Chorley Park Trail Connection Meeting Agenda and Presentation
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A presentation of Chorley Park Hillside in Context and Latest Trail Concept from November 2014. Presented at the January 21, 2015 City hosted Consultation Meeting for People with Disabilities. Full details about this project at www.toronto.ca/chorleytrail
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Chorley Park Trail Connection Meeting Agenda and Presentation
- 1. 1 Parks Forestry & Recreation, Toronto & Region Conservation Authority, Transportation, Public Consultation Unit Chorley Park Trail Connection Accessibility
- 2. Meeting Agenda 6:30 Orientation: confirm accommodations, logistics and agenda 6:45 Presentation: Chorley Park Hillside in Context (Wendy Strickland, City of Toronto) 7:00 Questions & Answers about Chorley Park Hillside in Context 7:15 Presentation: Latest Trail Concept from November 2014 (RV Anderson) 7:30 Questions & Answers about Trail Concept 7:45 BREAK 8:00 Discussion: Recommendations on Trail Design 8:50 Wrap-up and Next Steps 9:00 Adjourn
- 3. Chorley Park Trail Connection – Timeline  First identified in 1990s  2012-2013 – Background studies  June 2013 – Public drop-in event  November 2013 – Pre-construction notices  May & June 2014 – Public meetings  Fall/Winter 2014/15 – Working Group  January 2015 – Accessibility meeting  Detailed design and construction – TBD
- 4. Chorley Park Chorley Park is located in Rosedale – Moore Park (Ward 27).
- 5. Chorley Park - History The location of Ontario’s last Government House. The site was developed into a park in the 1960s.
- 6. Chorley Park
- 7. Chorley Park – Tableland section
- 8. Chorley Park
- 9. Chorley Park – Ravine edge
- 10. Chorley Park – Tree Removals
- 11. Chorley Park – Ravine Slope
- 12. Connection to the Beltline Trail
- 13. Connection to the Brick Works
- 14. Chorley Park – Existing Trails Chorley Park Staircase Paved Trail Dirt Trail
- 15. Chorley Park – Existing Trails
- 16. Chorley Park – Existing Trails
- 17. Chorley Park – Existing Trails
- 18. Objectives for the Chorley Park Trail ï‚— Numerous existing trails are causing damage to the environment ï‚— Concentrate users on a formal trail to keep vegetation from being trampled
- 19. Objectives for the Chorley Park Trail ï‚— Provide a safe connection to the Beltline Trail, Moore Park Ravine, and the Don Valley Brickworks Park ï‚— Replace existing rotting wooden stairs, asphalt and dirt paths
- 20. Objectives for the Chorley Park Trail ï‚— Provide a surface treatment that allows access for a variety of users and reduces annual maintenance costs
- 21.  Protect the butternut trees, as legislated under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act  Replant the slope to replace invasive species with a healthy, diverse native forest Objectives for the Chorley Park Trail
- 22. ï‚— Minimize the number of trees impacted and prioritize the preservation of large, healthy native trees. Objectives for the Chorley Park Trail
- 23. Objectives for the Chorley Park Trail ï‚— Maintain or improve the stability of the slope ï‚— Address the effects of erosion from existing dirt trails on the slope
- 24. Objectives for the Chorley Park Trail ï‚— Build a trail that will be durable and long lasting to reduce ecological disturbance and cost associated with frequent replacement Asphalt trail in East Don Parkland with minor repairs to date
- 25. Questions on Chorley Park Context? 25
- 26. Revised Trail Plan (November 2014)
- 27. Revised Trail Plan (November 2014) Total Trail Connection Length* 377 m Trail Slope* 6.8% average 8.0% max Trail Width 2.2 m Trail Surface Asphalt Trail Shoulders 0.3-1.0 m wide with granular surface Fencing and Railing Required where drop of >1 m Landings/Rest Areas Five 3 m long flat landings Retaining Walls And Grading 1-3 stones high along 30% of trail Hillside Rise* 26 m Hillside Run* 90 m * values are approximate
- 28. Revised Trail Plan (November 2014) Most lengths
- 29. Revised Trail Plan (November 2014) Where retaining walls less than 1m are necessary
- 30. Revised Trail Plan (November 2014) Where retaining walls greater than 1m are necessary
- 31. Revised Trail Plan (November 2014) Resting areas ("bump outs")
- 32. Questions? 32
- 33. Closure of Informal Trails Don Valley Brick Works Park, trail closure due to severe erosion, 2014
- 34. Why not use gravel? Milkman’s Lane, Summer 2013
