Local Development Battles
As Doug Ford has opened the door wide open to developments that go above and beyond our existing zoning there has been a deluge of applications at the city, and city councillors feel compelled to approve them out of fear a rejection will be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal where the developer will ask for even more and it will be approved. Which is a valid fear but a completely defeatist attitude.
There are so many development applications that city council has become a rubber stamp, ignoring residents completely. But therein lies the answer: there is such an incredible number of development applications going above and beyond zoning that the city should reject them all and let the backlog pile up at the OLT. They won’t be able to handle the volume and it will stymie the process. At least, that’s what a city council would do if they were actually interested in standing up for residents.
This rush of development applications is an attempt by developers to get as many applications approved before Ford is no longer in power and the wide open door to overdevelopment might close. Which in Beaches-East York has led to many development battles, in particular the deputations at Toronto and East York Community Council.