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Jack Zucchi of Zucchi, opposition from neighboring Ravine Estates development in South Richmond Hill. to recreate a parklike subdivision in Celotti and Celotti are running into stiff homeowners in their plans for the Pine The partners want a woodlot borderingr on the valley of the little Don River, similar to the one they built several years ago in Weston. They want to move because of commercial encroachment fringes of Weston property, pictured above. Their original plan for construction of 1 some for their own use, on their 25 acre Richmor. vetoed by the town’s planning committee, but they realizing a part of their dream. Strongly Oppose Subdivision On Fringe Of Parkway Belt By MARGARET LADE on the 6 houses, some for sale, d Hill holdings, has been still have hopes of Twenty-five acres of almost untouched woodland fronting on Birch Street near Bathurst Street and extending into the valley of the Little Don River south of Carrville R0 ad in Richmond Hill is the subject of heated contraversy between the owners and the neighboring West Scott Home Owners’ Association. The battle began about a year ago when the homeowners, residents of Mai'yvale Crescent to the east of the ravine. learned that the owners, Zucchi and Celotti and Pine Ravine Estates. Although the company’s holdings encompass 25 acres, five acres of valley land is designated flood plain and is under jurisdiction of the Metro Conservation Author- ity. Another 13 acres is “frozen” as part of the Park- way Belt West which extends from west of Hamilton to Markham. In the remaining seven acres, the developers and their advisors, York Engin- eering, drew up a plan for a cul-deâ€"sac. Cividale Court, with its entrance from Birch Avenue and frontages of the end lots 400 feet back from the street line. When, toward the end of July, the homeowners of West Scott looked across the valley and saw a wide swath of huge trees being felled. even though the site plan and subdivision agreement had not been approved, they decided to bring their case to the attention of the pub- lic. A reporter for “The Liberal" was invited to come and view the devastation. Men and machines had been working for about two weeks cutting and removing “hundreds” of trees, said Mrs. Marion Brown. 26 Mary- vale Crescent, secretary of the West Scott Home Owners'. BULLDOZER REMOVED Accompanied by Stefan Zukotynski, 32 Maryvale Crescent, the association's president. we visited the site on the evening of August 2. The bulldozers and other equipment had been re- moved that day. said the homeowners. after a com- plaint had been lodged with the RiChmond Hill Planning Department. Trees had been felled and cleared away to a width of about 100 feet, from the front of the proposed devel- opment site back to the rim of .the valley, some 400 feet beyond surveyors' stakes. which. said Mrs. Brown, marked the limit for legit- imate clearing. The surface had been smoothed over where stumps had been uprooted and a few stumps remained. some more than three feet in diameter at the top. Smaller remains of a few trees, cut in fire- wood lengths. were neatly piled to one side. BURIED IN RAVINE Holes had been dug in the valley below the flood plain and most of the stumps bur- ied. said Mrs. Brown. In the process of felling the trees and dumping t h e stumps many other healthy trees had been damaged, she said. pointing to fresh scars on some standing trees, and trees in the flood plain broken by bulldozers dispos- ing of the stumps. The trees in the woodlot included pines, birch, cedars, maples. and the Parkway Task Force had wanted to keep the woodlot beyond the 400 foot limit for park. Mr. Zukotynski produced numerous documents. copies of the original plan for 16 houses. a revised plan for eight houses. and a plan that had tentative approval for construction of four houses. Revisions had been made be- cause the first and second enfringed on parkway or conservation land and be- cause facilities for septic tanks were inadequate. Ap« proval of the final plan is being held up because there is .no water to serve the houses. PROVINCIAL REACTIONS The documents included correspondence with Donald Deacon. MLA York Centre. Minister of Natural Re- sources Leo Bernier. Minis- ter of Treasury, Economics and Intergovernmental Af-» fairs John White. and the» Ministry of Housing. The correspondence began in November, 1973. when the homeowners wrote to Mr. Celotti of Weston, ‘isting Deacon expressing their con- cern for the preservation of the woodlot as green belt. "The ravine we would like to preserve has many fine large trees. pheasants. rabâ€" bits, raccoons and other wild life." wrote Mrs. Carol Mc- Donald, viceâ€"president West Association. In building the first phase of the BAIF Subdivision. she said. all ravines in the area were filled in, adding, “.