June 2019 Long Branch Update from David Godley

Attached file (I have converted David’s Word files to PDF as PDF is easier to access online):

complaintcp

fordprovince

governance

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The following update is from David Godley:

On Wed, Jun 12, 2019, David Godley <mhairig@pathcom.com> wrote:

Greetings from Long Branch

At a time when lake levels are at record highs.

Contents: 1) Long Branch Garden Tour 2) LPAT Hearing on Residential zones 3) Ford Province 4) Governance Committee 5) Application Status

1) Long Branch Open Gardens, the largest free tour in Canada.

Saturday June 22 10am to 4pm. https://longbranchgardentour.ca/

2) LPAT Hearing on Residential Zones

A hearing is ongoing about increasing building and front facade height, counting garages as basements and placement of parking. Currently CORRA an umbrella group representing residents and Ratepayers Associations (LBNA is a member) is being resusitated and needs to be part of the hearing to represent the larger constituency. Currently SARA representing the Swansea area is the only Association being represented.

3) Ford Province Initiatives. Attached.

If you do not want to be subject to strong criticisms of these actions please do not read.

Joe Cressy‏Verified account @joe_cressy Jun 6

We spent 7 years developing a 25 year plan for downtown to ensure that it remains liveable as it grows. Downtown has the fastest growing neighbourhoods in North America, with a population projected to double to 500k over the next 25 years. The notion this is about supply is BS. Every single unilateral change imposed by the Province on our downtown is transparently about one thing – more money for a few condo developers. Full stop. It has nothing to do with liveability, long-term prosperity, or affordability.

Downtown already generates 51% of Toronto’s GDP, 1/4 of our taxes, and contains 1/3 of our jobs. Our downtown plan was developed to sustain that growth and ensure it was viable long-term. The Province is putting that long-term prosperity at risk.

4) Toronto Governance Review

A special committee on Governance has been set up by the City as a result of the reduction of wards to 25. The 25 Wards proposal is still before the courts. The smaller number was allowed to proceed because the Court of Appeal stayed the decision preventing this.

Ideas are to be submitted by 26 July 2019 with a completion by the end of the year. See toronto.ca/TOgovernance and or email engagement@toronto.ca. My submission is attached.

5) Applications Status

1. A) DIVISIONAL COURT

9 38th Street. The Divisional Court judge decided on January 31st 2019 that there was enough evidence for one of several items to go to a full hearing – procedural fairness. The issue was how a Request for a Review should be answered after a TLAB decision was overruled. A hearing is expected within months.

11 Stanley was to go before a judge on February 19 about a leave to appeal to the Divisional Court on the legal points of a decision which refused the applications. However further discussions are taking place.

15 Stanley has been the subject of a Review Request and leave to Appeal to the Divisional Court. The resident who appealed both 11 and 15 and acted independently winning both decisions at TLAB has requested that TLAB change their rules not to allow both actions to be done simultaneously. The proposal was well received by TLAB at a business meeting. A classic strategy in legal matters where it is a well resourced party against a not so well resourced party (ie personal finance) is to wear down the opposition.

1. B) TLAB
2. A)  January 7^th and 8^th 2019 (extended hearing to July 4)   80 39th Soldier houses 0.35 to 0.62 density, For TLAB Makuch, for Proposal Kanter/Romano.
3. B)  January 10, 80 23rd St (extended hearing to May 28 and June 13) Soldier houses (variances only) 0.35 to 0.60. Approved by COA. Appeal by City. For Proposal Cheeseman/Cieciura.
   
4. C) January 22, 27 39^th,(extended to July 23, 24, 25) 2 storey houses (revised from soldiers) 0.35 to 0.60. For Proposal Stewart/Romano. D)  January 15th and 17th 2019, (extended hearing to April 26, 29 and May7, and Sep 3, 4, 5 and 12th) 10 Lake Promenade. Soldier Houses 0.35 to 0.59. For TLAB Makuch. For Proposal Cheeseman/Cieciura.
5. E) February 26^th and 27^th 2019 (extended hearing July 11), 11 Shamrock. Soldier houses 0.35 to 0.69 For Proposal Artenosi/Romano.
6. F) March 21, 25 and April 1 2019 (extended hearing Aug 2 , 20) 38 31st Soldier houses35 to 0.66. For Proposal Guglietti/Romano. 
7. G) April 17^th and 18th, (extended hearing July 17, 18) 99 27th St Soldier houses 0.35 to 0.94. For TLAB Yao, for Proposal Mazierski/Weston Consulting. Plans being revised to lower density. 
   
8. H) June 19th, (extended hearing to day 5) 70 36th Soldier houses 0.35 to 0.67 TLAB Ted Yao
9. I) Aug 6th and 7th, 65 40th, (2) 2 storey houses 0.35 to 0.79 . Approved by COA and appealed by City. A test case for the Long Branch Character Guidelines.
10. J) July 9th 10th, 77 35^th,  2 storey semis 0.60 to 0.61 and 0.7. Approved by COA and appealed by City. City dropped appeal because of lack of planner. Neighbour Resident also appealed. LBNA a party. A record number of participants, over 30. A  pat on the back for the community. A test case for Long Branch Character Guidelines Guidelines.
    The alternative date in August was denied by TLAB on a motion and on review.
11. K) July 19th and 22nd , 74 38th, soldier house and 2 storey house 0.58, 0.59  Approved by COA and appealed by City.
    
