Local community upset over latest Ranleigh plan
A North Toronto community is fighting the development of a four-story building at 100 Ranleigh Avenue.
This past May the developers applied to have the current by-law amended to let them build a four-story, 43-unit residential building on the property. Community members like Candace Shaw whose property borders the now vacant lot are concerned about the precedent being set if developers are given the green light to begin construction.
“We are against a large apartment rental building. We would like townhouses,” Shaw said. “We are afraid the street will become a street of apartments. We want town houses and that is what we are going to fight for.”
This has been a long- fought battle. Local group the Bedford Wanless Ratepayers Association (BWRPA) spent four years negotiating with the previous landowners, the Bedford Park United Church, until it was finally agreed a senior facility would replace the church.
Association president Hugh Mansfield says if the seniors centre is off the table, then single family homes would be a more appropriate fit for the community. If a seniors residence can’t be built, then the site should revert to R2 zoning which calls for lower density, he says.
“It’s not difficult to imagine peaked roofs on that property or something that fits in with the community, verses a large square box that makes everyone very nervous about what’s next,” Mansfield says. “As you know once precedence is set anything can happen.”
Mansfield says having to start negotiations all over again is very disappointing, stemming from the previous applicant’s inability to get that project of the ground. “So now here we are back at square one again. I guess the disappointment is finally agreeing on something and now we’re back to fighting something again.”
Councillor Jaye Robinson says the community voice will have an impact on this decision.
“The community is far more organized this time around — I think their voice will be heard,” Robinson says.
The ball is currently in the hands of the city planners and senior planner John Lyon says it could be spring before a ruling is made on the amendment application.
Mansfield is more concerned about what will happen if the city sides with the community. His big fear is the developer will then appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and that doesn’t sit well with him.
“My fear is that we end up at the OMB. We all know what happens there. It’s not an acknowledgment of what is taking place in a community, or a neighbourhood that has some concerns for well-founded reasons. It is a rubber stamp on procedures and that is not of any benefit to local communities.”
Mansfield says he cannot understand why the province does not give the city control over its own zoning and amendment applications. He hopes the premier will take the opportunity to make changes to the current protocol.
“This is a classic case of the problem in this big city of ours. I hope the [Ontario] premier steps forward with some ideas on how to give this control back,” Mansfield says. “I hope that she takes this opportunity to say, ‘Hey wait a minute maybe we ought to think about how we are just rubberstamping these things for developers 99 percent of the time and really take a look at what we’re doing here.’”
A community consultation meeting is to be held sometime this year.
This is a news story I can totally relate to, because of the battle tenants of 200 Ridley Blvd. and residents of the street had trying to stop a development in front of the existing apartment building, which when it was built, was set so far back from the street, that some apartments in the building overlook the backyards of neighbouring houses. We wanted to keep the green space but if it had to be “developed” we preferred houses as well. Our councillor at the time said she would support us but did not and neither did the rest of city council. We went to the Outdated Meddlesome Bureaucracy as well, but of course they favoured the developer. What else is new? Hopefully this story has a better ending.