City Council and Councillor Jon Burnside Update – Ward 16, Don Valley East
Councillor Jon Burnside was elected in 2022 and has made a notable difference with the DMRI and our relationship with the city and his office. He has shown a willingness to talk and consider the points we raise. While the DMRI and he do not always agree on specifics, there is an openness and frankness that is refreshing.
In the election, Jon Burnside promised to open a local office. Jon opened his community office at 895 Lawrence Ave. East. Office hours change monthly, so please check the website at ward16.ca or contact his office to schedule an appointment [email protected] or 416-397-9256.
Jon also committed to holding in-person Open Houses for development applications before the “virtual” City consultation. This extra meeting allows residents to speak to the applicant in person. To date, he has held 15 Open Houses and continues to engage the community with many opportunities regarding development applications.
Jon supported the City planning staff's refusal of the Flemingdon Golf Club proposal at 155 St Dennis Drive. Apart from his belief that the area already has too much density, it raised environmental concerns about erosion and flooding. The applicant has appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
Jon also opposed the redevelopment of 123 Wynford, the former Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. The City and Jon assigned a heritage designation to the property. This development has also been appealed to the OLT.
For many development updates also check Councillor Burnsides’ website at www.ward16.ca
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Last night’s meeting spent zero time on the golf course or the Ontario Land Tribunal. The February 22 rally to save the science centre? Nary a mention. Have a look at how much time 7 St. Dennis Drive got at council in November (“San Den-NEEE” as chair James Pasternak calls it): https://25problems.com/video/20240924-ny-community-council-7-st-dennis-dr.mp4
Remember we are talking about 7 St. Dennis Drive here; David Gerofsky’s 50 storey skyscraper would be situated directly across the road from the elevated railway! Artist’s rendering, not necessarily to scale:
https://25problems.com/images/elevated-railway-don-mills.jpg
Also not mentioned, at the Don Mills Collegiate and Grenoble P.S. meetings, was the idea to put three or four new 50-storey towers at 1 Deauville Lane… perhaps, what? 200 meters from Grenoble P.S.?
The city clerk processed a numbered application for 1 Deauville Lane on January 10; he specifically referred to more information being in the Application Information Centre. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Nor does the application centre mention the upcoming “community consultation” at Gateway P.S. on March 18th which is just two weeks away at this writing.
It’s sad that Don Mills residents have to rely on Google’s Youtube unit to obtain information about the science centre but in the abscence of meaningful information, citizen video is all we have to go on. See what the OTHER councillors said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLLVIGg8lF0