The Bayview Village Association (BVA) has been fighting a long battle against developer Amexon and its plans for five residential towers at 1200 to 1220 Sheppard Ave. E., measuring up to 39 storeys. After two rejections at Toronto City Council, Amexon has appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), and the hearing is scheduled to begin on June 10 and is expected to last until July 12.
Amexon first applied in 2011 for six towers ranging from 27 to 43 storeys containing 2,098 dwelling units. The BVA raised concerns about shadows, loss of privacy and effects on traffic. Coun. David Shiner and the rest of city council echoed the BVA’s opposition and the application was rejected by council in June 2012. The same concerns were present when Amexon submitted a revised plan last December for five towers, the highest at 39 storeys. David Magil, BVA chair of municipal and government affairs, said the difference is so small that the revision is meaningless: “They are still 90 per cent higher than what is prescribed in the official plan.”
The vice-chair of the OMB has begun mediations between residents and the developer. Magil thinks this is a good sign. “That holds up hope,” he said. “But I say that with caution because there’s still such a gap between what Amexon is proposing and what the city and the BVA consider to be acceptable.”
Shiner is less hopeful. “I’m very pessimistic about the OMB,” he said. “We really hope that the OMB respects my ability as a local councillor and doesn’t usurp the authority of the council in this matter.”
He said that past developers in the area have been more co-operative. “Most developments [along Sheppard Avenue] get resolved through consultation with our community,” said Shiner. He was referring to the nearby Concord Adex site where developers applied for a small addition to their development in 2002 and, in return, provided funding toward a new public community centre.
Amexon did not return requests for commentary at press time.
