Toronto 155 St Dennis | 184.8m | 56s | Cityzen | Hariri Pontarini

[Metroscapes]

They're contemplating appealing the OLT ruling.

In my personal opinion, they should not. No need to waste taxpayer dollars to get spanked a second time.

Update: I sent an email to city councillors and the mayor.

 

[Metroscapes]

Are we looking at an appeal of the OLT rulings here?

Something's up on the Council agenda next week (confidential)

Agenda Item History 2025.CC34.3

Agenda Item History 2025.CC34.3

secure.toronto.ca

This page has now been updated, and as I feared, Council is indeed appealing this to Divisional Court. What a waste.

 

[christiesplits]

Toronto said no to a four-tower condo project ‘down a ravine wall.’ A provincial tribunal is allowing it anyway​

'The light is amber, not red,' says OLT, overruling Toronto council to allow condos on ravine bank

The Ontario Land Tribunal disagreed with the city that the site was an erosion risk, or that its official plan prohibits development on the site. The city is appealing the decision.

www.thestar.com

Two excerpts (paywall):

“The site is within the city’s natural heritage and green space system, which the Official Plan states should be protected from the impacts of development.”

According to the OLT decision, the developer is looking to build four “slender” highrise towers, from 42 to 56 storeys, with about 2,170 units of various sizes on about five per cent of the property.

The remaining 16 hectares would become public open space.

Austin Spademan, a board member of the ABC Residents Association, which was also a party at the tribunal, supports the developers’ plan because of the public land component.

“Access to our own backyard is paramount. And with the golf course, you have a trail system that dead ends,” he said.

Spademan is also a board member of the Midtown Ravines Group, a group of resident associations that have come together to revitalize the ravines.

“Our decision to become a party is because we want to take away a private golf course and turn it into public land,” to “bring it back into some kind of natural state,” added John Caliendo, another board member with the ABC Residents Association.

 

[Metroscapes]

Toronto said no to a four-tower condo project ‘down a ravine wall.’ A provincial tribunal is allowing it anyway​

'The light is amber, not red,' says OLT, overruling Toronto council to allow condos on ravine bank

The Ontario Land Tribunal disagreed with the city that the site was an erosion risk, or that its official plan prohibits development on the site. The city is appealing the decision.

www.thestar.com

A longer excerpt:

“The portion of the site where development is proposed falls partway down a ravine wall, between the top of the Don River Valley and the bottom of the Valley created by the East Don River,” the city spokesperson added. “The site is within the city’s natural heritage and green space system, which the Official Plan states should be protected from the impacts of development.”

The OLT slapped this down. It's not a full ravine wall. It may look that way to a layman, but there are overlapping potions from an ice age ago.

“This is another example of the provincial government stripping away municipal powers,” said park advocate Floyd Ruskin, who founded the conservation group A Park for All. “It could set a dangerous precedent for allowing development in ravines everywhere.”

The OLT slapped this down too. It is a unique geographic layout that will not apply within other ravines subject to active riverine forces.

This is why this court challenge is a waste. The same talking points that were already refuted are being parroted again by the City, TRCA and people like Ruskin.