City planners topple Lakeview condo tower
City planners are recommending against a proposed 21-storey condominium in Lakeview. Meanwhile, Ward 1 councillor Carmen Corbasson admits she's concerned because the builder is already selling units.
By: Joe Chin
January 10, 2008 08:49 AM - City of Mississauga planning staff has come out strongly against a 21-storey condominium proposed for Lakeview, setting the stage for what could be a protracted battle before the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).
The recommendation to reject the application follows a public meeting last October attended by more than 250 residents. Most were opposed to the project which, if approved, would see a 260-unit tower built at the northeast corner of Lakeshore Rd. E. and Deta Rd.
Following the meeting, the developer, Queenscorp (Lakeview) Inc., was invited to meet with the City to discuss changes to the design.
“That never happened, although talking with (Queenscorp president) Mark Bozzo, he was probably looking at lopping off a couple of storeys. However, that would still be far too dense,†said Ward 1 City councillor Carmen Corbasson.
The builder has referred the application to the OMB, and a pre-hearing is scheduled for the end of this month.
Not unexpectedly, planning staff is siding with residents.
“The (application) cannot be supported from a planning standpoint and should not be approved,†said staff in a 24-page report.
The report cited the following concerns about the development:
• that it will not achieve a healthy, vibrant and livable community as called for in the Province’s growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
• that it’s not consistent and compatible with the vision for the Lakeshore Rd. E. corridor
• that the site is too small to accommodate the proposed density (200 units per acre), which is without precedent in the area
“This degree of intensification is not contemplated in either the Mississauga Plan nor the current Lakeview District Policies, and furthermore policy evaluations are presently underway pertaining to (the area),†the report reads.
Queenscorp has noted there are already three existing apartment buildings in the neighbourhood ranging in height from 12-20 storeys. Staff, however, points out that those buildings are surrounded by acres of greenspace, and not crammed into 1.35 acres of land.
The site is also well served by GO, the TTC and Mississauga Transit, a fact Corbasson acknowledges.
Residents, she notes, are not against intensification; they just won't support it at that high a level.
“This community has said they’re willing to look at increased height, but not 21 storeys. They’re willing to compromise, but the builder has to come back and give them something to work with. He hasn’t done that to date,†said Corbasson.
Meanwhile, despite the outcry and uncertainty, Queenscorp has started selling units.
That concerns Corbasson.
“I’ve had a few calls from potential buyers and they asked me what my position is. I told them I won’t be supporting the application as it stands. If they buy, they’ll be taking their chances that the application will be approved at the OMB.
“It’s unfortunate there isn’t legslation that prohibits builders from doing that,†she said.