Premier Ford must really…

Premier Ford must really hate Toronto, and all the other municipalities in Ontario.

Perhaps he may just hate the politicians from these cities and towns. However these same towns and cities are full of the very people who elected this Progressive Conservative government – and I am one of those voters.

Developers DO NOT represent the regular people like me who live and work in Toronto and other Ontario municipalities; they only represent their own selfish interests and insatiable greed.

I thought the former OMB system was horrendous, but the reimagined appeal process will be far worse than the OMB ever was if the changes proposed in Bill 108 proceed. Ironically, the revised LPAT system hasn’t even had an opportunity for a single case to complete the new process, which incidentally is reducing the number of appeals through a validation step and without the De Novo approach, the scope of the appeal is more concisely defined, thereby saving time and money (for those developers). I guess saving money for developers isn’t a good thing.

It is absolutely unreasonable to expect Toronto or any municipality to review a complex redevelopment application in the timelines proposed in Bill 108. Perhaps in theory if fewer applications were being received those timelines might be feasible, but the reality is hundreds of applications – some of which are NOT appropriate for the property location.

Did you know that Toronto is already 23 years ahead of its newly built housing quota? I’m sick of living in a perpetual construction zone! It’s time to restore some sanity for the people of Toronto.

Toronto has become an unlivable city. Proposed changes in Bill 108 will prevent municipal governments across Ontario from charging those Developers reasonable fees to overbuild, and not require them to provide any parks, or fund upgrades for schools and transit.

Did you know there are currently places in Toronto where the sun NEVER reaches the pavement? That’s not a city I want to live in, but giving carte blanche to Developers as proposed in Bill 108 will ensure many more places have no sunlight or open greenspaces!

Are those Developers building more schools for the families who will be living in postage stamp sized condos in skyscrapers that seek to pave over every blade of grass?

Are those Developers building new transit lines for all those new residents? The subway is already over capacity and I’m often left waiting in the station for several trains to pass before I can get on.

Developers MUST pay the true cost of their mega-plex condo and retail buildings and provide funds for all of the infrastructure – parks, community centres, daycares, schools, and transit, to name just a few – that is required by the hundreds and thousands of new residents.

The unique character of Toronto’s neighbourhoods is the soul of the city. The impact of proposed changes to the Heritage Act is reckless and will further decimate the efforts to conserve our cultural history, stunning architectural properties and landscapes.

There is much more to say, but a 30-day “consultation” period to review in detail 90 pages of proposed legislative amendments to 13 different Acts is an insult to the people who elected this government.

Any consultation process that limits participation to only 21 deputations is a sham. Since there are two and a half hours available in the morning and four hours in the afternoon (that’s 390 minutes), with eighteen minutes per speaker – only twenty-one people will be heard (21.66667). Hope the quality of the chosen 21 was exceptional. No professional would rely on so few to provide any meaningful observations.

Moreover, the regulations haven’t been written yet – much like a Developer submitting an incomplete redevelopment application to planning staff for review and still expecting an expeditious decision that is always in their favour! Perhaps further deliberation is foolhardy, and the proposed amendments in Bill 108 should be delayed until the regulations are written; that would be a prudent course of action.

Finally, the sad reality is these proposed changes in Bill 108 will probably foster more money laundering opportunities for criminals. Perhaps it would behove this government to read the research reports about the reality of the real estate market in Vancouver, and it’s happening in Toronto.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide written these comments.