Months after being granted ‘strong mayor’ powers from the province, Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier is using them to approve two new high-rises in the town.
On Tuesday, councillors voted 4-3 to pass the related by-laws. Only one-third of council was needed to pass them through.
Each of the residential towers will be between 55 and 62 floors tall. They will be built on Westney Road, south of Highway 401, in the area around the Ajax GO Station.
“This unprecedented step will accelerate desired development in this new growth area and ensure access to affordable and desirable living spaces sooner,” wrote Collier on X. “We recognize bold action is required by all levels of government to collectively address this housing crisis.”
Collier claimed the towers would include more than 1,200 residential rental units, along with around 5,000 square metres of commercial space, including a grocery store and a daycare facility.
“We do have a housing crisis,” he said Tuesday, touching upon Ajax council’s previous endorsements of denser housing types. “If we say one thing, we can’t turn around and do something else. It doesn’t work. This is in line with what this council has made public statements that they support and want to do.”
“I think it’s an opportunity in this area, to pump life into it,” argued Councillor Marilyn Crawford.
“I think everybody understands that I’m not in favour of 60 storeys along the MTSA [Major Transit Station Area],” said Councillor Lisa Bower. “I do understand intensification. I do understand the need for housing. I still question that this is affordable. I think it’s setting precedent for overdevelopment.”
“I’m not okay with ‘strong mayor’ powers in general,” argued Councillor Nancy Henry. “I don’t think it’s necessary. I think when you have a council that you can speak with and communicate with, something could have been worked out. I don’t feel like that happened here. And I feel like a voice was taken away.”
*Council Update*
On Sept 5, with the use of Strong Mayor legislation, Ajax Council passed the necessary by-laws to permit the construction of two 60-storey residential towers in our Major Transit Station Area (Ajax Go Station).
— Shaun Collier (@mayor_collier) September 7, 2023
Now your questioning over development???? No doubt this will set a precedent.
Mabey run for mayor next time Nancy.
Housing crisis now because no one could look forward. Is anyone going to bother to look forward to the policing crisis or the education crisis or the medical support crisis that’s on the horizon?
How will this “ensure access to affordable…living spaces?”
I’m very disappointed to see that the mayor has used this power to go ahead with the building of these two buildings. Westney Road is already busy with traffic. Imagine the congestion that’s going to be created once the shovel goes into the ground? Marylin Crawford said that life needs to be pumped into it, may I suggest that you take a drive up that way and see the over flow of vehicles. I highly doubt she’s lives anywhere near Westney Road. Also I highly doubt that these two buildings will provide affordable rent. Has the Mayor seen the price of the new townhouses on Bayly and Salem Road? Id id… 1.2 million for a townhouse is not affordable. I’m very diappointed in the mayor’s decision and I will no longer being voting for him.
Word of 2023 is….. ……….crisis. Guess if everything is said as crisis it will be put to the for front and everyone seems to love that.
Affordable housing??
I doubt it!! I’m sure the rent on these units will be sky high!!
You want affordable housing, you have no choice but to get on the wait list & hope you get into subsidized, geared to income housing and then live a life where at least you can afford the rent but ….. there are many downfalls too
Does Ford give him a bonus for this move? I’m disgusted with the housing crisis the government has created. I guess this won’t impact the daycare crisis that already exists!
Why not look for solutions that cut developers out of the equatio, thus allowing affordability to actually be possible? Make land available for young people to build their own houses, governments coordinate the building not for profit houses, etc..
Can anyone in leadership actually come up with bold ideas anymore? Or would that upset their campaign contributers too much. Vote this mayor out!
@Rose Leach. Ms. Crawford is Durham Region councillor for Ajax ward 1. I am quite certain that she is very familiar with Westney Road. Strictly speaking, the property in question is not in the ward she represents; it’s a very short walk south of the southern boundary of the ward. However, it is inconceivable that the Councillor is unaware of traffic on that part of Westney Road.
I don’t want to put words in Ms. Crawford’s mouth but I suspect that the comment about “pumping life into the area” was about making it a place for living. As you point out, there are a massive number of cars there at various times of day. But they all go there transactionally. There are a lot of great businesses in the area (a very large number of which deal with servicing or selling or updating the very cars that you mentioned.) And, of course, there is the transit hub. But all of that means that this is an area with pretty much nothing but car traffic. Over the years, people have tried to operate restaurants attached to the GO station but it’s a very tough business. Because, and I will borrow the Councillor’s word here, there is no “life” in the area.
Not only do I not speaking for Councillor Crawford, I also don’t speak for the developer. But the plan does seem to call for livable amenities such as on site groceries (without the need for Uber Eats/Door Dash to get them.) A population the size of that which can be housed in the proposed towers will certainly attract other amenities. Some of the too many cars on Westney might start going there because it could easily become a destination in its own right.
If you look a little bit south of this property, there is another high rise proposed around Lake Driveway. But that proposal has drawn criticism (possibly justified) from the homeowners who will now have “people looking down into their back yards.” The proposed site for this set of towers is ideal in terms of its impact on other property owners. It’s an opportunity to build a vibrant, urban residential community without upsetting the neighbours.
I see a lot of negative comments here but my goodness this would be a statement development for Ajax and why should we not have a statement development? Don’t get me wrong; I love Ajax…but it is, perhaps, a bit boring. (Or a lot boring!) Ignoring some of the buildings along Harwood (including the new ones at Pat Bailey Square) and some of the buildings on Church street and the new condos at Rossland and Harwood and perhaps a few other places, we do live in fairly ordinary not very high density housing. (Which is one of the reasons we need so many single occupant cars on that very part of Westney.) Even with the many non-industrial commercial centres in Ajax (think Durham Centre, Home Depot, wherever you get your oil changed …) the word “boring” does come to mind. A development such as this would actually be a stand out. Obviously, there would be logistical issues including traffic. But this would be noticed; this would be a signature piece for Ajax.
Yup the small town mayor were given these powers to implement all the new WEF initiatives like 15 minute cites. It much easier to implement these programs in small towns, if you try it nationwide there are too many people that will not be happy with it, this way you do it town by town and the smaller groups are more easily dismissed as conspiracy theorist.
I can understand building new affordable homes, but these will definitely NOT BE affordable. 60 stories no less!!! Shame!!!