%20RRF%20(Feb%2019,%202015)%20merged.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-62799.pdfhttp://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2015/PDFs/Briefing%20Notes/BN40%20OP%20Corporate%20RRF%20(Feb%2019,%202015)%20merged.pdfhttp://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2015/PDFs/Briefing%20Notes/BN40%20OP%20Corporate%20RRF%20(Feb%2019,%202015)%20merged.pdf


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Spacing has eamined years of detailed city data on these levies and

the associated par%land creation. ?ne conclusion is glaringly clear) that

despite the huge sums generated by downtown development, and the

associated population growth, the municipality has created a scant

amount of new par% space in these intensifying downtown areas,

which, according to the city’s (&-year-old Bpar%land provisionC map,

are deemed to be de=cient in public open space.

http://www1.toronto.ca/static_files/CityPlanning/PDF/8_parkland_b_c_oct2009.pdfhttp://www1.toronto.ca/static_files/CityPlanning/PDF/8_parkland_b_c_oct2009.pdf


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2etween (++ and &'(!, the ity of Toronto created &!& hectares of

new par% space 7 an area about two-thirds the siDe of the Toronto

Eslands. The total includes everything from playing =elds and

community centre land parcels to bits of ravine slope, trail

improvements and seating areas on downtown street corners.

2ut according to the city’s brea%down of all new par%land created since

amalgamation,


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Total (++-&'' &''+-&'(!South 4istrict/(++-&''!0

4edications 1J.( ha " 1.( (&.Acquisitions 1& J.J ." (&.

Transfers ((" ( J(.& ((.1 Total &!& (+(.J !1 J1.+

/Source) ity of Toronto0

ouncil has never seen this analysis because no one’s ever as%ed for it

before.

The last signi=cant sta> report presented to the decision-ma%ers wastabled in ?ctober, &'(J. 2etween &'(' and &'(J, according to that

analysis, o@cials acquired a doDen par%land sites /".!& ha0 across the

entire city, and spent Sheppard Ave. 3., between 2athurst and 3ilson Oeights. Ets

purchase price) *". million.

/ouncil last year approved four more par% acquisitions. ?ne is a lawn

bowling =eld and church lot near Gount leasant and 5glinton. Another

is the latest addition to an assembly of par%ettes


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behind a ;orth 6or% school near 3ilson and Oighway !''. ;one of the

prices were disclosed.0

F'n(s spent for par)s a*+',s,t,on s,n*e 2##-

So what’s become of the tens of millions sitting in the par%land reserve

funds and earmar%ed for the epansion or enhancement of the city’s

green spacesQ

According to council’s &'(!-&'&& capital budget for par%s, forestry and

recreation /I:0, the city doesn’t intend to reverse the dramatic

decline in par%land acquisition. 4uring that period, the city will spend

*('. million on land purchases, compared to *(' million on par%development pro


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or%town ommon

The reasons for the discrepancy are both subtle and obvious.

Enternally, I:’s par%land acquisition team consists of to eecute those %ind of

pro


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recent years to the creation of new par%land absent clearly identi=ed

sources of operating funds to cover maintenance and personnel

required to manage those new assets. BThey didn’t want new par%land

because they couldn’t a>ord to maintain what they had already. Fnless

a new par% had money for maintenance, they weren’t interested.C

6et the over-heated state of the property mar%et, especially in

desirable areas, accounts for the most signi=cant eplanation for why

the city isn’t buying land in the parts of the city that need it most. I:

o@cials have to sign o> on every development application, but a

dearth of nearby open space will never be a deal brea%er. Goreover,

each application, I: o@cials told me, is

don’t assess the aggregate impact of high density development in a

given area — e.g., Ping 3est — on the supply of open spaces in the

vicinity of those proect of high-density development in the area is

di@cult to ignore.0

3hile the balance in the par%land acquisition reserve fund has grown

signi=cantly in recent years, I: o@cials also say the city can’tcompete in a highly speculative downtown real estate mar%et where an

acre of land sells for anywhere from *J' to *1' million.

