High-profile residents of the Annex have brought their fight against a proposed midrise condo development to the Toronto & East York community council, which agreed Wednesday to have the city’s lawyer ask for mediation at the Ontario Municipal Board – a move they will consider next month – which is most likely to go forward.

In our previous article, we mention the outrage residents had against the proposed development at 321 Davenport, with complaints from residents such as Margaret Atwood and Galen Weston Jr., both calling the development a “brutal and arrogant assault on [their] community.” Not to mention, the issues they have with privacy, as balconies may provide potential residents the ability to peer into their backyards at any time.

There was little mention of any other issues in the previous post that was published, however, another concern has been made public after many residents of Toronto lashed out on social media, calling the likes of Atwood and Weston Jr. NIMBYs, which they intended to respond to. They have taken a stance, stating that they are not against the development, but that they have concerns surrounding the initial proposal of the development and the impact it will have on the environment, citing a concern such as the preservation of mature trees in the area.

The proposal is said to develop “luxury” style homes within a condo building sitting 8-storeys high, with 16 large condos. City staff are in support of this development, as it is going to take the place of a 2-storey commercial building.

Through mediation, developer Robert Cooper is hopeful that this will be resolved, as they are “willing to work cooperatively with the neighbours” to achieve a proper final proposal that provides “new midrise housing opportunities and appropriate intensification within an urban neighbourhood.”

Atwood’s lawyer, Michael Melling too believes “[the] concerns can be resolved.”

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By: Nicolas Di Nardo

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