At today’s Etobicoke-York Community Council meeting, Dunpar’s lawyer confirmed that his client will proceed to the Ontario Municipal Board over the revised proposal (six semis, one single). He said the reason for the appeal is a “timing thing” and that “Dunpar has waited long enough”. When questioned by the chair (Councillor Nunziata), who reminded him that it was the applicant and not the City who withdrew the application, he said that his client “withdrew the proposal not the application”. Greg Garcia-Hobson, the City planner responsible for this application, told the council that the e-mail he received from Dunpar stated, “we are not going through with the townhome application – we’ll get back to you”. That’s when Councillor Grimes, if you recall, sent a letter to the community saying that the developer had withdrawn his application. So, if the weasel wording that Dunpar feels entitles them to appeal to the OMB on the grounds of City delay confuses the City, politicians and planners alike, is it any wonder that the community is nonplussed too?
Six local residents spoke to the Community Council today and reiterated many of the arguments the community presented at the last two community consultations on development at this site (90 people attended the first meeting and 140 the second). All speakers spoke in defense of the City’s Official Plan and Zoning By-laws that clearly prohibits the content of this proposal. There were calls for a full community consultation on this third proposal before it goes to City Council.
The City’s planning department has no position yet on this latest proposal. TRCA should complete its report in a week’s time and Planning should have its final staff report, including its decision, shortly afterwards. A motion passed today will allow planning staff to take their report directly to City Council’s next meeting on July 6th. Assuming that report again decides against the applicant for all the reasons brought up before, then City Council will have to consider whether to support that decision, to modify that decision or to override that decision and allow the application. The direction in which Councillor Grimes speaks to that report will assuredly have a strong influence on council and its decision.
Community Council today passed a motion presented by Councllor Grimes that directs the City to send its solicitor to any OMB hearing to defend the City’s position should City Council vote against the developer’s application. (If it goes to the OMB, that hearing should be sometime in August or September.) Residents will have the opportunity to speak at that hearing if they have previously shown themselves to be an interested party - watch this space for information on how to to sign up for that.
Councillor Mammoliti asked legal counsel today whether Dunpar could “flip flop their application back to townhomes at the OMB” and was told that they could not. Community Council today also moved that the planning department take into account for their final report today’s deputations from residents.
It should be noted that the motion that was passed "Community Council today passed a motion presented by Councllor Grimes that directs the City to send its solicitor to any OMB hearing to defend the City’s position should City Council vote against the developer’s application." should also apply if local residents end up having to go to the OMB - in the event that City Council votes in favour of the developer.
ReplyDeleteWho knows how much money is being paid under the table to various parties who will work against the community.