However, local councillor
Mike Layton said the proposal does not leave enough space between the current buildings adjacent to the site.
“There are some serious proximity issues, particularly at the rear of the site,” he said. “We, generally speaking, don’t approve buildings with windows facing that close to one another.”
Layton said that the proposal leaves windows just metres from each other, so residents would essentially be looking into each others’ homes.
Greater Yorkville Residents’ Association’s (GYRA) director of community planning (and former Toronto chief city planner), Paul Bedford, said the close distance would “destroy completely” the existing living environment for residents adjacent.
“All of their windows, balconies, and everything else would be impacted by this new building substantially,” he said.
Bedford also pointed out that an application for the Yorkville site was already submitted to the city years ago and was rejected by city planners, city council, and the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) in 2014.
He said the OMB was “crystal clear” in its decision, saying that the area was not right for high rises but preferred mid-rises.
“I’m really amazed that this new application has come back and ignored all that,” he said. “[McMurrich] is a mid-rise street, not a high-rise street.”
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