North York Council defers demolition for Erskine Ave. site

The North York Community Council voted unanimously Tuesday to defer granting a demolition permit to permit construction of the 35-storey apartment next door to John Fisher School on Erskine Ave. Councilor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25) was in a fighting mood over the high-rise development. “I think it speaks volumes that every single City Councillor voted to defer this item,” she told the CBC. It is unclear however just where Robinson and other opponents can take their cause. They have deferred the permit twice before. The development has already been approved by City Council — unanimously — according to a statement from the developer, KG Group. Each has a different version of just what happened when the Ontario Municipal Board approved the development. The OMB and KG Group characterize the 2015 mediated settlement as a victory for both sides. But opponents say the City clearly opposed the project — planning papers show this — and mediation was a lesser evil than the outcome if opposition continued.