The decision, issued Thursday, has City of Mississauga officials and area residents rejoicing.
Ward 1 councillor Carmen Corbasson, who was opposed to the project from the beginning, termed it “critical” for City planning.
“It’s very easy to plan when we have green-field applications, but we know that, from here on in, most applications coming before us are going to be of an in-fill nature,” she said.
“What the ruling did was give me confidence that our policies are reasonable, logical and rational. Smart growth doesn’t mean dumping as much height everywhere, especially in very stable residential areas like Lakeview.”
Corbasson, citing high hearing costs for both parties, had urged the developer, Queenscorp, to not take the matter to the OMB.
The board decision spread like wildfire through the leafy, tight-knit neighbourhood.
“It’s a wonderful day for our community,” said Jim Tovey, president of the 800-member Lakeview Ratepayers’ Association, some 300 of whom had signed a petition of opposition.
Tovey had argued the condo, if approved, would create a wall against the waterfront, putting a tower just four to six feet from the sidewalk.
“The OMB has recognized the qualities of the neighbourhood, that it was important to maintain our sky views, lake views and the tree canopy,” he said. “I hope Queenscorp will now engage with us and the City and come up with a mutually acceptable plan.”
Queenscorp (Lakeview) Inc. had wanted to put up a 260-unit, 21-storey tower at the northeast corner of Lakeshore Rd. E. and Deta Rd.
The developer appealed to the OMB following City refusal to amend the site’s zoning from residential low density to residential high density.
Following the City’s formal rejection of the application in January, Queenscorp revised its proposal by decreasing the tower height to 17 storeys and density to 250 units.
But, in its ruling, the OMB deemed the proposal still too excessive, calling it an “over-utilization” of the site.
“The proposal represents a development that is too high, too intensive and does not provide adequate setbacks or buffers to adjacent uses. This is in context of relatively recent Provincial and City planning initiatives that have clearly set out the preferred locations for the intensification being proposed by (Queenscorp),” said the OMB, the final arbiter in such matters.
Coupled with Queen’s Park ruling out the old Lakeview Generating Station lands as a potential home for a new gas-fired power plant, the OMB decision constitutes the second major victory for the Lakeview community this summer, as it moves forward on its Lakeview Legacy Project. That’s an ambitious vision that would see a mix of housing, parks, a sports stadium, university campus and recreation facilities rise up between Lakeshore Rd. E. and the waterfront.
Queenscorp president Mark Bozzo could not reached for comment. But he has argued there are already three existing apartment buildings in the neighbourhood ranging in height from 12 to 20 storeys. Also, the site is well served by GO (Long Branch station is within walking distance), the TTC and Mississauga Transit, a fact Corbasson has acknowledged.
The councillor says she doesn’t know what will now happen to the application.
“I saw Mr. Bozzo last week and gathered he was very impressed with our planning staff. He said he learned a lot sitting through the whole two weeks of hearings. Again, I hope he comes forward and sits down with us, engages the community and sees what we can work out.”
jchin@mississauga.net