Goreover, the ity of Toronto Act forbids the municipality from o>ering

bonuses to builders or paying more than the appraised value of the

land, even though mar%et prices are considerably higher. As a senior

I: o@cial told me, B3e really struggle to buy sites that are

appropriate and have a willing seller.C0art 1 2ll b"ilt "p b"t no place to grow

0art 3 4here the money 5ows

0art - &he perils o# cash6in6lie"

0art - sidebar Section 73 eplained

0art 7 &he tale o# two parks

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/13/parks-in-crisis-part-1-all-built-up-and-no-place-to-go/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/15/parks-crisis-perils-cash-lieu/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/15/parks-crisis-sidebar-section-42-works/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/16/parks-crisis-part-4-tale-two-parks/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/13/parks-in-crisis-part-1-all-built-up-and-no-place-to-go/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/15/parks-crisis-perils-cash-lieu/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/15/parks-crisis-sidebar-section-42-works/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/16/parks-crisis-part-4-tale-two-parks/


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0art * &he system worked slowly: #or a west end park

0art . 2re privately6owned p"blic spaces the answer to parks de;cit<

top photo by Neal Jennings middle photo by 4ylie 0oon all maps by

Sean =arshall

16 COMMENTSNeither the author nor Spacing necessarily agrees with posted comments. Spacing reserves theright to edit or delete comments entirely. See our omment olicy.

(. Josh

11 MONTHS AGO

Are we really complaining that the city isn’t spending it’s money fast enough? If

the city wants to make parks – it usually makes more sense for it to convert it’sexisting land holdings into parks than uy out an individual landowner.

Secondly! the city usually makes smart decisions aout where and how to makeparks. If that takes time – so e it. "he recent extension of Stanley #arksouthwards towards $ort %ork is &ust one of these fairly spot'on decisions.

"hirdly – I think you’re conveniently forgetting aout some mega park pro&ectsthat have to e paid for in the next decade or so. "hink aout the lower don landspark plan – it’s a huge addition of park space to the city that could easily eat uphalf that parks udget. (oving a river and making flood arriers isn’t cheap work.

)e’ve proaly added more park space downtown than any other city has in thelast decade. "hink of *egent #ark! +anoe ,anding #ark! -une +allwood #ark. And we’re investing into our existing parks – the range will e completelyrenewed in the next few years.

,astly the notion that "rinity /ellwoods is somehow overcrowded is asurd. 0isitany s1uare in ,ondon to see what real overcrowding looks like.

&. Joanne

11 MONTHS AGO

-osh’s comment aove is what a ureaucrat would argue! not a resident. "omaye answer his 1uestions2

3. %es! the +ity isn’t uying park land fast enough. It should e a part of theprocess of the uilding application. "hey know the uilding is coming for years inadvance.

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/17/parks-crisis-wabash-park-system-actually-worked/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/21/parks-crisis-part-6-privately-owned-public-spaces-answer-parks-deficit/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/13/parks-in-crisis-part-1-all-built-up-and-no-place-to-go/https://flic.kr/p/fasJhRhttp://spacing.ca/comment-policy/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782772http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782773http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/17/parks-crisis-wabash-park-system-actually-worked/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/21/parks-crisis-part-6-privately-owned-public-spaces-answer-parks-deficit/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/13/parks-in-crisis-part-1-all-built-up-and-no-place-to-go/https://flic.kr/p/fasJhRhttp://spacing.ca/comment-policy/http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782772http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782773


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4. "he +ity doesn’t always make the right choices of parks. "hey haven’t spentany money in the last 5 years to even ack up that notion. "hus! the reason forthis report.

6. #ark allocation funds do not go to mega parks like the lower don lands. "hat’sa waterfront "oronto. All the money that has een collected from these uildingsis supposed to go towards parks in the vicinity of the uilding! not pay for megaparks. Also! the parks you named 7+anoe ,anding! -une +allwood8 were frommoney efore 4939 and what this piece is investigating.

