How productive that architects are subjected to these torches-and-pitchforks community consultations about their professional work. Maybe oncologists and hydrologists should also undergo community consultations about their work because, of course, the general public is expert in those areas too. Democracy, right?
 
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Yeah, it's the exact same thing for sure because if you have cancer everyone can see it, even from miles off!

This a considerably tall building we're talking about. Its presence will manifest itself as soon a mere months after it emerges from a hole in the ground; we'll all have to live with it once it's done. It's a fair thing to comment on- whether we're anointed experts or not.
 
NeilV said:
.By the end of the meeting, the city planner and councillor had made it clear that the response to this proposal will almost certainly be a refusal report.
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Oh well this will end up @ the LPAT/OMB where they will shave 40 meters to make everyone happy;)
 
NeilV said:
Watching this community consultation was simultaneously hilarious and profoundly depressing. Both city planning and the community have made it clear that they are strongly opposed to the development.

First of all, they're saying it does cast a non-zero shadow on the sacred lands of Jesse Ketchum, which basically means it was dead on arrival. But that's not enough, so tonight many community members came for blood, with prepared notes and rehearsed speeches disparaging the developers and the City for "destroying the community". Here's a summary of some of the major sticking points:
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NeilV said:
  • Too tall for the location, as it lies just outside of the official designated height peak at Yonge + Bloor. A few fun quotes (I wish I could say I'm only paraphrasing):
    • "It's a head and shoulders above everything else around"
    • "It belongs farther south where there are already tall buildings"
    • "It belongs somewhere else but not here. The area is changing and I don't like it."
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  • Unconcerned.
NeilV said:
  • Impact on traffic congestion
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  • Don't drive then.
NeilV said:
  • Insufficient parking spaces
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  • It should have none.
NeilV said:
  • Poor accessibility to the building by car
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  • Good?
NeilV said:
  • Too few family-sized units
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  • This should absolutely change. 1430 micro units is silly.
NeilV said:
  • Multiple accusations toward the City of putting corporate greed above the wellbeing of the community.
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  • Change the unit composition, then we're good.
NeilV said:
I felt so sorry for Mr. Giannone, who has clearly invested a lot in this project and is very proud of the result. You could tell he had been looking forward to presenting it to the community, only to have it completely torn to shreds. Some people did acknowledge that the design has architectural merit, but it was not given much consideration relative to the "egregious" violations of planning policies.

By the end of the meeting, the city planner and councillor had made it clear that the response to this proposal will almost certainly be a refusal report.
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But that's what planners do: interpret and protect the by-law. This will certainly be a refusal but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
 
This is such a shame. This is a beautiful building and would be one of the nicest in the city. It absolutely should be built here and fits. maybe it's too tall for people now, but everything around there will be tall in 20 years anyway
 
NeilV said:
Watching this community consultation was simultaneously hilarious and profoundly depressing.

By the end of the meeting, the city planner and councillor had made it clear that the response to this proposal will almost certainly be a refusal report.
Click to expand...

For heaven's sake. If we can't build a 280m building here where can we build one? Their head's would explode if the proposal was 466m instead of 266m like we're seeing in New York, Moscow, KL, and a growing list of other global cities we compete with. These people are living on another planet; they need to be replaced. Patience has its limits.

And to think, I was coming on here hoping for an extra 100m.
 
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Can't they set aside space near the top of the tower for Jesse Ketchum to relocate? They'll never have shadowing issues again!
 
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