Heated debate over Thornhill Woods condo plan expected to surface ahead of meeting

Tension is rising ahead of a meeting on the proposal by a Muslim group to turn a plot of land at 9000 Bathurst St. in Thornhill Woods into a housing complex. (Google Maps)

Tension is rising ahead of a meeting on the proposal by a Muslim group to turn a plot of land into a housing complex north of Toronto.

The development debate brings religious and cultural concerns to the surface, as the divided community considers a plan that would bring two condo towers and dozens of townhouses to the low-density neighbourhood.

Members of Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat, known commonly as Jaffari, have proposed building dozens of residences on the property currently housing their mosque. Some of the housing units would be dedicated to seniors, some would be used as assisted living, and some would be open to renters or buyers. Jaffari says the organization is using its money to help build up the community for all members, not just Muslims.

But non-Muslim residents of Thornhill Woods, represented by the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association, say that a major development would break City of Vaughan zoning codes, add to traffic congestion, and create a "gated community" atmosphere.

Both sides of the debate will meet June 25, for the third of five scheduled mediation sessions between opposing sides and representatives from the City of Vaughan.

The goal of the meetings is to come to a consensus, before submitting a revised plan to the city for approval. Those opposed to the initial plan hope for low-density, low-rise buildings that are open to everyone. Some have posted messages on the Facebook page for the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association saying that they will move away from the area if the plan is approved.

Drawn-out tensions

Tensions between members of the Muslim community and non-Muslims in the area started years ago, but the development proposal brought the underlying conflict to a head.

The land has belonged to the Islamic Shai Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto since the early 1990s, before many of those opposed to the latest plan were living in the area.

Thornhill Woods has many residents of Asian, South Asian, Italian, Israeli, Persian and eastern European descent, as well as prominent black and Jewish communities, according to the 2001 federal census, the last time demographic data for Thornhill Woods was gathered by the government.

The tension between the Muslim community and the rest of the neighbourhood started four or five years ago, when the new mosque was built at 9000 Bathurst St. The city gave developers strict rules, but developers went to the government and asked for an exemption to the city's parking lot bylaw. As a result, the mosque developers were permitted to build fewer parking spaces. The decision meant worshippers were forced to park on both sides of Bathurst, occasionally blocking driveways, squeezing traffic into a single lane in each direction and irking the residents of the street.

Tensions were high over the parking and resulting traffic slowdowns and when representatives from Jaffari went to the city with a new proposal in November 2013, the resentment rose to the surface.

Anti-development arguments

The main opponents are being represented by the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association, a committee formed by the official Ratepayers Association for the residents of Thornhill Woods in Vaughan.

As of this week, 5,562 people have signed a petition opposing the rezoning and redevelopment of the 11-hectare property at 9000 Bathurst St., citing reasons ranging from increased traffic during peak hours to the proposed destruction of part of the Vaughan Glen Hospital Heritage Building nearby.

However, the opposition's biggest concern is that the City of Vaughan might approve a proposal that goes against its own legislation, which marks the land for low-density, low-rise development only.

The City of Vaughan passed an official building plan in 2010 that specified the land in question was a community area, and could only be used for schools, parks, community centres, libraries and low-rise housing.

According to the plan, buildings in the designated area cannot be taller than three storeys. The 61 townhouses proposed by Jaffari would be permitted, but the 17-storey condo towers would not.

Jordan Kalpin, who is leading the charge against the development, told CTVNews.ca that he believes that developers' deep pockets have been able to blind the city to its zoning bylaws, leaving residents to fend for themselves to defend their position. He said the mosque can afford the best lawyers, while community volunteers struggle with fundraising.

"It becomes a contest of who has the deepest pockets, and the sad thing is, the community will run out of money defending itself," Kalpin said.

Kalpin said that the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association has posted an open letter to the mosque asking for a compromise. The community doesn't have access to transit and roadways that would be necessary to support two condo buildings' worth of people, he said.

Members of the association would welcome a low-rise seniors' centre and townhouses, but object to high-rises in their neighbourhood.

"In some cases, people moved away from Toronto (to Thornhill Woods) because they wanted the quiet, suburban experience," Kalpin said.

He added that he's angry with the city for not sticking to its zoning plan. Both Jaffari and the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association have had to hire lawyers, city planners and traffic analysts to support their sides.

"Instead of defending the residents of the community, the neighbourhood is paying to defend the city's own laws," he said. "These folks show up with very deep pockets and this crazy, crazy proposal."

Feelings of alienation have been a major cause of tension between the two sides.

He said non-Muslim residents of Thornhill Woods are worried they will be excluded from the Jaffari development. Kalpin compared the proposal to the gated communities in the United States. Some gated communities are based on religion while others are based on income, but either way, Kalpin said the idea isn't appropriate for the GTA.

"It's not the Canadian way," he said. The Preserve Thornhill Woods Association isn't opposed to a religious-oriented area, they just don't want it to be an area where others aren't welcome, Kalpin said.

Many think that they will not be permitted to walk through the neighbourhood anymore if they aren’t Muslim, he said. Could non-Muslim residents walk their dogs in the area, he asked rhetorically. "Could women walk around without head coverings?" However, the developers said that anyone would be welcome, regardless of culture or dress.

Pro-development arguments

A representative from Jaffari said that he understands how the development appears to be about segregating religions.

From the outside, the conflict looks like it's pitting Thornhill Woods' predominantly Jewish population against the Muslim community, but Shabbir Jaffer, communications team lead for Jaffari, described the Muslim group as one of the easiest to get along with, regardless of religion.

Jaffer said that the project isn't meant to keep those outside of the Muslim community out of the neighbourhood.

But developers have insisted that anyone would be permitted walk the streets, live in the new homes and use any sports and recreation facilities built by the Jaffari group.

The mosque is trying to help the region as a whole by offering what others can't afford.

"We're trying to supplement the resources that local and provincial governments provide," Jaffer told CTVNews.ca on June 12. Part of the property would be designated for seniors, while another part would be reserved for those needing government assistance, both of any religion. So far, Jaffer is unsure exactly how much it will cost to live in the condos or townhouses.

"We're trying to enhance what is already a vibrant and diverse community that is Thornhill and Vaughan," Jaffer said. The details haven't been worked out, but he said that the intention is to benefit the entire community, not just Muslims.

As for the building codes, Jaffer told CTVNews.ca that the group asked for the exemption to the bylaws expecting feedback from the community as a whole.

"There are exceptions and we would want to work with the city to ensure that those are acceptable for one and all," Jaffer said. The group also thought that their plans were closer to the city bylaws than they were.

"We felt that as we submitted our plans, we felt we were within the guidelines," he said. It was not until after the plan had been submitted and the community started to speak out against the plan that Jaffari was made aware of the zoning codes.

But Jaffari hopes to work with those opposed to the development to come up with a compromise for use of the land.

"We must try to work things out," Jaffer said. "We're going to be living there as well."

Next steps in Thornhill Woods

Since the proposal and subsequent opposition, representatives from Jaffari have been meeting with the city and the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association to work out the details.

The next meeting is on June 25, then two more are slated before a decision is made. Kalpin and Jaffer expect that the city will hold off on making a decision at least until the municipal election on Oct. 27.

If it's approved, the development is expected to be completed within three years.