[Bob Bratina]

The demand for a development freeze in Hess Village is being studied by our group reviewing the problems in the Village. The fact is that if there were problems last summer, nothing will change this summer by way of significant capacity increase. The Rok Bar will not be in operation, so the demands of certain Councillors and neighbours to stop further development are irrelevant. The problems can easily be solved by policing and by-law enforcement. I expect we will be adding conditions to the Hess Licencees with regard to overcrowding, over-serving, and serving to minors. We also need Police to respond to the tail-gate parties I have observed in the City Hall parking lot, and the Fitness club lot on York boulevard where young people "prime" themselves with cheap alcohol before wading into the Hess scene. Why these are allowed to go on is difficult to explain.
Among the suggestions and remedies I have brought forward are a moratorium on street festivals, zero tolerance for licencees, priority action against bars known to be trouble spots, continuation of the neighbourhood patrols established as a pilot program and paid for by our Downtown Renewal division. This action should be considered as part of the Police Services budget, as it proved effective in reducing neighbourhood nuisances. We can also ask for help from the officers who police the much larger Toronto Entertainment District to observe our situation and offer suggestions based on their experience. We probably also need a dedicated Hess Village police unit, rather than taking officers on randomly through the season, based on availability. The fact is we are talking about 18 licencees in two blocks, and I'm not sure why we can't bring this under control through concerted and co-ordinated effort by Police and by-law enforcement. I have spent many late nights observing the activities in the Village, and I don't see anything that is beyond control, or demands a development freeze. Simply stated, whatever happened last year could happen again this year, and no expansion of capacity will occur that might exacerbate the situation. So what is the point of a planning freeze? In a difficult economy we have investors willing to bring new development to our Downtown, including a parking structure along George Street that could solve some of the neighbourhood problems. Bar owners could for example offer their patrons subsidized parking in the structure. Another point being missed by those demanding a planning freeze is that more capacity might actually help solve the problem by providing supply to an obvious demand. We also have to look at the cheap prices, such as dollar shots, which can get a teenager very drunk and unruly for $5 or $10 dollars. So to sum up, a lot of work is being applied to the Hess problems, and a development freeze does nothing this season to solve the problems that currently exist.