12. L) July 26th 6B Shamrock, rear balcony, 4sqm approved. Owner appealed for 8 sqm.
    
13. M) 90 Ash Crescent, approved by COA and appealed by City and others. No dates. See attachment complaintcp and letter below
    

Re Lakeview/90 Ash, No reply and not expected as Gregg is sorting out the horrors of Downtown and Midtown which Councillor Cressy labels “disastrous”

Dear Gregg,

Here is my report on a meeting yesterday in Mississauga.

“Attended an open house for the Lakeview Development on June 5 2019 at 6pm. The Sasaki team were quite brilliant; inspirational against a black hole of negatives Ford is imposing. Even this project is threatened because there will not be enough money paid by developers for the public realm. Public input into any appeal hearing will be severely limited under bill 108 nwhich on June 6 2019 received royal Assent.

Urban design in North America is usually an afterthought. This project for a 20,000 waterfront community was led by urban designers and they had improved the plans considerably based on previous comments from the public. It was also a masterpiece of public engagement partly because it was a community generated scheme. The moving visuals were incredible. It was more like a festival compared to hearings and public meetings  in Toronto which are based on conflict and produce anger and frustration. Mississauga Planning is light years in front of Toronto’s where everyone obsesses about zoning. The difference is that Toronto does not community based and planners tend to be elitist, thinking they know best. When in fact most of them are uninformed about aesthetics, a state created by OPPI, their insipid professional organisation.

There was an introduction by a Mississauga Credit Indian Group with some drum playing, The very positive mayor, in slacks and a red Raptor Tshirt, addressed the audience as did Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dashko who has taken over from former Councillor Jim Tovey with enthusiasm. and no show without McCallion, of course.  Lots of free food from local merchants as well as other stalls suporting the staff keen to get input with stickers and comments. Dennis Pieprz, Architect and Urban Designer, was the lead for Sasaki. They draw from a mixed skills team of 300 based in Boston and Shanghai.”

Ironically the Long Branch Character Guidelines were developed on the same basis but the Planning Department seem to be doing their best to ignore them.

This is evident from the final comments on 90 Ash by community Planning under the heading of Neil Cresswell but signed by Natasha Laing.

As an experienced planner and urban designer I can say positively that the attached  comments are trash, undermine City Hall and are worse than no comments at all. They ignore the Guidelines, the OP, Urban Design, Minor in size or impact, general intent of zoning, other matters such as protection of trees and are based on no analysis. This is contrary to OPPI standards of practice which says a planner musty strive to provide full clear and accurate information on planning issues to clients, citizens and Government decision makers. It also poses the questions to planners Do I have sufficient information and resources; do I have sufficient training and experience; am I professionally objective.  CIP defines planning as:

Planning means the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of urban and rural communities.

Any comments from a professional planner must be based on the public interest.

I am therefore asking you to withdraw the attached comments dated May 8 2019.

David, 6 June 2019

1. C) COA Files. For the time being severance applications have dried up,in no small part due to LBNA (particularly Christine Mercado and Judy Gibson strongly supported by residents) opposing all of them at TLAB. These are multi day hearings full of procedural matters against Toronto’s top lawyers and wily Planners who do not seem to follow their professional code. LBNA are dealing with 11 severance/variance cases. I doubt Christine and Judy get much sleep these days. If TLAB had not been initiated we would probably have many more severances as well as a line up of applications.

January 24^th 2019

29 Lake Promenade, Raising (illegally) flat roof by 0.5m. Deferred. No hearing scheduled

February 21 COA

198 Lake Promenade, New house, 0.35 to 0.87. Deferred. Hearing May 9. Approved

April 25 COA,

30 36th Lot split approved by OMB but variances for double density refused. Proposed Density 0.35 to 0.60  Refused by COA.  No appeal. Hooray

1. D) New Applications

369 Lake Promenade. Variances. No data

1. E) Other Applications
   

36 Ash, Soldier Houses 0.35 to 0.71 Deferred

11 Garden Place, Soldier Houses 0.35 to 0.71 Deferred

46 Park Blvd. Legalising triplex with addition and affecting two healthy trees. Planning Recommends refusal

39 Fairfield, no data. Postponed

If you wish to look at all the material online go to “Development Applications Toronto” then check “Committee of Adjustment” “Ward 3”  “Search” and follow the cues. However the number of applications in Ward 3 has outstripped the capacity of the Applications Information Website and you cannot view the whole list of applications together.

Previous “Updates” can be found on preservedstories.com a major blog site run by Jaan Pill, formerly of Villa Road.

Submissions on applications need to be in to COA by 3pm on the Thursday before the COA meeting for inclusion in the package that is given to COA members. Submissions before 10am on the day of the hearing will be considered. E&EO. Please feel free to correct, add to or forward information. Feel free to circulate.

David