Question: Building Under Hydro Lines?

[Lukester]

Hey all.

I was just wondering if anyone knew what Toronto's laws were about building underneath a hydro line? Like the really, really big ones...

I'm working on a project and can't seem to find it anywhere...

I'm also looking for the specific By-Law that states whether you can or cannot.

Thanks!

 

[Rusty]

There are no buildings under High Tension Lines because the utility owns the corridor and values it for transmission purposes. The Right of Way is zoned greenbelt, has very minimal frontage and living close to the electro magnetic field may have health consequences. A specific bylaw is not needed.

 

[Lukester]

There are no buildings under High Tension Lines because the utility owns the corridor and values it for transmission purposes. The Right of Way is zoned greenbelt, has very minimal frontage and living close to the electro magnetic field may have health consequences. A specific bylaw is not needed.

Ahhh well that clears things up!

Thank you very much Rusty!

 

[EnviroTO]

However Rusty is incorrect. Buildings are permitted because there is a relatively new Wendys / Tim Hortons on Dundas clearly under transmission lines. The utility does own the corridor and anything on that land requires their permission first, and the municipalities permission second. Residential use would likely be prevented but there are obviously things which are permitted. I suspect there is special insurance requirements.

Click here for the Wendys / Tim Hortons

 

[Second_in_pie]

If I could partially hijack this thread... There isn't any objection by the utilities to put farms underneath hydro lines, is there? And assuming they're okay with it (which I would guess is true by hydro lines cutting across farmland,) how would the city zone for it to become farmland? I'm quite curious on this one.

 

[Rusty]

Of course the farms were there long before the utility corridor. The utility wanted to transmit power from Niagara to TO let's say, decided on a route and offered the farmers money for a Right of Way for their lines. The utility didn't own the property in this case just the right to the space overhead, access for construction and maintenance and the control of land use to protect the corridor. These terms were a significant encumberance on the land and the ROW sometimes commanded 50% of the land value. When the farms were bought by developers and the surrounding land became homes the ROW was dedicated/sold to Hydro one because you couldn't do anything else with it.
I don't think the issue is zoning because zoning can be changed.
In the case of Wendy's on Dundas street it looks as if the lease of the ROW for a fast food use was attractive financially and didn't encumber the main purpose of the overhead use. The ROW is often leased for parking.

 

[Junction416]

The Toronto Official Plan pg. 4-9

Hydro corridors are use primarily for the transmission of energy. They may also be used for secondary purposes such as parks, pedestrian and bicycle trails, agriculture, parking lots, open storage, essential public services, stormwater management ponds, public transit facilities, garden centres with temporary buildings. Secondary uses in hydro corridors will:
a) be compatible with primary use of the corridor and existing and proposed use of adjacent lands in terms of environmental hazard, visual impacts, grading and site drainage;
b) protect for potential road and transit corridors, where appropriate; and
c) protect open space corridor link to develop or extend pedestrian or bicycle trails, where appropriate.

 

[Lukester]

There is a relatively new Wendys / Tim Hortons on Dundas clearly under transmission lines. Click here for the Wendys / Tim Hortons

Cool cool! I wonder if there will be more buildings like this in the future...

Of course the farms were there long before the utility corridor.
When the farms were bought by developers and the surrounding land became homes the ROW was dedicated/sold to Hydro one because you couldn't do anything else with it.
The ROW is often leased for parking.

Yeah I usually see open space underneath them (in the corridor) or parking lots, never have I seen any buildings before.

 

[Second_in_pie]

Of course the farms were there long before the utility corridor. The utility wanted to transmit power from Niagara to TO let's say, decided on a route and offered the farmers money for a Right of Way for their lines. The utility didn't own the property in this case just the right to the space overhead, access for construction and maintenance and the control of land use to protect the corridor. These terms were a significant encumberance on the land and the ROW sometimes commanded 50% of the land value. When the farms were bought by developers and the surrounding land became homes the ROW was dedicated/sold to Hydro one because you couldn't do anything else with it.

I think this is kind of tragic. Those hydro corridors are perfect places for urban farms. Of course give space for parkland and such, but those corridors are enormous! I know that the 407 corridor by Kennedy has some farming going on inside it. That kind of land use could be duplicated all over the GTA.

I'm thinking just off the top of my head, such farms could make for great summer jobs for students and as an actual way of employment (considering it's not being used for anything else.) Sell the food in the GTA, and you mitigate transportation costs hugely, possibly meaning enough monetary room for more workers or just cheap food in the city (I don't know how much money transportation is in foods.) It'd be great, imo.

 

[wyliepoon]

The YRT/GO Transit terminal at Finch subway station is another example of a building built on a hydro corridor.

There used to be some farmhouses located in the middle of the Finch (McNicoll) hydro corridor in Scarborough; they clearly predate the hydro corridor. Two farmhouses, one fronting McCowan and one near Brimley are now demolished, their locations currently marked by a row of trees and a driveway respectively, but there is one surviving example on Kennedy Road.

 

[jaycola]

I grew up backing to the Hydro Corridor between Yonge and Bathurst just north of finch. I always though this would be the ideal location for a 1/4 mile drag strip. The section from the parking lot at Finch Station is flat and over 2400 feet. A quarter mile track is 1320 plus breaking distance. The staging area could be in the finch staion lot with the race just across the street. Perfect.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...d=110470943374827386024.000484658c5237e587f45

 

[savevp]

In reference to the above post by Jaycola, I agree that the terrain might seem great for drag racing. But, I wonder what the residents who's homes back on to the corridor would think...

Anyway, I believe that smaller building (like a Tim's or a bus terminal) can be built underneath the corridor because they have little impact on the above wires. However, you won't see any condos going up beside hydro towers anytime soon. Correct me if I'm wrong, thanks.

 

[borgo100]

High speed rail? The hydro corridor that goes through Scarborough would be great for Toronto - Montreal

 

[EnviroTO]

Anyway, I believe that smaller building (like a Tim's or a bus terminal) can be built underneath the corridor because they have little impact on the above wires. However, you won't see any condos going up beside hydro towers anytime soon. Correct me if I'm wrong, thanks.

You can definitely put condos next to hydro towers and a Wendy's under them.