NEW COMMENT January 5, 2010

Happy New Year to everyone from BPFA (Better Planning For All). BPFA is glad to announce that it is officially a not-for-profit incorporated association dedicated to the retention, re-use and preservation of heritage buildings in the City of Toronto. In addition BPFA is firmly committed to good city planning that respects the citizens right to choose the direction of their community's.

In the opinion of BPFA there cannot and must not be one law for the developer and politician and another law for the common citizen. Enhancement and growth of a community must come from and through its citizens and not imposed upon by politicians, city planners or powerful developers.

So, where does the future of the National Hotel lie? On November 10th, 2009, BPFA presented a petition of 422 signatures from the immediate neighbourhood to the Toronto and East York Community Council. Community council voted unanimously to reject the developers application for a demolition permit and re-zoning application with amendments recommending to City Council that all four external walls of the National Hotel remain intact if a development proposal is to be approved and that the developer secure off site parking to compensate for parking that would be lost as a result of the structure remaining in tact.

Unfortunately between November 10th and November 30th, 2009 politics raised their ugly head and City Council decided to further amend the application before them and made the entire decision on whether the National Hotel remains predicated on a "peer review" overseen by the the Manager, Preservation Services. In short, the equivalent of putting the inmates in charge of guarding the jail.

So, how did this nasty bit of back room political manipulation occur in light of Pam McConnell providing an oscar performance at the Toronto and East York Community Council that even had me fooled when she stated with almost a hint of the tear from her eye saying, "she apologized for her misunderstanding regarding the development proposal acknowledging that yes, if a 17 storey structure was placed on top of the structure and six levels of parking placed underneath the National Hotel, sure it would fall down but left in tact and maintained it should be able to remain for a long time in the future." (Please click on the link to the right to review City Council's decision in its entirety).

Can the citizens of the Old Town tolerate the future of the National Hotel being left in the hands of two people, the Manager of Preservation Services and the OMB adjudicator? Does heritage designation of the National Hotel mean anything? Does our by-laws mean anything? But most of all does our voice to save the National Hotel and reject the developers proposal mean anything in our so called "democratic system"?

Certainly BPFA will be participating at the OMB hearing but BPFA wonders how the citizens voice is going to be heard if the City of Toronto who is suppose to be defending its very laws has already put forward a development strategy that ignores the 30 meter height restriction, ignores the required 7.5 meter setback from the lot line facing King St. East and has instigated a "peer review" by Preservation Services, the very people that have recommended the removal of the National Hotel and a reconstructed facade like replica. In short, is there not a serious conflict of interest at work if the very body (the City of Toronto) that has pushed for the destruction of the National Hotel is defending the National Hotel?

BPFA is examining the legal ramifications of the City of Toronto's apparent conflict of interest and potential legal misrepresentation of a quasi judicial process aimed at protecting good planning and provide for a planning process that is suppose to be fair by making them open, accessible, timely and efficient. Question, how is any of this process going to be fair if the City is acting as both the defense council and the executioner?

At this stage it is very important that all citizens participate in a concerted afford to make their views further heard to City Council and the Provincial Government. Lets insure that there is no room in our community for corrupt city councilors and a corrupt city government.

Please click on the 251-255 King St East link above to be re-directed to learn more about the battle to save the "National Hotel".