I am not pleased with many…

I am not pleased with many aspects of the amendments to the Planning Act and feel what is being planned unduly advantages developers at the expense of community needs. Developers need to work closely with community groups and other stakeholders to produce a high quality product that addresses the needs of the local community--parks, day cares, not for profit housing, rental units, etc. The Westbank development at Bloor and Bathurst should be considered a model for how developers should work with the community they intend to build in. I attended many information and planning meetings for this development and am so pleased with what was achieved through ongoing discussions and negotiations with the developer, the City of Toronto and 4 community groups.
Developers need oversight not "carte blanche" to produce housing that can benefit all levels of society. Cities and towns need to have the tools to plan the communities that will benefit their citizens.