:. "'/ #ark is overcrowded. )e don’t have to trvel around the world to see this.)e don’t have to get to super over'crowded spaces to force the city to makemore.

In whole! -osh’s comment is totally an apology for the parks department la;inessand fear of the $ords.

J. Stee

11 MONTHS AGO

It seems there are two parts to the prolem of spending the #arks *eserve $und2the ac1uisition of new lands in park'deficient areas! and organi;ing the +ity’sprocesses and staff to improve lands it owns already that are ;oned as openspaces currently. +ases in point aound around $ort %ork which sits in the centreof several fast'growing neighourhoods. "here’s the area under the ardineralong $ort %ork /oulevard! where for the want of a watering system and modestlandscaping wild grasses might grow down the ramparts to the road. )hen uilt!

the park north of the new lirary on the east side of /athurst is meant to flowunder /athurst and connect with paths and trails along the north side of the fortover to the south end of the new pedestrian'cycling ridge over the rail corridors.)ithin the $ort %ork National of nearly .5 acres re;oned from industrial to open space y +ouncil last Augustawaits inclusion in the +ity’s 39'year capital works plan.

!. R!"ha#$

11 MONTHS AGO

I disagree with -oanne2

If you aren’t dealing with a reference of @park’s in other large cities> how do youknow if "'/ is over crowded. ,and is expensive. /uying more parklanddowntown! and taking it out of the marketplace will only make all other land'related costs 7e.g. property taxes8 all the more expensive. And increase the

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782804http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782815http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782804http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782815


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upkeep costs for all parks 7though I guess we could &ust try to cover more landwith the same udget and settle for less upkeep.8

I’d much rather have a few 1uality parks than a lot of poor'to'mediocre onestaking up space! not eing maintained! and depriving us of alternate land uses.

. Josh

11 MONTHS AGO

I’m not a ureaucrat! I’m &ust a reasonale resident of this city.


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". Joanne

11 MONTHS AGO

-osh2

re2 $ast enough C I suspect you read this article! ut the #arks Dept doesn’tplan to spend much! if any! money on new parks up until 4944. Expecting a parkin areas that residents have paid for with the purchase of the condosFhomesshouldn’t expect new green space to appear a generation after they’ve moved in.(oney from the allocation fund have helped a few parks e rehailitated! utthat’s only part of the purpose of the fund.

re2 waterfront parks C this investigation! as its clearly stated! is aout the parksallocation fund and money collectedG waterfront toronto has paid for much ofthose parks you mention. I think those parks are great ut they’re the outliers inthis report! not the standard.

*irchard2 @If you aren’t dealing with a reference of @park’s in other large cities>how do you know if "'/ is over crowded.>

Bh pleeeeeeeaseH. I can go to "/ #ark and see if its crowded or not. I don’thave to go to ,ondon to understand crowded parks. esides! this isn’t aoutovercrowded parks C this is aout how money that residents expect to e spenton parks C and have paid for not thru property taxes ut through the purchase of their condos C is not eing uilt! as promised. +apital $ fail for the parksdepartment.

. Josh

11 MONTHS AGO

I think there’s a false assumption in here that new giant parks are actuallypossile in the core. )e’d all like new aseall fields! and soccer fields – ut youcan’t &ust stick these in the middle of the city – no matter how much money thecity has. %ou’d have to destroy half the city to include the amount of local parkspeople are actually re1uesting. "he reality is – people will need to go further toget to sports fields as the city intensifies. "he city can’t magically produce newland.

+. Sa&

11 MONTHS AGO

"he city is not having a parks crisis. "his sounds like a headline straight out ofSun News. "oronto is literally showering itself with new parks all over the city!even when you don’t include )aterfront "oronto.

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782826http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782941http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-783054http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782826http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-782941http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/04/14/parks-crisis-part-2-money-flows/#comment-783054


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,et’s name a few23. Bntario #lace4. Downsview #ark6. *ouge #ark:. +orktown +ommon

5. -une +allwood #ark. +anoe ,anding. "he Brdinance "riangle #arkJ. "he +ommon at $ort %orkK. "he Ashridges /ay Skate #ark39. "he EN"I*E DBN 0A,,E%33. *egent #ark34. "he Southern St. ,awrence (arket #ark36. "he #ark at 33 )ellesely St

#lus range #ark! /erc;y #ark! +ollege #ark are all eing completely

renewed.