- 35. Why asphalt? ï‚— Asphalt is a stable and firm surface that has some flexibility before cracking ï‚— Many of the existing trails on Chorley slope are constructed of asphalt ï‚— Asphalt provides a layer of protection and reduce the impact of foot traffic on soils and tree roots
Editor's Notes
- 90s - concept plan when Don Valley Brick Works Park developed 2012-2013 – background studies June 2013 – open house style public meeting Summer/Fall 2013 – design and approvals (trees, TRCA) finalized November 2013 – preconstruction notices mailed and signs posted Dec-Mar 2014 – approved tree removals undertaken May 2014 - a meeting for residents to learn more about the Chorley Park Trail and to ask questions of City staff and project leads. June 2014 - public meeting to present new design options and to receive comment from residents after receiving concerns from residents about the planned asphalt switchback design. Fall to winter – Working group formed. 30 members. Membership selected through open application process, includes Residents covering an age range and with young children, Resident Associations, Park user group, Local community institutions, Toronto trail user group associations, Nature enthusiasts, Residents with differing movement abilities and preferences, Dog owners June 12 & Nov 27 2014 – PFR Disability steering committee last working group meeting – Feb 2015 Detailed design and construction TBD, based on budget
- Located about 1.5 km north of Bloor St East and just over 1 km east of Mt Pleasant Rd. Just west of the Don Valley Brick Works Park. Address is 245 Douglas Dr (which forms most of the west and north boundaries of the park). The south side of the park is abutted primarily by private residences. The park consists of two areas – a flat section (tableland) and a slope that is part of Moore Park Ravine. The Beltline Trail is located at the bottom of the slope (to the east of the open area on the slope). The Don Valley Brickworks Park and Evergreen Brickworks is located just east of that.
- Chorley Park has an interesting history. The Government House built in 1915 was the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and Ontario. When Government House was constructed, Chorley Park was styled after a great French chateaux. It was to date one of the most expensive homes to have ever been built in Canada. Chorley Park also served as a military hospital, headquarters for the RCMP, and a home for refugees fleeing the Hungarian uprising of 1956. The house was demolished and the site developed into a park in the 1960s. As you can see from the photo, the land on the tableland (flat section) and top of the ravine was clear of most trees when the Government House was there. And the top of the ravine slope was altered – filled in and a cement retaining wall built to extend the flat area of the grounds. Some of this wall is still on site.
- Park is quite large for a local park – 5 ha (about the equivalent of 5 full major league baseball fields or about 7 FIFA regulated soccer fields). Of that approximately 3.5 ha is tableland (flat land at top of slope), mown and manicured. The remainder is located on the ravine slope. Mention approximate top of bank. Much of the area on the slope near the top and the old house contains relatively young or non-native vegetation. There is a large untreed area (approximately 3750 square metres in area) on the slope that is the result of a soil slump that occurred in the 1970s. The open area on the slope is bounded on the north and south by forest. The southern section of forest contains butternut trees, which are a protected species under the Ontario Endangered Species Act. To get to the site, there is street parking along Douglas Dr. There is also a TTC stop for the 82 Rosedale bus in the northwest corner of the park. There are no paths within the park and there is no sidewalk on the west or north edges of the park. The only hard surface (non-grass) within the park is the driveway near the southwest corner of the park – remains of government house. Â
- View of tableland portionÂ
- View of tableland portion - shows TTC stop and lack of sidewalks
- View of edge of tableland
- Area of tree cutting – done in winter 2014. Based on original plan for site. Approximately 140 trees. Approved under RNFP by-law – design focussed on preserving butternuts and other large, healthy native or non-invasive species of trees. Done outside of migratory bird window.
