Here’s how you keep your constituents happy. Residents plan to fight their Council member every foot of the way.

Now Dennison has a new issue and on this one he is probably very wrong and may pay heavily for it in the 2014 municipal election – assuming he runs.

Dennison has said he is considering making a request to the Committee of Adjustment for permission to sever his Lakeshore Road property into two lots with the new lot measuring 54 feet in width, unusually small for Lakeshore Road.

The Roseland Community Organization (RCO) thinks such a move is bad for the community and have been watching the situation.  Councillor Dennison did invite the members of RCO onto his property to show them what he planned to do.Press Release

Roseland Community Organization is a non-profit corporation formed to sustain the character of Roseland as a unique community of character homes set in a forest-like setting.  RCO maintains a vigilant posture in regard to planning and development matters, and is proactive in shaping change in the community. In less than a year, RCO has achieved a membership of over 100 residents.

RCO has, until very recently, maintained a watch and wait position on what Dennison has said he plans to do.  This morning they announced that they have reached a  “formalized decision on a very important planning matter.”

RCO will continue to oppose lot severances which do not reflect good neighborhood planning.

Dennison lives in this historically designated home on Lakeshore Road with his Mother and partner.  He has said he plans to make an application to the Committee of Adjustment for a minor variance.  A community organization in his ward does not feel the variance is minor.

RCO has carefully considered the request for a severance and variances for 3083 Lakeshore Road. “At the time the initial article appeared in the press, the Board had serious concerns about this application but had not gathered formally to discuss the severance or vote on it.”

“Having now formally voted, the RCO has decided to appear at the Committee of Adjustment hearing and object to this requested severance and variances. The proposed lot frontage for the new lot to be created would be approximately 54 feet while the R1.2 zoning for this area requires a minimum of 78.8 feet. This is 31 % less than the minimum requirement.

“This is not minor, and is not in keeping with the intent of the Official Plan and Zoning By-Law. In reaching this conclusion, RCO also took into account the concerns of residents in the area, as well as, previous OMB case rulings (2006 and 2012.)

“We were encouraged by City Hall’s non-support of a 2012 Roseland severance application which proposed lot sizes of an even larger frontage. We are confident in the ability of Staff at City Hall and the Committee of Adjustment to place this Application under similar scrutiny.”

RCO has formed a Planning Committee to actively participate in the City’s detailed planning studies being undertaken for the Indian Point and Roseland neighbourhoods.

Is Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison walking into one of those “Gunfight at the OK Corral” situations where he will be outgunned by the people who voted him into office?

These new plans will hopefully increase neighbourhood stability, will protect trees on public and private properties, and will lead to design-intense solutions for new housing additions and infill homes. Until the City’s neighbourhood planning study results in increased protection for the Roseland community, we remain vulnerable for undesirable development applications.