On Thursday, February 12, a member of the DPRG board attended the city-wide Town Hall Consultation on Zoning for Protected/Major Transit Station Areas at City Hall.
Last summer the Province approved new policies that encourage more housing to be built in areas within about a 10-minute walk of 120 major subway, GO and LRT stations. The City is now working to update zoning to put those policies into action. This means setting clear rules for building height, density and where new housing can go, while (in theory) making sure new development fits into existing neighbourhoods and supports complete, connected communities.
About 80 residents attended the session, coordinated by Gladki Planning Associates, a third-party consultant hired by the City. Kyle Knoeck, Director of Zoning presented and then he and other City staff answered questions as a panel. Information boards were displayed outside the council chambers for people to review on their way in. Attendees were invited to comment or ask questions, each limited to two minutes.
Gladki will prepare an “engagement summary” for City Council, though is not clear what weight, if any, the comments will carry.
Nineteen people spoke, including a DPRG board member. Key concerns included:
- Tall condominium towers could erode neighbourhood character, and harm/eliminate small retailers and the sense of community.
- Concerns about how the 200 metre and 500 metre radii from subway stations were calculated. These are areas where minimum density targets apply.
- The zoning establishes minimum density within P/MTSAs, but landowners may apply for even greater height and lot coverage. Several speakers pointed out that Planning almost always supported such increases, but Mr. Knoeck responded that some applications have been denied.
- Given the current condominium glut, it is evident that the issue is affordability – not supply. Simply allowing more density will not make housing attainable if costs remain out of reach; if land, hard/soft costs of construction and profit is more than $1,000,000 for a 1,500 square foot dwelling, many in this city will not have the income to purchase or rent housing.
- Debate over responsibility: some blamed provincial policy; others urged City planners to push back against excessive proposals, even if decisions are appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
- Concerns about inadequate infrastructure and services—transit, roads, schools, parks, water and sewer—to support higher density.
City staff responded thoughtfully, but many questioned whether public input will meaningfully influence by-laws or planning decisions. As one attendee observed, “It feels like we were just being given a chance to whine before taking our medicine.”
Notably, recent and current development applications in Deer Park already exceed the P/MTSA density targets and it is expected this trend will continue.