From the ARA newsletter, This Week in the Annex, January 31, 2024
Councillor Saxe did the most magnificent job fighting for the Annex at this past Monday’s Planning and Housing Committee meeting – a committee on which she doesn’t actually sit. We’ve got an articulate legal mind as our representative. If you’ve got some time, then watch the YouTube archive of the meeting to watch the discussion as it unfolds and to see her champion our interests.
Review of Section 45
Our Councillor had a win with the first of her requests to be considered, one which was essentially focussed on asking for a report on the possibility of limiting the scope of applications that could be approved at the Committee of Adjustment.
ARA Chair, Rita Bilerman, spoke forcefully in favour of controlling the process by which developers can “double dip,” first securing a rezoning bylaw to permit their developments and then months or years afterwards applying to the Committee of Adjustment to secure a “minor” variance such as the addition of 8 more storeys to a tower first negotiated at 29.
The committee asked that Staff report back by the fourth quarter of this year. We’ll let you know the outcome.
Sobering fact: During the discussion, Councillor Saxe pointed out that Toronto has more towers than Shanghai.
