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鈥淥ur idea was, put the rental aside. Let’s think bigger. Let’s make sure we’re targeting something that could fix affordability in Toronto,鈥� he said.

These units are meant to be less expensive than a house, but more livable than a traditional condo. They’re aimed at young parents, professionals and different generations of families who want to live all together at one address, he said, and will be priced at around $2 million to $2.2 million each.

The project has garnered opposition from neighbours, over the size and changes it will bring to the street, as well as from the local councillor, who argues the price point isn’t in keeping with the purpose the multiplex bylaw.

The fourplex went to the in February, a tribunal聽that makes binding decisions under the Planning Act, and was rejected.

The that the two requested variances, to exceed the allowed height and depth, were not minor. But Taher says they plan to go ahead with a revised design that won’t require variances,聽and will soon launch pre-construction sales.

The original design called for a rooftop patio, but Taher said they removed it in response to the city鈥檚 feedback to secure a zoning certificate.

The Snowdon multiplex is a pilot,聽Taher added, and they would like to do more in the neighbourhood.

The neighbours have so far been vehemently unimpressed with the plans.

When the builders were applying for the variances the community submitted about 90 letters that聽outlined concerns over those specific requests, such as the size, but also voiced worries about a multiplex being added to the street in general, such as聽risk of flooding from construction and additional traffic.

Ami Maknoon,聽a realtor with聽McCann Realty Group and a local resident, wrote one of the letters of objection.

“I am strongly opposed to this development and everyone in the neighbourhood that I鈥檓 aware of is also against it, so I’m not quite sure how this is going聽to end if they proceed,” he told the Star.

“This neighbourhood is a quiet and very residential area where you rarely hear noise even during the day.”

He noted the lot sizes are small, making this type of high-density build “very unusual and inappropriate.”聽

Taher noted they are providing underground parking for residents, and said it’s a requirement from the city to have proper stormwater management. The redesigned property is now in line with the density and scale that’s allowed under the new multiplex rules, he added.聽

“We are missing the middle in Toronto,” he said. “We need to change that.”

Asked about the over $2-million price point, he said the聽units will be brand new, with high-end customized finishes, whereas other homes in the neighbourhood are over a hundred years old.

鈥淚t is pricey, but it’s coming with the full amenities, with the parking spaces,鈥澛燭aher added.聽

The average price for a detached home in the city in April was聽$1.7 million, per the聽 In the north 海角社区官网neighbourhood that Snowdon is a part of it was about $2.4 million, and $1.6 million for a semi.

In Toronto, multiplexes, and townhouses and small apartment buildings of聽up to six storeys聽on major streets in residential areas are now allowed as of right, meaning builders don’t generally need special permissions.

The intent was to create more homes that are between traditional detached houses and tiny condos, in both price and size.

But these rules are new,聽passed in spring 2023, and there’s been lots of pushback from neighbours on other聽recent projects.

Taher聽said the process to get approval to build has been awful 鈥� from the failed Committee of Adjustment process to the list of zoning deficiencies he said he was provided while trying to get the zoning certificate聽鈥� and has filed complaints to the city.

鈥淚’m super disappointed with City of Toronto, instead of helping us moving the cause they’re just pushing it back,鈥� he said.

鈥淭his is beyond an impartial review.鈥�

City spokesperson聽Alexandra Dinsmore confirmed in a email that Taher聽has filed a formal complaint regarding the zoning approval process and that they are investigating.

The city is also studying the impact of the new multiplex legislation and a report on multiplexes to council is anticipated later this year.聽

The local councillor, Rachel聽Chernos Lin, Ward 15 (Don Valley West), also submitted a letter to the Committee of Adjustment opposing the project. While she felt the 鈥渃umulative impact鈥� of the variances 鈥渨as really quite significant,鈥� especially the proposed height and rooftop patio, which have since been removed from the plan, she said the price is not in line with the intent of the multiplexes bylaw.

鈥淚 think most people imagine it as something that would provide more options in terms of price point for people who want to be able to stay in Toronto,” she said.

“That’s more than the average price of a single family home.”