- View of the previously disturbed area on the slope. Beltline Trail visible at bottom
- Moore Park Ravine and Beltline Trail
- Connects to Don Valley Brickworks Park and Evergreen Brickworks
- There are existing trails on the slope, varying from the approximately 1 to 1.5m asphalt (now degraded and large pieces missing) old switchback trail, a timber staircase, and numerous informal dirt trails. However, the City has safety concerns about the condition of these existing footpaths, asphalt trail and timber staircase. Rehabilitation of this existing infrastructure is not possible at their current location because of the potential construction impact on the endangered butternut trees within the area. Light green colours – 1. area of tree cutting; 2. previously open areas (disturbed area on the slope that was impacted by 1973 soil slump)
- Existing asphalt trails are narrowed and broken up. It’s not a complete trail – the northern section seems to have been lost during the soil slump in the 70s.
- Existing staircase is built into the slope with wooden risers and hand packed asphalt between these risers. Wooden handrail. Very steep in some sections (does not meet current building code). Some of the wooden risers, in particular those near the bottom (in the protection zones of the butternuts) are rotting. A handrail was replaced two years ago to try to make it safer but we know this was a temporary solution.
- Existing footpaths are very steep, located near sensitive vegetation and/or fall line trails that channel rainwater and lead to soil erosion
- Build one great trail to focus use and allow for effective forest restoration
- The existing footpaths, asphalt trail and timber staircase are not safe for public use and will be removed and restored to natural conditions
- Design with guidance from the City of Toronto Draft Multi-Use Trail Guidelines
- Photo shows two of the large native red oaks that were an important part of the design considerations
- In March 1973, there was a soil slump at Chorley park hill. This soil slump appears to have caused a great disturbance to the slope as evidenced by the change in vegetation. The retaining walls that remain on site are remnant features of the slope condition prior to the soil slump. A geotechnical report was completed to inform the plans for reconstruction of the trail – to ensure that a new trail would be founded on stable soils. Existing dirt trails are subject to rainwater, surface erosion. Down-cutting has not been severe, given the type of soils, but if unchecked erosion will get worse over time.
- Each time infrastructure like this is replaced, there is a local disturbance and cost. A asphalt trail like that in the East Don Parkland is more costly to install but has a longer lifespan. Future maintenance is less disruptive to the natural environment.
- For Steve from RVA
- For Steve from RVA
- For Steve from RVA
- For Steve from RVA
- For Steve from RVA
- For Steve from RVA
- Signs would be installed to indicated existing trails are closed, no infrastructure would be installed on the slope, existing trails would be restored and the entire slope would be planted with trees and shrubs.
- Even with considerable design considerations (water dams, catch basins, appropriate grading and compacted surface) a path made of limestone screenings (such as this one at Milkmans Lane) operates inefficiently as a trail due to steep grades and it's granular surface. During storm events serious erosion and rutting occurs affecting user safety and impacting the surrounding natural environment through granular runoff into the ravine.
- This picture shows an example of how a 1.5-2 m wide asphalt path was installed close to this oak tree (when it was younger) and how it has provide protection of tree roots. Water and air required for tree roots to grow gets in through cracks in the asphalt. Over time, this asphalt trail has seen many repairs and patches. The tree will now get more benefit if the asphalt is removed and the ground mulched or planted. It is also much less susceptible to rutting from storm water, or being slippery after rain, both of which are serious concerns on the Chorley slope. Â Even now in disrepair, the asphalt is still protecting soils and tree roots in places. A reliably safe trail for all users on this slope requires a paved surface like asphalt.