A group of neighbours in the Beach are banding together to stop a controversial housing development from going up in the Neville Park area. Their concerns stem from the fact that the proposed five-storey, 16-unit project, which also includes one detached house, could set a precedent for other developers looking to construct similar developments in the primarily single family home community.
"It's absolutely the precedent. The big issue is that (the developer) is putting it deep into a residential neighbourhood rather than on a major thoroughfare," said Steve Ottaway, a local resident who sits on the board of the newly formed Beach Lakefront Neighbourhood Association.
"The repercussions are very significant. It affects Neville Park, the Beach and even the city as a whole."
On Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m., the BLNA will host a community meeting at the Beaches Recreation Centre, 6 Williamson Rd., to discuss the topic.
At this point, Sweeny Sterling Finlayson and Co. Architects has submitted a request to the city to amend the official plan and rezone 2 and 4 Neville Park Blvd. and 438 and 440 Lakefront Lane. The developer is asking for a variance of 5.4 metres in height and 1.34 times more than the permitted density of the area. The city's planning department will be considering the request and reporting to the Toronto and East York Community Council in the coming months.
Back in late June, Ward 32 (Beaches-East York) Councillor Sandra Bussin hosted a community consultation about development at the foot of Neville Park Boulevard.
Bussin, who is against the project, vowed to do everything she could to stop it from moving forward.
"I'm very, very concerned about this. This will be a battle," said Bussin, who added she feels the development does not fit in well with the character of the neighbourhood.
"We need to maintain the waterfront character of the community."