Shiplake & Torontonian Tenants’ Association Meeting
Tuesday, June 16, 2020, Zoom – 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Present: Kurt Low, Katherine Harwood, Anne Hayes, Jim McCarthy, Kathleen Armstrong
COVID-19: As far as Shiplake is aware, there have been no cases of COVID in this building. Concern expressed about how few people on the elevators are wearing masks. Kurt explained there were problems with confusing messages from the health authorities, the inability to enforce social distancing, wearing masks, or keeping to maximum of 2 or 3 people per elevator. Note however that all contractors in the building must wear masks.
All tenants who have lost their jobs or are otherwise having trouble paying their rent should let Shiplake know. Individual arrangements can be worked out. Tenants to contact “Shiplake Helps” at residenthelp@shiplake.com.
There has been an increase in the number of conflicts and complaints between residents during this lockdown.
Garbage shed and garbage management:
Progress of work: Last week the alarm system was installed in the shed and tests carried out there and in the garage. Next step will be to secure ESA (Electrical Safety Authority) approval following inspection of the Atlas Lifts elevator. Then the City will also inspect for safety and approve its use. Deltera hopes to complete its work by the end of June.
Next Steps: A dedicated attendant has been hired to move the dumpsters between Lillian Park and the Torontonian, by tractor, through the P1 garage level, using garbage elevator to ground level, to the shed. And will return the empty dumpsters after the garbage contractor has picked up. Drop windows built into the shed will not be available for tenants to use until after back-yard landscaping is completed.
Noise/Odour: Shiplake is working on coordinating a schedule with The Dunfield and The Torontonian to minimize noise, odours, and different pickup times. Bins are put out Sunday evening for pickup on Monday morning. Shiplake intends to install a control arm at Lillian St. entrance that can be locked overnight, until 7 a.m., to prevent garbage pickup too early and scrap-metal dealers or contractors coming to back after hours. Intercom would enable concierge at The Dunfield to respond to contractors on arrival.
Marco and Craig continue to guide the contractors coming in to pick up garbage. This will continue once the landscaping and the roof work are finished.
Roof-membrane replacement project:
Roofing contractors constructing the scaffolding right outside the back door blocked all access to the back of 45 Dunfield on June 3. Craig and on-site Shiplake staff did not know in advance of the roofers’ arrival and work that day. Should not have happened. Staging area for roofers set up on the East side of the building. Port-o-let was moved away from under balconies.
So far residents have received only a general notice about the work to be done. A more detailed one will be sent to the residents most affected, on the PH level. Kurt and Craig have gone door to door, checking for cracks in walls and ceilings that could be worsened by the drilling, scraping, etc. Expect vibrations with the drilling and scraping. The noise will be very localized, to travel line by line through the building.
Shiplake aims to allow the contractors to do the noisy work for 2 or 3 hours every morning, approx. between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and is trying to accommodate several residents who do shift work or work from home by fitting their schedules as much as possible.
Schedule relies on the weather, of course, rain or wind. Hoping to demobilize the contractors and scaffolding and staging area by approx. September 21, with the roofers working 5 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. They arrive at 7 a.m. to set up for the day.
Planned Construction Staging Area across street from 45 Dunfield driveway:
Shiplake has no influence here. Jim noted that the developer has asked the City to approve this and allow it for 40 months, beginning on June 22. NOTE: Subsequent to our meeting the local Community Council voted NOT to approve this request, thanks in good part to responses from the TTA and its Members.
Landscaping the front (Dunfield side) of the building:
Kurt notes the hydro-vault work is completed. First step will be to level the elevation of front yard, add some trees and 2 garden plots along front sidewalk. A hedge of shrubs will be planted along the front-circle sidewalk to discourage walking over the lawn – no diagonal walkway to be re-installed over the grass. An irrigation system will be installed to facilitate watering. Interlock stones will be installed in the paved area immediately outside the front door, to match the path along the boundary of Lillian Park, running southeast diagonally from the front circle to Lillian Park.
The “business centre will have a green roof not intended for people to walk over. Shiplake might install some kind of fencing or boundary to ensure this. Shiplake is considering putting in pea gravel or artificial turf in the area behind the park bench, to discourage dog owners from using the spot. The work is expected to take 4 to 6 weeks, tentatively to end of August.
