Management Plan for GUILD PARK & GARDENS
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management plan for GUILD PARK & GARDENS The Management Plan for Guild Park & Gardens reflects the input of the community as well as senior staff from the City of Toronto and TRCA who advised the team with respect to each component of the Plan. City of Toronto Advisory Team TRCA Advisory Team Consulting Team November 2014 Prepared on behalf of: Ruthanne Henry, Capital Projects, PF&R (Project Coordinator) Connie Pinto, Special Projects, Waterfront THE PLANNING PARTNERSHIP Garth Armour, Horticulture, PF&R Patricia Newland, Environmental Engineering City of Toronto David Leinster Gord Bacon, Parks Operations, PF&R Donna Hinde Katrien Darling, Community Planning, City Planning Nancy Chater Clara Hargittay, Cultural Partnerships, Arts and Culture Kerrie Harvey Services, Economic Development and Culture By: Simon Hewett, Management Services, PF&R Tyler Bradt The Planning Partnership Urban Design . Landscape Architecture . Planning . Communications Scott Laver, Natural Environment & Community Programs Diane Leal, Ravine & Natural Feature Protection, PF&R Nancy Lowes, Parks Operations, PF&R ERA ARCHITECTS INC. Paul Maka, Heritage Preservation Services, City Planning Michael McClelland Christopher Martin, Parks Operations, PF&R Brendan Stewart Beth Mcewen, Forest Renewal, PF&R Lara Herald Stewart McIntosh, Parks Development , PF&R Alex Mut, Capital Projects, PF&R Mario Pecchia, Capital Projects, PF&R Jo Ann Pynn, Capital Assets, Museums and Heritage Services Joanna Swietlik, Leasing & Site Management, Real Estate Services Cara Webster, Natural Resource Management, PF&R Kelvin Seow, Recreation, PF&R A VISION FOR “A park like no other, THE FUTURE OF Guild Park & Gardens is a special place where art GUILD PARK & GARDENS and nature meet on the spectacular Scarborough Guild Park & Gardens is a regionally treasured, destination park with a unique character that needs to be protected, preserved and Bluffs.” enhanced. The 36 hectare park has a special combination of features that create a rare park user experience. This combination is comprised of rich cultural heritage resources in a cultural landscape structure flanked by extensive, high quality natural heritage systems. The Park is set on the geologically significant landform of the Scarborough Bluffs. Functioning as the heart of its local community, Guild Park & Gardens is also an important destination for family-friendly, passive recreation and trail use by a broader catchment area. Park management and arts-related programming must protect and celebrate its cultural and natural heritage legacy so that the outstanding park user experience it offers is kept alive and accessible for many generations to come. The Planning Parntership in conjunction with ERA Architects were retained by the City of Toronto to create a Management Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to provide the City of Toronto with a comprehensive framework to guide the management of the Guild Park & Gardens. The management plan establishes a strategy to help guide the protection, restoration and enhancement of the special character of Guild Park & Gardens. The Park is the subject of a number of intersecting plans and initiatives by the City and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The Plan takes into account the other plans underway to provide the City with an inclusive management framework that: • Identifies a guiding vision for the park • establishes management guidelines • maps and assesses existing conditions and uses • identifies key issues within management themes • maps areas with high, medium and low sensitivity to potential changes • recommends key initiatives and priority actions • proposes a phasing and implementation strategy This comprehensive framework is intended to provide a strong foundation for a potential future Master Plan for Guild Park & Gardens. This page has intentianally been left blank CONTENTS 01 02 03 04 BACKGROUND MANAGEMENT THEMES SITE PHASING & SUITABILITY IMPLEMENTATION introduction 11 natural heritage 25 summary of site 88 capital improvements 93 suitability analysis plan context 13 culture/heritage 43 partnerships & funding 95 decision making flow 89 strategies plan process 20 horticulture/park 59 chart roles & responsibilities 96 trails 73 01 BACKGROUND Guild Park & Gardens is a regionally Pillars of the Vision VISION STATEMENT treasured, destination park with a unique character that needs to be protected, preserved and enhanced. The park has a special combination of features that create a rare park user experience. This combination is comprised of rich cultural heritage resources and public art framed destination family by a cultural heritage landscape park friendly structure set within extensive, high quality natural heritage