For some it’s the boardwalk. For others it’s the iconic Leauty Lifeguard Station or the Fox Theatre. And for some it’s the canopy of oaks. 

For many, we chose to raise our children here precisely because it has no skyscrapers. The small-town village feel was and is why we love this place with all our hearts.

Yet developers, with the help of their political enablers, want to monetize the Beach by opening the door to skyscrapers and highrises.

In 2012, the community worked with former Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, to create the Beach Urban Design Guidelines, which have served the community well. It has allowed for growth to 6-storeys, welcoming more people to the Beach. The intent was simple: to prevent highrise developments. Period.

But now, Councillor Brad Bradford, wants to ignore all the work community volunteers and city staff did to craft the protections. He is now proposing an 18-storey (plus two more for a mechanical penthouse, making it 20-storeys) at 1631 Queen Street. He continues to insist that 18-stories “does not break the rules.” That's totally false. 

All you need to see to know its false is the latest "fact sheet" that Brad is peddling. It states that the final recommendation is for an "Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment." It’s proof that they must eliminate the protections we currently enjoy in order to ram this skyscraper into the Beach.

The problem of course is this: once we lose the protections from developers, the Beach will be defenseless against future applications for highrises. Brad pretends it won't set a precedent, but anyone familiar with how the adjudication process for developments work, knows full well it is heavily stacked in favour of developers against residents. This is essentially a rubber stamp.

The Beach is special.  Let's not let the toxic twins (developers and their political puppets) forever change this place we love so dearly. If you love the Beach, now is the time to step up.  Be local and vocal. Fight the Height. Thank you for signing our petition! If you can, please consider making a donation to the campaign:   https://www.change.org/1631-queen