So the pitchforks were out again last night at the latest public consultation. It's hard for me not to conclude, sometimes, that some of the worst people in Toronto live in the Annex.
I won't re-hash the NIMBY rallying cries (unless anyone has specific questions about the areas of focus), because none of them are really worth dignifying and some are downright loonie tunes. It's worth noting, though, that the community (at least insofar as "community" is defined as the NIMBYs who will form the "working group" that is the sole officially organized conduit for community feedback) is diametrically opposed to this, that the ARA seems to be pulling some bullshit behind the scenes, and that I'd be extremely surprised if this doesn't wind up at the OMB (if it winds up being the case that the timing works such that the proponents can avail themselves of it).
There were no revised renderings presented, but a couple design changes were discussed:
- Elimination of Huron-fronting townhouses
- Reduction in the number of parking levels from 4 to 2 and the introduction of a fully automated parking system
The one new rendering they had on-hand was of the cafe and Koerner Hall-esque public space, which I'll post when I can.
The proponents also clarified that they still intend to submit the application before the end of the year. I asked them if they're doing that because their interpretation of the next steps vis-a-vis OMB reform is that they'll still be able to avail themselves of it if they submit their application before EOY, but they said they're really not sure how that's all going to shake out, so are just sticking to the timeline they'd originally laid out.
There was discussion of the precedent set by the Bloor-fronting, OMB-approved tower just west of here (can't recall the address), which Cressy confirmed will be 29 storeys, and whether that's impacting the proposed height here. The proponents were a little cagey (they have not chopped anything off the 39 storeys currently proposed), but their cautious responses gave me the impression that they think they can get something closer to 39 than 29 at the OMB.
At the start of the meeting, Cressy again said he thinks "the right height" for the tower is "somewhere in the teens". Without saying it explicitly, the proponents certainly intimated that they need to be somewhere between 29 and 39 to make this financially viable in its current form, pointing to the costs associated with the below-grade "bridge" over the subway, automated parking system, public concourse, and extensive renovation to the church itself.
