The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) has deemed the proposed condominium for the corner of Bloor Street West and Dundas Street West "too large for the site and inappropriate for the area" in its decision, handed down Wednesday, March 10.
The proposed 27-storey structure "is not consistent with the findings and recommendations of the Avenue Study" and "does not conform with the City's Official Plan," ruled the OMB, adding that it does not represent good planning."This is a tremendous victory for a group of residents who have given thousands of hours of volunteer time, and for the city as a whole," said Parkdale-High Park Councillor Gord Perks. "The way we treat main streets has been upheld."During the OMB hearing, in January, the city's lawyer and experts focused primarily on the big picture: the fact that the proposed 27-storey building did not comply with bylaws put in place as a result of the Bloor-Dundas Avenue Study. "We think that the city's case was very persuasive," said Friends of Dundas and Bloor spokesperson Hilary Bell. "It's a nice result for everybody all 'round. It came earlier than expected. We're really pleased."The developer, TAS DesignBuild, has the option of appealing the OMB's decision to a higher court. Alternatively, TAS could come back with different proposal. "Now that the Avenue Study is finished, they know what the city would permit," she said.The developer is not making any official comment at this time as the company is still reviewing the decision.The property is zoned for six-storeys or mid-rise, Bell pointed out. The community has been opposing the height and density of the proposed condominium complex since May of 2007. TAS DesignBuild submitted its first application in June of that year. There was no Avenue Study for that stretch of Bloor Street West at the time. The developer submitted a segment study along with its application, however the city said it was incomplete. As part of the application process, the developer is required to complete an Avenue Segment Study in accordance with the Official Plan. The segment study takes into account the character of the neighbourhood, how it might be developed and how the proposal fits into the area.Since the beginning, the community had concerns regarding the building's design and its height and the precedent it could set for future development in the area. Traffic and transit were also priorities. Early on in the process, the city's planning department and the Friends of Dundas and Bloor group oversaw a series of visioning meetings for the area along Bloor Street West from Dundas to Keele and along Dundas from Glenlake to Boustead avenues. What materialized was a community approved vision and seven guiding principals, which provide guidelines for development and neighbourhood renewal- an avenue study."It's a huge victory from the point of view of the city," said Bell. Bell said she would be personally interested in seeing a new design from the developer. "They're not a bad developer. They have a good reputation. It just wasn't a good building for the site," she said. "I just hope the property won't sit there empty for long. It was never our intention to discourage development on that corner.