Starbank Developments has run into some opposition to its plans for a 1.25-acre site at 1860 Bayview Avenue, the location of the former Brennan Pontiac Buick dealership.
"It's gone to committee twice," says Councillor
John Parker, whose ward begins across the street from the proposed retail development, which Parker has been led to believe will include a
Whole Foods grocery store. "The committee deferred its decision. The applicant appealed the deferral, which gave rise to the debate to whether a deferral is an appealable event. Before that was fully adjudicated, the applicant put forward another application in July, and that was refused, and that refusal has been appealed to the
OMB."
As Parker describes it, the community's opposition to the plan is not an opposition to a new Whole Foods so much as the methods he says Starbank is using to get approval, Instead of applying for a re-zoning, which would trigger a public consultation, they are seeking a minor variance, which could avoid any input from the residents of the two affected wards.
Parker is interested in the development because of the increased traffic he expects any large retail site would generate in his ward as well as its
neighbour.
Parker believes the project proposal is for 50,000 square feet on four levels, two underground. Starbank's website describes it as 80,000 square feet on two levels.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: John Parker
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