Greenstreet Flats is very proud to announce that we have broken ground on our latest and greatest project at 367 Howland Avenue. We are particularly proud of this project given the path that needed to be taken to get to this point.
One of the biggest challenges with missing middle housing, particularly when it is rental-based, are neighbours and the broader community. Their support or opposition can make or attempt to break a project. Our approach is always to engage meaningfully with the community to ensure their concerns are heard and represented. As we worked through that process on this project, we found an incredibly engaged and passionate community. We worked with an appointee from the resident's association, and after many months of revisions and negotiation, we were able to reach a design that the vast majority of the community-supported. With this support, we were able to achieve zoning approval. However, the actions of a single neighbour, who had been part of the dialogue the entire time, caused an unexpected two-year delay to the project. He launched a completely unmerited appeal and refused to have any meaningful negotiation. He did everything he could to make the project untenable to us. He engaged in a misinformation campaign, which resulted in verbal threats being hurled at our President. He attempted various delay tactics, lied under oath, and harassed witnesses over the course of an unheard of 8 day TLAB hearing.
Despite his best efforts, we were able to persevere and the project was ultimately approved. We then took it upon ourselves to meticulously document the vexatious and litigious behaviour of this individual, and filed for costs against him. We are very proud to say that we were able to secure the largest cost award ever granted by the TLAB against this individual! We did not take this lightly and would never take such drastic action had there been any merit to his case or if he attempted to negotiate in good faith. We felt compelled because he blatantly lied throughout the process and attempted to malign our character and reputation. All while portraying himself as a good samaritan and steward of the neighbourhood, where the reality was the neighbourhood shunned him.
But as they say the more difficult the journey, the sweeter the destination. And our destination has finally arrived with construction underway. We can't wait to show off this latest purpose-built missing middle rental project when it's completed! But for now, we'll have to settle on a few photos from the site and a rendering of what will be standing there by the end of 2022!
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