Cross-posted from Eye Daily
Think the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) makes bad decisions? A ruling made at Divisional Court released last Friday confirmed that the OMB has, in fact, disregarded evidence and failed to provide reasonable justifications for their verdicts — at least in the case of rulings it has made regarding development in the Queen West Triangle. When the city first decided to request permission to appeal the OMB’s decision for the area, actually winning the right to appeal was considered a long shot. Nervous planners even opted to settle with two of the developers a few days before the Divisional Court released its decision. The court’s ruling doesn’t cast the OMB in a pretty light adding fuel to the fire of those who’d like to see it abolished altogether.
Here are a few choice quotes from the decision that are sure to make Torontonians’ hatred for the OMB grow:
“The board’s reasons are devoid of any discussion of the Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statements and the City’s Official Plan as they apply to these lands.â€
“The board provides no rationale or analysis to support its conclusion that the projects where in the public interest.â€
“The board failed to consider whether the projects are contrary to broad city policies that support a mix of uses as reflected in the Official Plan. The Board Reasons are deficient in justifying its decision and provide no indication that the Board considered this or had regard to whether the projects were consistent with the Planning Act or provincial policy.â€
Photo of 48 Abell by Kevin Steele
