Seeking to give residents more say about what gets built in their neighbourhoods, Toronto City Council has asked the province to free the city from the Ontario Municipal Board’s jurisdiction.
Council endorsed the proposal in 34-5 vote on Monday. The vote is expected to prompt talks with the province over how to revamp the quasi-judicial board, which hears appeals of zoning decisions and frequently overturns council.
“We’ve heard time and time again from our residents that there’s an inequitable playing field,” said Councillor Josh Matlow, who has been urging changes along with Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam.
Last Tuesday, Councillors Josh Matlow and Kristyn Wong-Tam introduced a motion at the Planning and Growth Committee meeting to do away with the Ontario Municipal Board. (Mississauga beat us to the punch by introducing a similar motion in June.) The committee voted unanimously in favour of asking the province to remove the OMB’s power over development approvals in the city.
On the agenda for the next City of Toronto Planning and Growth Management Committee meeting on Nov. 8 is a motion to abolish the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Under the current system, developers have little incentive to negotiate in good faith with the city, a process they see simply as a formality en route to a developer-friendly OMB appeal hearing. As a result, city councillors, city staff with expertise in planning and development, and citizens have little say over planning decisions that affect the future and development of Toronto neighbourhoods.
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and I have submitted a motion to free Toronto’s planning decisions from the purview of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) – the quasi-judicial, anti-democratic body that has final say over local planning decisions.
This motion will be debated at the Wednesday, November 8th meeting of the Planning and Growth Committee. At this meeting, there will be an opportunity for you to provide input to that committee by making a deputation or, if you cannot attend, email or letter. To sign up to make a deputation, or for further information, you can contact the clerk on the committee's website.
It is time to protect the fabric and character of our local neighbourhoods and allow our elected representatives to have the final say on the future of Toronto's neighbourhoods. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard!
