Combating Dormant Construction Sites - An Update on Unfinished Development Regulations in Toronto
Unfinished construction sites are becoming an increasingly familiar sight in neighbourhoods across Toronto. In Ward 15, there are now townhouse developments in various stages of completion along Bayview Avenue, from the 401 to Lawrence Avenue East. In many cases, the developer demolishes the existing homes after letting them fall into a state of disrepair, and then leaves the site dormant for years before construction finally begins.
At North York Community Council (NYCC) last week, the developer for 2710-2722 Bayview Avenue submitted an application to the City requesting demolition permits for the existing dwellings on-site, despite having no active building permits to commence work on the property afterward. If approved, the City would have no mechanism to compel the developer to either start work or restore the site if construction did not begin within a reasonable timeframe.
It's for this reason that I moved to refuse these requests from the developer, with unanimous support from my colleagues on NYCC. You can listen to my remarks to Council, here. In my opinion, it's absolutely unacceptable that the developer has allowed the current properties to fall into a state of disrepair in the first place.
As a City, we cannot continue to allow demolition to take place months – or even years – before building permits are ready to be issued. The many vacant lots on Bayview Avenue or the unfinished development site at 70 Wicksteed Avenue in Leaside are a testament to what happens when we do.
To address this issue, I moved a motion at City Council earlier this term calling for a new strategy to ensure that after demolition occurs, developers either proceed with the project or entirely restore the site. Developers should be required to remediate and fully restore construction sites before they fall into disrepair or become a health and safety concern in the community.
I am looking forward to advancing this new strategy with Toronto's Chief Building Official in the new year.