Local Development

What are the goals of the Development Committee:

• Protecting the Tree Canopy from over development.
• Advocating that development applications follow the City of Toronto’s Official Plan and the Long Branch Neighbourhood Character Guidelines.

How does local development affect the residents of Long Branch?

• Your next-door neighbours are planning an addition to their house.
• You’ve just received a notice that the owner of a property near you wants to tear down the existing house, split the property in two and build two new houses.

These are examples of events that can occur on your street that will most likely bring you into contact with the Committee of Adjustment (CoA).

For most residents, this is something that may only happen once or twice and it usually is an experience for which most residents are leery of or at least totally unfamiliar.

The Long Branch Neighbourhood Association can help guide you through the CoA process so that your opinions and concerns will be heard. We help organize the neighbours, assist with writing letters and help coach you through the hearing. Very often, members of the LBNA will appear at the hearings to add their voice to the neighbours affected by the application.

If the applicant/developer does not have their application approved by the CoA they can change the application and resubmit or they can appeal to the Toronto Local Appeal Body (TLAB).  TLAB was introduced in 2018 to replace the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).  TLAB is a more Toronto neighbourhoods focused body where the OMB was more provincially focused body.  Recent changes to the development approval process has removed the right to a third-party appeal to TLAB.  This makes the CoA hearing much more critical as this is the only forum for residents to request changes to a local development.

Since the creation of the Long Branch Character Guidelines and the passing of OPA320, as of January 2024, not one severance application heard at TLAB, has been approved.  Twenty-one have been refused.

The LBNA’s strategy through-out both the CoA and TLAB hearings is to support the current city by laws.  We show how current city by-laws are supported by local data to remind developers and present to the CoA/TLAB members that regulations have been followed in the past and must continue to be followed by new applications.

In addition, the LBNA actively advocate on behalf of Long Branch residents by presenting to meetings of the Planning and Housing Committee and Toronto Local Appeal Body business meetings to help ensure regulations fairly treat local residents.

The LBNA is currently preparing for a four-week OLT hearing in opposition of the proposed development on Lake Promenade which would ‘renovict’ the current (1200-1500) residents, disrupt the traffic, negatively effect the enjoyment of property owners closest to the construction and remove 89 protected size trees.  This development will change the face of the waterfront for people and migrating birds, remove mature tress and bring a massive influx of residents without additional infrastructure supports into the neighborhood. The proposed development window is 13 years.  For more on this activity see our Donations page and follow progress under the News on this site.