‘A large part of the proposed green belt for this area is being appropriated for hous- ing. In particular, 13 acres cast off Bathurst. south of Birch Avenue, are being de- veloped as Richmond Glen Estates. We would like the loss of this green belt area to be partly compensated for by declaring the ravine area green belt and thereby try- ing to preserve its natural beauty.” The various departments mentioned were contacted‘ by Mr. Deacon and corres- pondence he received for- warded to the homeowners, TOWN APPROVAL NECESSARY In February, recommenda- tions from the Ministry of Natural Resources. were forâ€" warded to the Ministry of Housing. It said that sub- division agreement between owner and municipality must be conditional on site plans acceptable to the town and that these plans show loca- tion of all buildings and structures, that the owner neither place nor remove fill of any kind, whether originating on the site or elsewhere, nor alter any ex- vegetation on lands bordering on the valley without written consent of‘ the Metro Conservation Authority. The communication also recommended that, prior to initiating any grading or construction on the site, a snow fence or other barrier‘ be erected along the bound- ary between the lots and roadway on the land. tentaâ€" tively approved for develop- ment and the remainder of the property in order to pre- vent unauthorized dumping of fill or alteration of vegeta- tion in the area not approved for development. In a letter to Mr. Deacon in March. Mr. Zukotynski said Natural Resources Min- ister Bernier seemed to be under the impression that the West Scott Home Own- ers had initiated the request for green belt designation for the area. He pointed out that communications Treasury, Economics and In- tergovernmental Affairs Min- ister John White had en- closed maps and information regarding the Parkway Beltl Plan. PARKWAY BELT “The publication ‘Govern- ment Policy for the Parkway Belt: West' of June. 1973. shows this area as part of the public open space sys- tem," wrote Mr. Zukotynski. “It is clear that not only our association feels that this piece of wilderness is worth preserving. but that the Minister of Treasury. Eco- nomics and Intergovern- mental Affairs shares our concern. “I believe that with this in mind." he continued. “it would only be proper that the final decisiOn as to whether this unique piece of land is to fall prey to the bulldozer should be deferred until the exact boundaries of the parkway belt are drawn up. I understand that public hearings into the matter are to be held shortly." A report from the Park- way Task Force indicated that the Ministry of Natural Resources wants the land for park purposes. Mr. Zokoiyn- ski told “The Liberal". that it wanted no interference with the banks of the ravine area. of . Scott Home Owners‘. from ' planned to build 16 houses in Three lots fronting Birch Avenue are legitimate residential lots. he con- ceedcd. but that as he un- derstood the maps in his pesscssion, the remainder of the land was included in a tongue of the Parkway Belt which extended north into Richmond Hill. Lots in the Zucchi, Celotti and Cellotti property plan had frontages of 60 feet, said Mrs. Brown. and ranged in depth from 95 to 120 feet. not large enough to accom- modate septic tanks. TOWN CONTROL LIMITED Following the meeting with the people from Maryâ€" vale Crescent, we contacted Richmond Hill Planning De- partment and a spokesman said that the town cannot prevent an owner from re- moving trees, etc.. from his property, but if he wishes to subdivide the property he 'must have site plan approval before a building permit can ibe issued, and the town would ask for selective cut- ting of existing trees and, in some cases. replacement of trees that were removed to i‘nake way for development. , The town's control extends only to the top of the ravine. ,Below that it is the conser- wation authority that sets standards for development. 1 If the land is no sub- :divided, however, the owner 1‘f land zoned residential is ‘ntitled to build one house, providing the lot size meets .‘ccal zoning standards. i The owner had asked the 'own for permission to build < Icight houses with septic anks, and additional houses when sanitary sewers were , ‘nstalled. However, at this point, raid the planning department spokesman. the town cannot give approval for even four ‘iouses because there is not iwn adequate supply of water. If the agreement with Metro for water for Vaughan and ,‘iichmond Hill goes through, the plan for construction of ‘hcse houses will, in all pro- bability. be approved. CLEAR FLOOD PIAAIN The conservation authority acted quickly on the com- nlaint that tree stumps were being buried in the ravine, in the flood plain land. The bulldozers were ordered out and a violation order issued to the owner of the land and Jo York Engineering who de- signed the plan of subdivi- ‘sion told “The Liberal” that he had viewed the site with Jack Zucchi of the develop- ment company and a repre- sentative of York Engineer- .ing and had been told that Mr. Zucchi and his partners 1-n'tended to build homes for ithemselves and their family ‘overlooking the valley, that they wanted to preserve the ,land in its natural state. i Mr. Knox informed them lthat their plan infringed on the valley. but the authority has no jurisdiction over Ilands above the ravine. It was his understanding. said .Mr. Knox, that snow fences ’ix'ere to be erected to protect ithe conservation land. 3 Since this was done, he lwill now be keeping a close ‘eye on the valley to ensure ‘that the debris is removed land there is no further en- icroachment on the flood plain land. ll While the home owners of ,West Scott continue their battle against development in 3the area. they have an ally in Mr. Knox, who also hopes that "some public body" will acquire the land and pre- serve it as parkland. As for Mr. Zucchi, he asks, “If they don't like what I am doing. why don't the people birv it. then they can . do what they want with it.” , He is as interested in conser- j vation as anyone. he insists. and intends to retain as much of the woodland as possible as a sanctuary for wildlife with houses built in .a park-like setting. OI’I‘ Battle has been joined in south Richmond Hill bet- ween the wouldâ€"be develop- ers of Pine Ravine Estates on a 25 acre site fronting on "Birch Avenue, between two , tributaries of the Littel Don River south of Carrville Road and east of Bathurst ‘Street. and the West Scott Home Owners‘ Association. Ironically both parties to ‘lhe controversy are arguing their cases in the name of conservation, Members of West Scott Home Owners‘ Association are residents of Maryvale Crescent, probably one of the most attractive streets in all of Richmond Hill. At- .tractively designed homes ,set well back from street front on the irregularly winding crescent on beauti- i'fully landscaped grounds lprovide ample evidence of the pride the owners take . in maintaining their properâ€" ties. Frontages range from 100 to 135 feet, and lawns are immaculately manicured and dotted with trees, headges and well-tended gardens. The lots are 300 to 400 feet in depth. and the more wes- Ierly lots back onto the lvalley of the Little Don 1 River. Acrcss the valley lies the‘ object of their discontent ~â€" 25 acres beolnging to they would-be developers of Pine; Ravine Estates, Zucchi, Ce- lotti and Celotti of Weston.‘ for the most part heavily wooded and until rccentlyl almost untouched by human 1 hand. CHERISH WOODLOT l , The homeowners would, ilike to see it remain as it, was when they bought their‘ homes â€"â€" a woodlot of al-, most cathedral quiet, with trees so tall and so densei that scarcely a glimmer of sunlight reached the forest floor. ‘ They liked to walk through the soft carpeted woodlot, carpeted through many de-i cades with fallen leaves and pine needles and dead and. decayed twigs and branch- es. as comfortable under‘ foot as the most luxurient‘ braodloom. They liked, too, to hear, the pheasants whistling ini the ravine and in the wood-i lot, to watch the rabbits and, raccoons and other wildlife that found sanctuary there. Happy with the communi-i ty and its surroundings, the. West Scott Home Owners‘ .Association had gone into, hibernation, but was re-acti-l vated about a year ago, when they got word of a, subdivision proposed for the‘ property on Birch Avenue. the land across the valley. They voiced their opposi- l l 1 1 tion in a meeting with Rich-i inond Hill Planning Com-l mittcc. and through their , representative in the chis-. laturc, Donald Deacon, MLAl York Centre, they protested to various departments of the provincial government. They were reassured to‘ <omc extent when they learned that the valley wasl, protected by the Metro Con-l servation Authority, desigw1 nated as flood plain, and, further reassured when a: map of the proposed Park-‘ way Belt indicated that the‘ woodlot appeared to be in-, cluded in the Parkway Task. Force's plan for the park-i way belt. I PARKLAND FROZEN Of the 25 acres, only ‘71 . are available for residentiali development. Thirteen acres are frozen on recommendaâ€" tion of the parkway task force. pending approval of the Parkway Belt designa- tion, and the remainder isl under jurisdiction of thei, conservation authority, The end of July, however, the indignation of the home owners reached an all-time high when they saw trees toppling across the ravine and stumps being buried in the flood plain. They had won part of their fight, the} number of houses to he per-l mitted on the property had i ancient trees. been reduced from 16 to four, partly because of en- fringement of the develop- ment site on parkway and flood plain land, partly be- cause of lack of sewers and inadequate septic tanks drainage for a larger number of houses. for They had understood that four houses might be built when able. water became avail-. but felt assured thati nothing would be disturbedi to a depth of more than 400 feet from the lot frontage.‘ that snow fences would be‘ erected to prevent disturb-l ance of any that point, for lands beyond and they knew sure that dumping of; any kind in the ravine wasl illegal. When they lodged a com-i plaint, the conservation au- thority immediately orderedi removal of the materials dumped in the valley, but what of the irreplaceable l a natural re-; source they are convinced cannot be renewed in their lifetime? * * * l The owners, on the other hand, are suffering from their own particular frustra- tions. They are searching for. a sanctuary away from dang- of urban crowding, a 01‘s place where they can build‘ homes for themselves without their families and im- minent danger of the en-i fringcment of commercial ‘ and industrial development on their doorstep. They had such a place at Sheppard Avenue and Wes-1 ton Road, until a large de-l partmcnt by acres of store surrounded asphalt was built on their doorstep. The property on Birch Avenue seemed ideal for their pur-l poses. They could take withl them their windmills and, install ponds and pools andi rebuild their little zoo, (an enclosure for their peacock: and pcahen, rabbits, chamois‘ deer and the chestnut gelding, children’s , They would have a sanctuary forl fiNNUfiL acousr 'Sunn Dy Green. SAL CONTINUES Until Sat. Aug. 31st With More Great Buysl, More Unadvertised Specials In The Store! Boxed 5P6. Ni Twin Double Special Special Purchase ' Purchase a ylon Bath Sets Luxurious S-pc. bath set includes: 1 Ild cover, 2-pc. tank set, 1 mat, 22 x 34”, 1 cont0ur mat, 22 x 24". Fringed mats have non-skid rubberized backing. Gold, Pink, Blue 0r 4.49 Brighten your bedrooms on dull winter days or accent the sun with beautiful floral quilted throw spreads on your beds! Acetate cover with Polyester fill, washable. 