"hen you consider the entire )aterfront is eing renewed with another oatloadof parks. "he amount of parkland development is this city is actually staggering."o make it out as a dearth is misleading and sensationalist.

('. '!nn!"(

11 MONTHS AGO

"he aove comment y Sam makes me elieve some people 7like him8 arereading one or two paragraphs and then &umping in to comment. /ecause his list

clearly illustrates that he doesn’t get what this report is aout2 large sums ofmoney! dedicated to creating new green space as per the deal etweendevelopers and the city 7and thus residents8! is eing tucked away with no plan tospend. (ore so! in the areas that need parks! such as downtown! aren’t receivingthe promise they were given when they ought their condos downtown. 5L ofhis list has nothing to do with the parks allocation fund and the areas mentionedare not in dire need of green space.

I get frustrated with these types of comments since this report clearly shows thatthe city has M699 million in funds to uy parks or upgrade existing ones! and hasno plan to spend that money. Imagine if that happened with property taxes?"axpayer groups would e up in arms /ut ecause its condo owners many willdismiss it as trivial.

0ery happy to see this report and shedding light on the parks department’sshortcomings and city halls short sightedness.

((. '!nn!"(

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11 MONTHS AGO

Also like to add to Sam’s comments @#lus range #ark! /erc;y #ark! +ollege#ark are all eing completely renewed.>

O range isn’t eing renewed as much as it was supposed to. #arks won’t cough

up money to do it right.O /erc;y #ark got a minor facelift.O +ollege #ark2 the city has again alked at the price and has walked away fromthe original plans leaving it in limo.

(&. Ro))o M*e#s

11 MONTHS AGO

/efore the railways arrived in the 3J59s! the downtown crown reserves at thearrison! east of /erkeley and along the shoreline exceed the si;e of +entral

#arl in New %ork.


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oundaries. If you look closely! #arkdale is deficient in parkland yet it is right nextdoor to


17/18

Now imagine that everything you can uy can only e ought on eay. /ut this isa strange version of eay where ecause you haven’t &oined the coffee clu yet!you can only id the lowest possile id. Not only that! ut there aren’t a lot ofla;ers and shirts that are your si;e. )hen you do find that gem – somescoundrel has already outid you! even though they know you could have worn it

est. /ut wait Apple has &ust launched it’s clothing line and offers suits toE0E*%BNE that only they can repair! only if you uy applecare. And you canonly uy applecare if you live downtown ut work in a refurished warehouse.

And +ook has to approve your purchase! if he likes you. *epairs are M399Fhour.

)hat’s your next move?(. .#an(

11 MONTHS AGO

It’s frustrating to have this discussion ecause there is no data on how parks are

used! how often! y whom! when! etc. "he only existing current data on park useright now is from the permit system! which limits analysis to sports! ig events!wedding photography! etc.

)ithout 1uantifiale data on how parks are used! we can only icker aoutwhether we have enough and whether they’re the right kind.

(1. -ae

/ MONTHS AGO

I have lived in ,ondon! Edinurgh! 0ancouver and "oronto. Anyone who says that

,ondon! or 0ancouver 7or Edinurgh! or New %ork for that matter8 don’t havelarge! magnificently maintained parks in their downtown cores is simply mistaken.,ondon! which -osh refers to! has multiple large parks in the downtown core. Asfor S1uares! they serve a different purpose. And 1uite frankly! "oronto doesn’teven egin to compete with ,ondon or any other ma&or European city on thatdimension either. "he ottom line is that "oronto! for all its residents talk of einga world'class sit! remains a regional super'city! not a gloal one. And the lack oftrue downtown parks is one of the glaring reasons why "oronto continues to emore


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PARKS in CRISIS Part 2 - How the Money Flows

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