Caitlyn Flanagan

The appellant sought minor variances to legalize the conversion of a semi-detached dwelling into a 19-room rooming house with a separate rear dwelling unit, which had been constructed without building permits.

The City supported the application on affordable housing grounds, while local residents opposed it due to illegal construction, safety concerns, and overdevelopment.

The Toronto Local Appeal Body dismissed the appeal, finding the appellant had engaged in an intentional subversion of the planning process and failed to provide a truthful factual foundation.

The Tribunal held that a proposal of this magnitude should be addressed through a zoning by-law amendment rather than a minor variance.