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He proudly produced color- ed pictures of their Weston property. with dozens of trees and shrubs and acres of grass surround the homes‘ now occupied by his own family and those of his partners. . PEOPLE WOULD LIKE IT “We would keep most of the trees, and we would spray them and have heal- thy trccs and put in grass? I believe that the people behind us would be happy. to look at it, that they would enjoy the animals.” A large, blond, friendly‘ man, Jack Zucchi, 56, was a farmer in the piedmonts of: northern Italy before emi-‘ grating to Canada in 1951.} The small farm near the! Yugoslav border was barely large enough to sustain the extended family, which in- cluded two brothers, four ‘ sisters and their parents,‘ and someone had to move. “ I had to leave all my animal friends behind. I was determined to have some here. Most of all, Ii wantch to be sure my chil- dren would grow up with a; practical knowledge of and a love for animals. You see, i taught l my experiene has me that having a regard for. living things makes onei tolerant and understandingl of our fellowman." When he came to Canada,i Mr. Zucchi worked briefly} as a carpenter. then went; into business with his br0-‘ their-in-law, Tco Celotti, whol had followed him from Ita-1 1y. buidling up a small butl . and his , and Celotti 1 the zoo on various occasions : bill of health. their semi-annual migra- .tions. On their new holdings, the partners intended to ness. The two acres behind, their present homes are a, combination zoological gar-i den. bosky woodland andl miniature farm with a bac-' cia court beside the duck pond and a windmill withi red, white and green bladesi The childern ride the geld- ing, Paolo, on the nearby Humber River flats. POPULAR WITH CHILDREN But now that business has encroached upon his sanc- tuary he wants to start again. When he moves, he menagerie will be missed. however. Parents shopping at Woolco often take their children around to see the animals, School children, too, sometimes are taken to the Zucchi, Celotti property. for nature studies. Nor is the project ignored by officialdom. The Toronto Humane Society has visited and always given is a clean The Zucchi 200 also has a permit from the Depart- ment of Northern Develop- ment and Indian Affairs al- lowing him to keep migra- tory birds on the course of start building at the Birch Avenue frontage, known lo- cally as “The Miller Proper- ty”. which is already relati- vely clear. It was their ori- ginal intention to locatell three houses on Birch Ave- nue, then run a road in to- ward the ravine, creating a cul-de-sac. Cividale Court. They planned to sell eight houses. keeping the back lots for themselves, building three houses, one for each partner. and reserving the. remaining lots for homes for ‘ their children in the future. And even though they: have tentative approval fori four houses. pending avail-i ‘ Caledon. 3 Encroachment On Flood Plain Land Arouses Ire Of Home Owners from various levels of gov- ernment, they want to get on with the project. They started to prepare last month by clearing land for the road into the pro- perty. Mr, Zucchi did not realize that it was a violation to bury the stumps in the val- ley. With his farmer in- stincts. he was looking to the future. The stumps were encased in metal cylinders and covered over. “They would rot and make good top coil," he explained. “but they ithe conservation authority) made me take them away. I am sorry about that." * * it Despite their dismay at the desecration of the wood- lot, the people who live near- by have admitted that all is not roses. A tenant. living in an old house on the property, who describes himself as a “conâ€" servation nut", says he liked the property as it was. He had dammed up a small tri- butary of the Little Don and cleaned it out to make a wading pool for his children, and he enjoys watching the birds and animals that in- habit the ravine and the woods. But because the forest floor is so clear of under- growth it has attracted motorcyclists who slolom through the woods among the trees. The people of West Scott Home Owners' Association. too, have been bothered by the noise of the motorcyclists roaring across the valley and bruising the eardrunis of the residents on Maryvale Crescent. TOTTENHAM: This com- munity will have a new post office at a cost of $72,948, it has been announced. The contract has been awarded to Defo Construction Ltd. of It will be a one- storey wood frame, brick veneer building on Queen Street with completion successful contracting busi-l ability of water and approval slated for mid-January. 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