London Construction - Development News Thread #1

[ldoto]

Highrise gets OK

North London residents are bitterly disappointed with the OMB decision.



A controversial luxury highrise condominium in north London has been given the green light by the Ontario Municipal Board.

The board overturned a city council decision rejecting the $20-million proposal by the Tricar Group to build a 64-unit, 12-storey building on land previously zoned for low-rise development.

"I'm very pleased with the board's decision, but I'm not surprised," Joe Carapella, president of Tricar, said yesterday.

Carapella said he hopes to break ground on the project on Richmond Street North in early October.

But residents in the area are bitterly disappointed, mostly because the decision ignores a community plan -- approved in the late 1990s and later upheld by the OMB -- that targeted the land for low-rise, medium-density development.

"This really calls into question the integrity of the community planning process," said Gloria McGinn-McTeer, president of the Stoneybrook Heights/Uplands Residents Association. "It's just another case of a developer doing what they want under the guise of smart growth when it's simply profiteering at the expense of the neighbourhoods."

On Jan. 24, council voted 10-9 against a staff recommendation backing the proposal. Tricar appealed soon after.

Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco was among those who opposed the development and shared McTeer's concern about the community planning process.

"That's why I supported the residents at the time," she said. "I thought that was a compelling argument, but obviously that wasn't enough for the OMB."

Now residents fear more highrise development ahead.

That's because city staff not only backed Tricar's proposal, but recommended adjacent land be zoned for highrise.

"The big concern now is that there will be a whole row of highrises there," said McGinn-McTeer, past president of the Urban League of London.

"And this just sets the stage for that and it will change the whole character of the neighbourhood," McGinn--McTeer said.

But Rob Panzer, the city's general manager of planning, said staff have no plan to rezone adjacent land.

"Council has already made a decision on that and, unless they tell us differently, I don't think we'd be bringing that forward," Panzer said.

Carapella said residents will be surprised by the quality of the development.

"This won't be a cheap project. It will be a project that suits the area and, hopefully, one the neighbourhood is proud of," Carapella said.

"And I think it will give residents in north London an option as they grow older that isn't there right now."

Carapella said he'll keep as many trees as possible. "You don't take down trees unless you have to because they will help sell the building."

That's key for Uplands resident Kelly Mancari, who lives across the street: "If he leaves those trees in front, that was one of my main concerns."

Controversy again erupted after Tricar filed its appeal and three planning committee members -- the chairperson, Coun. Cheryl Miller, Controller Bud Polhill and Coun. Roger Caranci -- voted not to have legal representation at the hearing. Council overturned that decision.

Caranci was pleased with the OMB decision.

"I thought from the beginning it was an extremely well-planned development in a perfect location, close to amenities and shopping," he said. "I think the OMB decision reinforces that."

Tricar lawyer Allan Patton said council's opposition was "politically motivated" and said the OMB decision reflected the lack of high-density zoning in the area.

"That deficit only exists in north London and the board found that to be a major flaw," Patton said. "And that flaw is directly related to political interference in the planning process by councillors for wards 1 and 2. Thank heavens for the OMB."

Ward 2 Coun. Joni Baechler, who led council opposition, could not be reached. But wardmate Coun. Rob Alder maintained there is ample high-density zoning north of Sunningdale Road.

"I believe council should be able to have influence over plans and make decisions based on what we feel is in the best interest of our community, so I don't think it was unreasonable to take the position we took," Alder said.





Copyright © The London Free Press