[gardeners] Heritage battle
lneuru (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 17 Sep 2002 18:51:46 -0400
Some will remember we have recently moved to get away from a 17 storey high
rise planned for the lot behind our old house in contravention of the
heritage act (we're in a heritage-protected district). Well, we had the
final decision at city council last night on the heritage permit. The
builder was willing to lower it to 14 storeys with a lengthy dog-leg...same
number of units spread out instead of up. He was denied. So we won, sort
of. Since there is a conflict between the zoning laws and the Heritage
Planning Act he can now appeal the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board
and maybe get his 17 storeys back. I don't really thing so, but we'll see.
We really don't know what he'll do next. He could always sue the city, too.
They have given him 3 weeks to come up with a more acceptable plan, and
limited it to 10 storeys. I kind of don't think he'll go there. Anyway,
more fireworks to come, for sure; he is a very nasty piece of goods.
Despite the victory, if it is, I am still glad we moved. I like my new
garden better and i even have more closets in the house. The new house is
about 80 years old, the old one nearly 100, but in the intervening years
people obviously acquired more possessions, hence more storage.
We spent most of this morning digging out the oldest yew bush (=tree),
probably the first thing planted. I don't like them; we'll have roses
instead. We also put up a garden gate so we can put St. Fiasco back in the
garden and not have him visible from the street. And we spread manure.
Lucinda