I’m glad that for the moment, you’re still allowing feedback on this post. I’m writing in response to Brian’s opinion today, in which he argues that 109OZ should be built, but since that post is, for the moment, closed to comments, I’m responding to it here. I hope you’ll see fit to open the discussion over there. 

There’s no rule that says we all have to agree on everything, and you’re of course perfectly within your rights to express a contrary view.

While I can’t speak for anyone else in the working group or the OCA, however, I feel that your post, as initially worded, does a grave disservice not only to Benj and Jessica, but to the other people who have been involved in the reaction to the 109 proposal and the neighbourhood area study.

You have, I think, mischaracterized the work of the group as “no-growth” and part of a city-wide “anti-condo crusade.” I don’t believe that’s part of our outlook; on the contrary, I can only reiterate that I welcome growth and intensification along the Ossington strip for all the reasons I’ve set out in our meetings: more foot traffic, a population density consistent with the level required to make public transit economically viable, greater diversity and demographic variety, meaningful progress away from private automobiles as the dominant form of transportation. It’s not a stretch, I think, to suggest that neighbourhood sentiment is broadly in line with those objectives.

There’s nothing that says those desirable impacts can’t be achieved by a condo. Again, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m not part of an anti-condo crusade, and I don’t believe anyone else involved in the process is either. I would be happy to see the 109 site developed in a way that makes it a vibrant and organic part of the neighbourhood. Obviously we differ in our views of the scale of Reserve’s proposal and its potential impacts.

We can disagree, of course, over whether the 109OZ plan is appropriate for Ossington, but I don’t think your portrayal of the OCA, the working group, or any of its members is fair or accurate. 

Faithfully,

Sol