June 25, 2021 The Planning and Housing Committee 10th Floor, West Tower, City Hall 100 Queens St West Toronto M5H 2N2 Attn: Nancy Martins email: [email protected] RE: PH24.5 Mandatory Pre-Application Consultation: Proposed Amendments to the Official Plan and to the Municipal Code- Proposals Report Dear Chairperson Ana Bailao, and Members of the Planning and Housing Committee: The recently founded Federation of South Toronto Residents Associations (FoSTRA) already represents twenty residents’ associations (RAs) in Wards 4, 9, 10, 13 and Ward 11 south of Bloor Street. Our boundaries encompass a population of over 400,000 people, and our Federation continues to grow with new RAs and individuals joining every month. FoSTRA supports the proposed mandatory pre-application consultation with city staff. Making pre-application consultation a mandatory, rather than a voluntary, step in the development review process seems like a progressive step and one that will add efficiency, resulting in the submission of higher-quality applications and a speeder application process overall. However, we note that the report recommends that this pre-consultation step be required for planning staff input only. It only “encourages” consultation with Councillors in Wards impacted and with the residents directly affected by the proposed development. When pre-consultations with the immediate community do take place, applicants report that the information received makes their projects better. It certainly results in better outcomes for the residents of Toronto. FoSTRA therefore recommends that mandatory pre-consultations also be extended to the Councillor in the Ward where the development will take place and to the immediate surrounding community. Sincerely, Rick Green Don Young Acting Chair Acting Vice-chair Cc: Gregg Lintern, Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division Matt Keliher, Chief Operating Officer, Development, City Manager's Office Comments are closed.
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