The following is a letter from Joe Pantalone to parties interested in the Dovercourt Square Redevelopment, and was forwarded to us by Ann Ball

February 16, 2005

Doversquare Development Update

Dear Constituent:

As the Toronto City Councillor (for the area east of Dovercourt Road), I am writing to update you on a developer's proposal to add another apartment building at Doversquare. I am monitoring the application from Sterling Silver (the owner) closely because our area is affected and Councillor Adam Giambrone, who represents the area west of Dovercourt Road including the site of the proposed building, is legally prevented from participating in any part of the process because his parents live nearby. This is governed by the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, a provincial law designed to prevent elected officials from benefiting personally by the decisions they make in office.

Background

Two years ago, Sterling Silver came to the City Planning Department with a proposal for a new 17-storey building, along with 17 townhouses, to be located at 730 Dovercourt Road, 323 and 357 Rusholme Road (Doversquare). There was strong opposition from the community, City Planning, and the local elected officials - including myself.

Throughout the application process, the developer has been unwilling to make the kind of changes that would allow the City to seriously consider their application. The developer reduced the height of the proposed buildings in response to the City's concerns, but with each new submission they continued to unacceptably increase the number of units and density. Consequently, there has been no agreement between the community, city planning, myself, or the developer on any of the key issues, including height, density, number of units, and community benefits.

The developer has now decided to by-pass the City and appeal their proposal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). The OMB is an unelected, provincially appointed body that has the authority to impose a decision on the City of Toronto. The City must go to the OMB to fight against the development. I, with many residents, was able to convince City Council to send City Planners and a City lawyer to fight on all our behalf at the OMB.

Update

In November of 2004, over 200 residents attended a public meeting with City Planners to discuss the Doversquare application. Many of the people who attended expressed their opposition to the development. At this meeting, a working committee, composed of tenants from Doversquare, delegates from the various residents' groups, and City Planners was established to identify the issues and give the community an opportunity to influence the final planning report. I met with this community working group, and they told me about the poor condition of many of the existing buildings, and the loss of their meeting spaces, recreation facilities, and parking issues over the years. The impacts of construction, loss of green space, and hundreds of new residents on the site were just some of the major concerns.

The three apartment towers which are located on the site already exceed the allowable density under the City's Official Plan. The developer has not acted in good faith, as each subsequent application has increased in density. As it is clear that this application will not produce a more liveable community, I strongly oppose this additional development at Doversquare.

The final planning report, adopted by Toronto City Council on February 16, 2005, refuses the proposed development, and instructs City staff to fight our case at the Ontario Municipal Board. At Community Council, I was pleased to see so many tenants and residents groups come out to speak in support of this. Our case is stronger when the community and the City are united at the OMB.

Next Steps

The Ontario Municipal Board will hear the case from May 31 to June 3, 2005. As the OMB is provincially appointed, regretfully, it is not guaranteed that the City will win. The final planning report identifies a series of principles which the City would require to be met before allowing any additional development, including improvements to the existing buildings, guarantees of green space and pedestrian access, and reduced density. You can get a copy of the final planning report by calling my office at 416.392.4009, or e-mailing me at councillor_pantalone@toronto.ca.

I will continue to fight this development on behalf of our community. As always, if you have any questions, or if there is anything else that I can assist you with, please feel free to contact my office.

Sincerely,

[original signed]

Joe Pantalone,
Deputy Mayor and
Toronto Tree Advocate