Midtown Urbanist
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The biggest limitation appears to be the understaffed City Planning department.
Toronto 66 Wellesley Street East | 101.78m | 31s | ONE Properties | S9
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DSC
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the OMB - LPAD is also very backlogged.
Midtown Urbanist
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innsertnamehere
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Like 95% of development sites appaealed last year because of the OMB changes which caused a huge backlog at the LPAT. They've hired a bunch of temporary staff to deal with it but it's still resulted in a huge wait time increase. Typically we would see a 6 month hearing wait time, now it's more like 18 months.
TwoDogs_39
Active Member
Wow, a March 2020 hearing. That's gotta hurt.
I agree the backlog in the system is a problem but I have zero sympathy for this particular developer or project. The proposal for this site is ridiculously aggressive given the Village context and the in-force policy for the area, which was only recently approved by the city and the OMB. This is not a site for a 37 storey tower.
If the developer came back with a more reasonable proposal they could probably get City approval long before the LPAT hearing.
I agree the backlog in the system is a problem but I have zero sympathy for this particular developer or project. The proposal for this site is ridiculously aggressive given the Village context and the in-force policy for the area, which was only recently approved by the city and the OMB. This is not a site for a 37 storey tower.
If the developer came back with a more reasonable proposal they could probably get City approval long before the LPAT hearing.
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City Councillors have refused to consider upping zoning across the City so every proposal has to challenge the existing zoning: that's the biggest limitation.
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isaidso
Senior Member
Surely we're already paying in the form of sky high housing prices. The situation will grind Toronto's boom to a halt if they continue to restrain development. We need more supply NOT less. They're paid to get this right but they've failed miserably in their forecasting. Continuing to under-estimate demand has put Toronto in crisis mode.
denfromoakvillemilton
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Communication matters, as shown here. But I don't know if the developer will want to scale down at this point.
True.
Automation Gallery
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I'm not necessarily targeting this development, but why does every development that goes to the LPAT have to scale down for some reason or another to get city approval, i don't buy the outdated existing zoning as being the reason when the city has passed so much in the past 10 years
Could it be that the Toronto City Planning Department is on a power trip lately??
Lots of projects at LPAT are arriving at hearings with settlements between the developers and the City. When they do not, it's because the developments do not satisfy the conditions of Planning's various guidelines.
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denfromoakvillemilton
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I agree with you, I don't think they should, but this is why you have to have your ducks in a row. This could have been completely avoided.
Full Metal Junkie
Active Member
If I had to guess, i would say that the City Planning cutting down the height of every building proposal they come across is a combination of:
1) Treating NYMBYism as a valid vocal minority input
2) Mindless resistance to change
3) Arguing for the sake of arguing
4) Trying to show off one's importance (i.e. power trip)
5) General incompetence
Midtown Urbanist
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but muh section 37 money
Sorry, but, huh? What ducks? There are very few places in the City where the zoning is not considered obsolete, so there's a Zoning Bylaw Application made with 98% of development submissions. The question is not whether a development proposal will be larger than what zoning allows, but by how much.
City Councillors will tell you that they won't talk Section 37 until Planning is satisfied with the proposal. Now, that doesn't stop developers from suggesting what they'd like to offer in terms of Section 37 benefits, and here that means a community amphitheatre, but If you can show me instances where Section 37 negotiation is underway on the Councillor's behalf prior to Planning accepting the proposal, then go ahead and mutter about it.
Toronto Planners are humans, but they're professionals, not kids writing anonymous knee-jerk accusations on online forums.
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Full Metal Junkie
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Your respect for Toronto city planners never fails to confuse me. After I went through OMB hearing documents related to Mimico 20-20 revitalization, I have seen all I needed to see regarding how Toronto City Planning department operates. You may call my reaction knee-jerk, but it is just bitterness at what Mimico could have been if not for our city planners. The five reasons I outlined are the exact reasons why the stretch of the waterfront between Legion and Royal York still remains the dilapidated s**t-hole that it is. I would understand your argument if they actually treated every single proposal with fresh eyes, but the first thing they do with every single proposal, no matter how reasonable, is try to slash height, hence the point I made and will continue to make every time I get a chance... So, anyways, let's agree to disagree on this one.