Toronto 629 King Residences (was Thompson Residences) | 53.34m | 15s | Freed | Saucier + Perrotte

Mike in TO said:
So, if you happen to disagree tribunal decision to resolve a particular dispute, within the applicable legislative planning framework here in Ontario that somehow means all of the Environmental and Lands Tribunals of Ontario are somehow corrupt - that is a pretty bold statement in a country with such strong goverance and oversight as we have here in Canada.
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No, that's not what he said at all.

The OMB can act in what reasonably appears to be an excessive and arbitrary manner (because going beyond the mere legal definition of allowable action, the scope of the OMB is quite excessive). When the lawyer of a developer can identify a board member as being "pro-development" then pretending that the legislative planning framework is some sort of a rigid, top-down structure that imposes specific outcomes is false. The OMB tribunal system allows for extreme parameters within which decisions can be made and subsequently imposed by force of law. The members have significant power because the framework itself defines what can be construed as being "legal." Excessive is when the OMB allows an approved and legal city plan - work carried out by planning professionals and passed by the democratically elected city council - to be broken up by arbitrary decisions of a single board member. That the OMB can break apart secondary plans of cities - and do so much more - indicates that there is far too much power in the hands of too few people, and that the legal framework as defined is excessive.

You should remember that the tribunal member who made this particular decision has no background in city planning. His decisions are now defining the planning for the entire area. The city's planning instrument has been nullified by him, and the work of the democratically-elected council has been invalidated because this single OMB member.

Protecting bad laws out of self-interest is in no way equal to promoting civil justice.
 
Mike in TO said:
So, if you happen to disagree tribunal decision to resolve a particular dispute, within the applicable legislative planning framework here in Ontario that somehow means all of the Environmental and Lands Tribunals of Ontario are somehow corrupt - that is a pretty bold statement in a country with such strong goverance and oversight as we have here in Canada.
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That doesn't even make sense.
 
26 feb 2012

Approve it and build it! 'Cuz it's hot!

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I think Greed should just accept it, build it and move on. His average 5 year wait time these days for a new build is disgusting! Not to mention what you get after waiting for 5 years - 650 King is a huge disappointment.
 
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He didn't even go to the city for zoning. He knew he would lose. So it's straight to the OMB to cry, bang his lunch box around and whine how he should get to build what is less a residence and more a big Tony Cohen resto-nightclub.
 
Freed's additional height application for the Thompson shows a total disregard for good architecture and urban design. The extra height diminishes the effect of the S + P design and will be a foreboding presence on King St., and his argument is to point to the regrettable monstrosity west of Bathurst. (no offence intended to the owners of the condos here, but it is a monstrosity compared to the finer urban grain East of Bathurst)
 
neubilder said:
Freed's additional height application for the Thompson shows a total disregard for good architecture and urban design. The extra height diminishes the effect of the S + P design and will be a foreboding presence on King St., and his argument is to point to the regrettable monstrosity west of Bathurst. (no offence intended to the owners of the condos here, but it is a monstrosity compared to the finer urban grain East of Bathurst)
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gristle said:
He didn't even go to the city for zoning. He knew he would lose. So it's straight to the OMB to cry, bang his lunch box around and whine how he should get to build what is less a residence and more a big Tony Cohen resto-nightclub.
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Hey, you sure you guys aren't related:D
 
City building is not about extracting maximum profit out of a given parcel of land. Freed's additional height application for the Thompson shows a disregard for the basic principals of good city building, architecture, and urban design. The extra height diminishes the effect and quality of the initial S + P design and will amount to a foreboding presence on King St. Freed's attempt at justification is to point to the much higher densities west of Bathurst, where the street life of King Street dies. By pointing to the mistakes of the past and attempting to use these as justification for new proposals shows a lack of integrity and or understanding of the principals of good city building. Or maybe it's just pure greed.
 
Is it just me, or have they been taking a LONG time to excavate this site? They really started drilling in the fall, they seemed to redrill it all again, and then they started excavating. I am sure Anpro would have done it in a third of the time.
 
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