Council defers building bid amid standoff between developer and community

The proposal calls for a four-storey residential building including a private rooftop terrace to be built on the front portion of a site at 200 Ridley Blvd.

There is an existing four-storey rental apartment building with 91 units at the north end of the site.

The new building would feature 40 parking spaces in an underground garage.

Parking for the existing building, which has 99 parking spaces, would be reconfigured to accommodate a total of 78 spaces.

The existing circular driveway would be replaced with a two-way driveway along the western portion of the site to provide access to both buildings, according to a city planning report.

The report pointed to a number of benefits for existing tenants if the proposed development is approved including a shared outdoor amenity space, new surface parking, upgraded lighting, pathways, seating, a play structure, bicycle storage, a private barbecue, an updated canopy over the entrance, internalized waste storage, extra washing machines in the laundry rooms and the conversion of a ground floor apartment into amenity space for the tenants.

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But those improvements don’t make up for the loss of open and green space, residents argued.

While it’s common for developers and residents to be at odds over proposed projects, applicant Michael Goldberg, of the Goldberg Group, said there didn’t appear to be any common ground between the two sides.

"I think there is a sentiment in the community they didn’t want to see this property developed," he said.

Neighbour Sandy Gladstone agreed.

"The community doesn’t want development. We want nothing. But if that doesn’t end up the way things go, we hope we will be heard about some of the elements on the urban design piece," said Gladstone, who is an architect.

Gladstone listed numerous concerns with the proposed building including its "horrifically large" size, its proximity to the existing building and the front property line, its impact on traffic and its potential to block out residents’ sky views.

Agreeing the community doesn’t want development on the site, Raffi Asailian said he is worried the building would reduce neighbours’ privacy, create traffic risks for children and destroy greenspace.

While the community could live with single family homes on the site, it does not want a building there, he said.

"We just want what’s fair and this doesn’t seem fair to us," he said.

Tenant Shirley Marceniak said she doesn’t oppose development, but wants something that suits the neighbourhood.

"This project does not add to our neighbourhood. It takes away from the neighbourhood," she said.

"Most of us don’t want to lose this magnificent space. It’s not ours to lose, but (we don’t want to) lose the use of it."

Eglinton-Lawrence Councillor Karen Stintz said her first inclination was to reject the development because she, like the community, is "extremely disappointed" with the plan.

The project, which has almost doubled in size since it was first proposed, would overshadow its neighbours, she said, adding the developer shut her and the community out once they voiced their concerns.

"Adding a couple washing machines" doesn’t amount to adequate Section 37 funding, Stintz said.

"I mean a washing machine. Really? Oh, and a dryer. I forgot the dryer," she said.

However, Stintz hopes the developer and the community can reach common ground on Section 37 benefits.

Don Valley East Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong praised the development and said he wished similar projects were proposed in his community.

Don Valley West Councillor John Parker said he’s not critical of the project’s design, but he’s upset about the division between the developer and the community.

"(But) the community has to be realistic. We can’t make the application go away," he said.

Willowdale Councillor David Shiner said "he’s not doing cartwheels over this development" because the developer is trying to shoehorn the building on to a small site.