Landscaping the back (Lillian side) of building:
Work on this side requires more co-ordination, with the garbage-shed and the roofing projects. The work will be further delayed as the membrane covering the roof area over the garage needs to be replaced. The landscaping is scheduled to begin in approx. 2 weeks once Canada Construction has removed the top layer of soil as they move out of what was their staging area for Lillian Park.
Waterproofing will take about 2 weeks. Then new soil will be backfilled to enable landscaping. Interlock planned for the walkway path. An “amenity area” with grass will be created for children to kick a ball in, families to have picnics. An irrigation system will water the trees and shrubbery.
Regarding damage done by neighbourhood dogs brought onto Shiplake property, the walkways around Lillian Park and Torontonian are deemed open to the public, so cannot be gated or closed off: City bylaw.
The Torontonian’s dog park area will be permanent, for residents and their dogs. The area will have artificial turf and irrigation. It will be gated and tenants can use a fob to get in and out after hours.
Visitor parking:
Several steps yet to go: Finishing all the garage work and moving residents’ vehicles back to their original parking spots was the first. Now the intercom system must be upgraded. First the 2 current systems at front and back of the building, ground level, will be integrated. Then pay terminals will be installed at both pedestrian entrances from P1 level into 45 Dunfield and into the Lillian tower. Will include setting up a ticketing system as well.
Each unit will have 3 or 4 parking passes each month. For visitors without a pass, Shiplake will charge a nominal amount for this parking to maintain control of the area, with a dedicated login on Shiplake’s website for registering these vehicles.
Lobby renovations:
New concierge desk to be installed in the next few days. A thin stone veneer will be put on outside of desk and the Plexiglass shields will be retained. Kurt hopes the stack effect problem of gusts of air blasting into lobby from front doors has been solved.
Common amenities:
Shiplake is working out how to open these safely; some more complicated to plan than others. Following the directions from Public Health
- Party rooms will likely open first, to be booked via Yuhu portal. Shiplake will require a waiver from the tenant booking the space on behalf of the guests claiming no COVID. Question of whether Shiplake or the tenant booking the space would be responsible for any necessary contact tracing of the attendees if needed afterwards. Tenant would make a declaration or keep a list of attendees either when signing up or picking up the key fob for the room at the front desk.
- The party space on rooftop terrace (Lillian tower) will not be opened for the time being.
- Regarding the gyms: The one in this building will be restored to its pre-Lillian Park size. Shiplake staff will have to control the number of tenants and the number is to be determined. Tenants will have to book the use of the gym. Shiplake will ensure users wear a face shield or mask while exercising and wipe down the equipment after use. Shiplake considering scheduling half an hour between time slots to enable housekeeping staff to wipe down the machines between tenants’ use as well.
- The pool(s) might actually be safer than the other common amenities because of the chlorine! However, the changerooms will be kept closed and a Shiplake employee hired for this purpose would limit the number of people allowed into the pool area. A person has been hired tentatively. Shiplake awaits City guidelines for this facility.
- The “business center”/shared workspace amenity will also have to be re-evaluated, changed, as the proposed work stations are further separated, etc.
- The daycare cent cannot open right now.
Security:
Our concierge is back to regular hours now, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Either Marco or Craig answers the emergency hotline after hours: (416) 614-4240. The number posted at the front and back entrances. Anne refers to fridge magnets issued to every tenants in the past; they were deemed too expensive to produce at that time.
Roach problem on the 7th:
Now appears to have been remedied. Orkin supervisor was in yesterday to check the affected areas and he saw no roach activity. Orkin is in every month to check the building. If anyone has any problem they are to report immediately to Shiplake.
Short term rental :
Olivia’s Housing now out of business and company closed down. So there are no more units being used for short term rentals.
Other Points:
- TTA-Shiplake meetings will be held on Zoom in the foreseeable future.
- Anne thanked Kurt and Katherine for the $200,.00 given to tenants in March and April
- Upgrading the elevators is a tentative future project.
The Torontonian 