Eighty or more residents came to last night's Lakeshore Planning Council meeting to hear what amounted to a sustained defense of Dunpar's position by Irene Jones who told the audience at the outset that she was a paid lobbyist for Dunpar. Her emphasis was on the inevitability of change and Dunpar's beneficial role in that throughout South Etobicoke. She found that concept difficult to defend when the audience challenged her by noting that the exchange of precious public views of the lake for the right of a few individuals to own that view outright and forever did not amount to a community asset and is against the word and intent of Toronto's official policy. As attractive as Dunpar's tightly-packed, "Mimico Georgian", cookie cutter creations might be to Irene Jones, the lake and magnificent view of the city were deemed by many to be even more attractive! There were repeated calls for the developer to limit building to the footprint of the existing structure and to construct what zoning and building standards allow for - one semi or one single. Others suggested that a small four or five storey condo development on the original footprint in a zoning-adjustment exchange for a Section 37 donation of the lower half of the property to the public realm as a waterfront parquette might be appropriate. But, the developer's representative was clearly there not to negotiate or compromise but to relay to the community that Dunpar was intent on pushing this all the way, regardless of City regulations and almost total community opposition.Posted by Terry Smith
