Downtown and East York will now be focus of new zoning rules.
A last minute revision to a planned by-law change means that most of Scarborough will not in fact see sixplexes constructed on residential streets without input from the community and local councillor.
Toronto City Council voted at the end of June on whether or not to allow “as of rights” sixplex construction throughout the City. What this would have meant in practice is that a developer would have automatically been allowed to tear down a bungalow and construct a sixplex on any detached residential lot in the City without requiring approval.
Instead of bringing the policy citywide, a compromise was made where these rules are now in effect for old Toronto and East York, but not Etobicoke, York, North York and most of Scarborough.
The changes will though apply to Scarborough North — which was designated the ‘pilot project’ area for the changes. While the pilot has not even technically concluded, the changes now apply permanently to the ward. Scarborough North Councillor Jamaal Myers is one of the original champions of automatic sixplexes.
Scarborough Centre Councillor Michael Thompson and Scarborough South West Councillor Parthi Kandavel both voted against automatic sixplexes.
The proposal had not initially gained much public awareness. It had breezed past the housing committee and was widely expected to be adopted at City Council. Mayor Olivia Chow was a big advocate of automatic sixplexes.
However, in the weeks leading up to the vote, community groups spoke out against the plans based on concerns about over-development, parking, garbage collection, property values and more.
