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A councillor wants larger units to encourage families to stay downtown
January 22, 2007
Jim Byers
Phinjo Gombu
staff reporters
Aimee Stoyles loves her downtown lifestyle. Restaurants, nightlife, a lakefront apartment.
But would the 25-year-old raise a family in one of the condos that have sprung up in her neighbourhood? Not likely.
"If I wanted to have a family, I would consider moving outside of Toronto," she said while walking along Queens Quay.
Stoyles pointed out that she likes living along the waterfront simply because there are "not a whole lot of families."
And that has at least one local politician worried that Toronto's condominium boom will become a bust. Councillor Adam Vaughan argues that a lack of planning means gleaming new condo buildings could turn into slums if developers don't build places for families to live
Vaughan convinced the city's planning and growth management committee last week to ask city staff to document the number of bedrooms being built in the towers springing up all over Toronto. He hopes to use that information to get developers to build three-bedroom units that would draw families to the city's core as well as singles, young married couples and retirees.
Vaughan said there are no official statistics but that research he did during his campaign for office last fall – he was elected in November to serve Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina – showed that some 8,000 housing units were built in his ward from 1998 to last year. Of those, only 86 were three-bedroom units, he said.
"It means there's a shrinking number of children living in the downtown core," Vaughan told committee members. "I don't think that's an intent of this council or a strategy of this council. But it's been a result of some of the planning practices of this council. And it's causing great concern for downtown neighbourhoods who are now watching their schools get listed for closure."
Condo owner Bruce McKay, who lives in the King St. W. and Spadina Ave. area, said while he's not concerned the buildings will become vacant and turn into slums, he supports the general thrust of Vaughan's initiative. "I'd love to see a much more balanced community down here," said McKay.
"It's the lack of availability and the cost that drives people away."
The challenge, he said, would be to not only convince builders there was a market but also deal with associated issues such as controlling the expansion of the entertainment district.
Vaughan said a lack of three-bedroom units often means people with growing families must move to the suburbs and commute to a downtown job. Others, he said, will try to buy existing, affordable single-family homes in the core, which helps fuel the cost of downtown housing and sparks higher property taxes that people with moderate incomes can't afford.
Laura Tipton, 26, who rents an apartment near Harbourfront with her boyfriend, said she might consider living in a condo to raise a family one day, but she couldn't see herself being able to afford a three-bedroom unit.
"I can't even imagine, if there is a three- or four-bedroom apartment, what it would cost," she said.
"If it exists, how could you even afford it?"
Speaking after the committee session, Vaughan said he feared buildings could slump in value if they're not viable for people to live in over the long term.
"You're by default creating slums or the potential for slums. If the rail lands goes the way of St. James Town and if the condo district north of there goes the way of St. James Town, we as a city will have built slums next to our financial district.
"We need viable, mixed, sustainable neighbourhoods with schools in the downtown. And that's that."
Vaughan said the city often gives developers huge building density bonuses as part of their negotiations.
If the city is providing developers with millions of dollars of extra profit, then council has every right to insist on buildings that serve the needs of the public, he said.
Vaughan said some developers are beginning to understand that larger units will sell.
"I had one proposal in my ward for a building with 55 units, all of them one-bedroom. But I spoke with the developer and now he's planning 39 units, seven of them with three bedrooms."
Chief Toronto planner Ted Tyndorf said the city doesn't have the authority to demand certain types of condos be built.
"The province may not want to get into that level of regulation," he said.
"But one of the principles we've held dear is the creation of complete communities. You can't have a complete community if you don't have families; you can't have a complete community if you don't have seniors. You can have a collection of people who are 30-somethings living in apartment buildings, but is that a complete community?"
with files from Paul Moloney
A councillor wants larger units to encourage families to stay downtown
January 22, 2007
Jim Byers
Phinjo Gombu
staff reporters
Aimee Stoyles loves her downtown lifestyle. Restaurants, nightlife, a lakefront apartment.
But would the 25-year-old raise a family in one of the condos that have sprung up in her neighbourhood? Not likely.
"If I wanted to have a family, I would consider moving outside of Toronto," she said while walking along Queens Quay.
Stoyles pointed out that she likes living along the waterfront simply because there are "not a whole lot of families."
And that has at least one local politician worried that Toronto's condominium boom will become a bust. Councillor Adam Vaughan argues that a lack of planning means gleaming new condo buildings could turn into slums if developers don't build places for families to live
Vaughan convinced the city's planning and growth management committee last week to ask city staff to document the number of bedrooms being built in the towers springing up all over Toronto. He hopes to use that information to get developers to build three-bedroom units that would draw families to the city's core as well as singles, young married couples and retirees.
Vaughan said there are no official statistics but that research he did during his campaign for office last fall – he was elected in November to serve Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina – showed that some 8,000 housing units were built in his ward from 1998 to last year. Of those, only 86 were three-bedroom units, he said.
"It means there's a shrinking number of children living in the downtown core," Vaughan told committee members. "I don't think that's an intent of this council or a strategy of this council. But it's been a result of some of the planning practices of this council. And it's causing great concern for downtown neighbourhoods who are now watching their schools get listed for closure."
Condo owner Bruce McKay, who lives in the King St. W. and Spadina Ave. area, said while he's not concerned the buildings will become vacant and turn into slums, he supports the general thrust of Vaughan's initiative. "I'd love to see a much more balanced community down here," said McKay.
"It's the lack of availability and the cost that drives people away."
The challenge, he said, would be to not only convince builders there was a market but also deal with associated issues such as controlling the expansion of the entertainment district.
Vaughan said a lack of three-bedroom units often means people with growing families must move to the suburbs and commute to a downtown job. Others, he said, will try to buy existing, affordable single-family homes in the core, which helps fuel the cost of downtown housing and sparks higher property taxes that people with moderate incomes can't afford.
Laura Tipton, 26, who rents an apartment near Harbourfront with her boyfriend, said she might consider living in a condo to raise a family one day, but she couldn't see herself being able to afford a three-bedroom unit.
"I can't even imagine, if there is a three- or four-bedroom apartment, what it would cost," she said.
"If it exists, how could you even afford it?"
Speaking after the committee session, Vaughan said he feared buildings could slump in value if they're not viable for people to live in over the long term.
"You're by default creating slums or the potential for slums. If the rail lands goes the way of St. James Town and if the condo district north of there goes the way of St. James Town, we as a city will have built slums next to our financial district.
"We need viable, mixed, sustainable neighbourhoods with schools in the downtown. And that's that."
Vaughan said the city often gives developers huge building density bonuses as part of their negotiations.
If the city is providing developers with millions of dollars of extra profit, then council has every right to insist on buildings that serve the needs of the public, he said.
Vaughan said some developers are beginning to understand that larger units will sell.
"I had one proposal in my ward for a building with 55 units, all of them one-bedroom. But I spoke with the developer and now he's planning 39 units, seven of them with three bedrooms."
Chief Toronto planner Ted Tyndorf said the city doesn't have the authority to demand certain types of condos be built.
"The province may not want to get into that level of regulation," he said.
"But one of the principles we've held dear is the creation of complete communities. You can't have a complete community if you don't have families; you can't have a complete community if you don't have seniors. You can have a collection of people who are 30-somethings living in apartment buildings, but is that a complete community?"
with files from Paul Moloney