Nearly a month after the city ordered the Bronfmans, one of Toronto’s most prominent families, to remove portions of a wrought-iron fence standing at 18 feet, neighbours are frustrated about the lack of action.
“The fence has to come down; that’s what they’ve been ordered to do,” said neighbour Joe Shlesinger. The tallest part of the Burton Avenue fence stands between Shlesinger’s property and the Bronfman property and exceeds a city bylaw of 6.5 feet. The Bronfmans increased the height of the fence in December 2008, a month after their house was robbed.
“It protects them only from me, from their neighbours.… If they think we were the ones to rob them, then we should have a discussion,” said Shlesinger, noting that other parts of the Bronfmans’ fence meets bylaw standards.
The dispute between the Shlesingers and the Bronfmans dates further back, to when the Bronfmans installed security lighting on the property. “My wife woke up downstairs, and a number of men were in my backyard installing the lighting,” Shlesinger said. “There was never any request, never any discussion.”
The lighting installation also drew complaints from other locals, and the city eventually ordered the Bronfmans to dim brightness.
Coun. Joe Mihevc said the best approach regarding fence heights is for residents to have the consent of neighbours before putting one up.
“It’s not a fight we wish to engage in. We only do it as a last resort,” said Mihevc, in regard to enforcing the bylaw.
Jane Pepino, who represented the Bronfman family before a city committee, was unavailable for comment.