systems. Functioning as the heart of its local community, Guild Park & Gardens is also an important destination for family-friendly, passive recreation and trail use by a broader catchment area. Park management and arts- related programming must protect and celebrate its cultural and natural heritage legacy so that the outstanding park user experience it offers is kept alive and accessible for where art many generations to come. meets nature Eight pillars that will support the Vision for Guild Park & Gardens are: 6 01 BACKGROUND VISION STATEMENT revitalize enhance cultural landscape passive structure recreation protect conserve natural cultural tell the heritage heritage story systems resources GUILD PARK & GARDENS management plan / 7 01 BACKGROUND This page has intentianally been left blank 8 01 BACKGROUND 01 background INTRODUCTION 11 Natural Environment Trail Strategy 14 TRCA & City of Toronto Management 18 Agreements 1967-1972 Multi-Use Trail Design Guidelines 14 Ontario Heritage Act 19 Plan Purpose 11 Communications Strategy 14 History of the Site 11 Partnership Strategy 14 The Standards and Guidelines for the 19 Conservation of Historic Places in Canada Roles & Responsibilities 12 Accessibility Planning 14 TRCA 12 Community Engagement Initiatives 15 PLAN PROCESS 20 City of Toronto 12 Development 16 Current Development Proposal 16 Community Organizations 12 Plan Process 20 Legislative/Policy Context 17 Consultation 20 PLAN CONTEXT 13 Provincial Policy Statement 2014 17 Official Plan, 2006 as amended 17 Other Plans & Initiatives 13 Zoning By-Law 569-2013 17 The Guild Cultural Precinct Plan 13 Conservation Authorities Act 166-06 18 Strategic Forest Management Plan 13 Ravine & Natural Feature 18 Parks Plan 2013-2017 13 Protection By-Law Scarborough Waterfront Project 14 GUILD PARK & GARDENS management plan / 9 Guildwood Parkway 01 Jack Miner BACKGROUND Senior Public Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Collegiate Institute LEGEND Site Boundary Livingston Road Top of Slope Buildings KEY PLAN - SHOWING LOCATION OF GUILD PARK & GARDENS IN THE GTA GUILD PARK & GARDENS MANAGEMENT PLAN 025 50 100 150m 10 north 01 BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION The property changed hands many times in the 19th and early 20th century buildings that Plan Purpose History of the Site 19th and early 20th century. In 1914, owner were demolished in Toronto and neighboring The park site was originally part of land General Bickford created the Ranelagh Park communities. They were re-erected in the park The purpose of the Management Plan is to tracts granted to Loyalists who had served country estate on the site and built the Bickford setting where they now form part of an extensive provide the City of Toronto with a comprehensive in the American Revolutionary War. William House as a summer resort. The estate house heritage collection. The estate landscape and framework to guide the management of the Ousterhout was an early owner, associated formed the nucleus for the Guild Inn building. its evolution during the Guild of All Arts period Guild Park & Gardens. This 36 hectare park is with the remaining Osterhout Log Cabin on The Guild Inn is a designated cultural heritage comprise its cultural heritage value, as described richly layered with natural heritage systems and the site. The Guild Log Cabin is one of the four building. In 1932 Rosa Hewetson purchased in the Culture/Heritage section of this Plan. cultural heritage resources set on the regionally designated heritage buildings on the Park site. the over 450 acre property, where she married Spencer Clark. The same year, she and Spencer The Clarks were actively engaged with natural significant landform of the Scarborough Bluffs. heritage and shoreline protection work during As a destination park within the City’s Park Plan, formed the Guild of All Arts. Inspired by the arts and crafts community at Roycroft, New York their years at The Guild. Interestingly, their Guild Park & Gardens is a popular attraction for work on shoreline protection, natural heritage the local Guildwood community and a broader State, ‘The Guild of All Arts’ started as a social contribution in the depression years, providing preservation and trail construction echoes catchment area of park users. The management key issues for Guild Park & Gardens today. plan establishes a strategy to help guide the a home and a forum for artists and artisans, where their work was created and collected for Spencer Clark’s work on shoreline protection protection, restoration and enhancement of the and stabilization using sunken structures filled special character of Guild Park & Gardens. The the enjoyment of many. There is still a significant public art collection on the site. The Guild of with ballast as groynes to slow erosion at the Park is the subject of a number of intersecting bottom of