Revised OPA/rezoning application for 195 & 203 Oakmount Road, 200 Keele Street

200 keele st google13-12-2009 11-32-29 AM

The revised OPA/rezoning application received by the City on August 27, 2009 proposes to retain 14 of the 15 townhouse units (since there is considerable protection for mid-range and affordable rental housing). The new plan is to build 13 townhouse units in the rear yards of 195-203 Oakmount (some of the new building might be 200 Keele Street) and to access these by a private road along the north side of 200 Keele Street.

All of the concerns outlined in the City’s preliminary report are still valid, including rental concerns since the proposal amounts to an intensification of a rental site.


The matter comes before York Etobicoke Community Council on the morning of Tuesday January 12, 2010 (agenda pending).

From there it goes to the full City Council on January 26 and 27. Next comes the OMB prehearing scheduled for Tuesday, February 23 at 9:00 in the morning. The OMB hearing itself is scheduled for three weeks starting Monday April 12 at 10:00 am.

Ontario Municipal Board document PDF document download. (hosted here at the blog)

Ontario Municipal Board document PDF document download. (hosted at the OMB)


At Community Council the issue will be whether to release City staff to defend the City’s position at the OMB appeal. The councillors will hear deputations (maximum length 5 minutes each), so it’s important to attend this meeting (that’s Tuesday, January 12) if you possibly can.    City Council does not hear deputations.


By the February 23rd OMB prehearing, the City will have determined its position, and the newly formed Lithuania Ravine Residents and Ratepayers Association, a party to the OMB appeal, will have done the same. Residents have until 10:00 am February 23 to decide if they wish to shelter under the Ravine Association or if they wish to be participants and to inform the OMB of their decision.


At present, the city’s response to the new proposal is not posted. The issues (Neighbourhoods, Ravine protection, the Built envionment ie road access, and Rental housing), however, have not changed.
See you on January 12.

…submitted in comment by reader Leslie, links and images added by the  blog

7 Comments

How do they expect people to make deputations on a workday morning? Is this standard procedure for all Toronto council meetings (to not accept deputations at the evening council meeting and only at this pre-meeting?).

First, Junctioneer, thanks for posting this.
Standard procedure is for committees and community councils but not the full council to hear deputations.
There is provision to hold evening meetings of community council in order to facilitate community involvement, but no one I contacted at the Etobicoke York Community Council office nor at the councillor's office could tell me what it is. Needless to say, I was more than a little disappointed to find this information is not more readily available.
The planner's report will be posted online when the community council agenda is. The planner anticipated this would be available by December 21, but I didn't find it before submitting this (Dec 22 ).

One of the planning issues of this proposal concerns rental housing.
Half the people in the City of Toronto are tenants, and the greatest security of tenure comes from purpose-built rental housing, but nearly all building lately has been for owner-occupancy. A healthy city requires a mix of housing. That's why there is considerable protection for existing rental housing.
You can read more on the City's web site:
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/housing.htm
For some information specific to ward 13, see the Ward 13 profile:
http://www.toronto.ca/wards2000/ward13.htm

Hello, Just a reminder of this upcoming meeting on Tuesday, January 12 at 10am. A number of us that have been involved are not able to attend this one, so others with interest and availability may wish to consider attending. The City Planning Final Report is now posted. It is very detailed and well done — skip to page 25 to see City Planning Department's recommendations to Community Council to refuse the developer's various applications and especially, recommendation to authorize City staff lawyers to be appointed to represent the City Planning position. Here is the link again: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-25771.pdf Cheers!

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