Tuesday. May 18th

Following direction given in 2007, an application for development on the corner of Centre and Yonge Street, undoubtedly the most blighted site in town, was not approved but consigned to Council in Committee for more talk.

Proposals for the site have been numerous and regularly presented at public planning meetings. Each time, dozens of hours have been spent by planning staff on all the detailed work necessary to process a plan.To say nothing of the efforts and expenses of the site owner

In the last term, we went through the exercise several times.

Neighbours came out to comment.

Michael Evans. a retail operator nearby on Yonge Street urged approval. The downtown is dying, we desperately need help, he pleaded.

In 2005, approval in principle was granted for a building 5/6 storeys.

In 2007. the proposal came back. As noted above, no decision made.

The site has been sold and re-sold repeatedly. Years pass. Land grows scarcer and more expensive. Construction costs increase.The site grows steadily more dilapidated.

No development is possible that isn't economically feasible.That's a given.

A couple of weeks ago, in council, the Mayor made a presentation on the dreadful state of down-town in which she appeared to claim, this Council, her Council, had given approval in principle to the last design at Yonge and Centre.


It wasn't so but we find ourselves on many occasions, tippy-toeing, just to keep mayhem from erupting. There is nothing elevating about being party to a public spectacle.

This week's planning report chronicled events exactly as they had happened.

The new proposal has an extra storey but less height.

A motion was made to recommend approval of the development application to Council.

Councillor Mac Eachern spoke against the motion. The Consultant Study for the Yonge Wellington Core is in the works she said. We should wait for its finalization.

The same argument of Councillor Gaertner a couple of weeks ago against a staff recommended sign variance for a gas station.

The Mayor enjoined that argument.

Then started the tussle to compel staff to indicate completion of the precious promenade study is imminent.

Staff were unable to oblige.The harder the Mayor pressed, first with the planner, then with the CAO, then back to the planner , dates became firmer rather than fuzzier.

Depending on public input, the study which will apparently magically,instantly and completely remove the doldrums from the downtown core with no help from private investment, will not be completed before October

Hallelujah!! the month of the election.

The Mayor lamented; as chair of the steering committee(mentioned several times) had staff informed her before, she would have pressed for additional meetings to get it through faster.

Still the table talk swirled. Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows.

What we do know is, if it's not clear the vote will go as the Mayor wishes , the question will not normally be put.

Except .... on Tuesday ..... Councillor McRoberts was in the chair. The question was put. The vote was five to four to approve.

Mayor Morris, Councillors MacEachern, Gaertner and Gallo voted against;

The building proposal has 78 condo units with commercial space at ground level.

Neighbours were informed. No concerns indicated.

It would improve the town's assessment base by no less than thirty million dollars.

The worst blight in the core would be consigned to history.

A hundred and fifty shoppers would be added to the neighbourhood.

Potentially more transit users.

Less cars on the road.

Less pollution.

Less urban sprawl.

Public infrastructure would be more efficiently utilized. Therefore more economically productive.

An allocation of service units, held for at least five years, would finally be utilised.

Provincially mandated goal of intensification would be realized.

But wait.... approval is not confirmed by Council until next Tuesday.

Councillors Wilson and Granger are not in the habit of breaking from the pack.

We will not hold our breath .