The 15-meter-high pile of dirt has been growing steadily for a few years, local residents say, causing problems from blowing dust into water runoff.
“I’m more than upset, I’m angry,” local resident Sheila White said Tuesday, a day after the commission’s decision. “What we’re seeing here is a complete embarrassment and inconvenience to our community. It’s been allowed to turn into a really ugly spectacle of dumping and waste.” The two-acre vacant lot near McCowan Street and Sheppard Avenue East has been a focal point for local residents for at least seven years. They say they were told in 2015 that the site would be developed into a soccer field with an accompanying community center. But that plan was scrapped, says resident Stephen Casselman, within months. Then, about two years ago, the current owner began using the site as a place to dump dirt from nearby construction projects. The mound has grown so high that it overlooks local residences and offers views of downtown Toronto. (Patrick Morrell/CBC) Neighbors complained to the city, and an inspector from the city’s Department of Permits and Standards ordered the owner last spring to get rid of the embankment. The inspector said the embankment could be unstable and subject to runoff. But the owner of the lot, who chose not to speak to CBC Toronto, is appealing the decision on the grounds that the city gave permission to store dirt on the site. “There’s a big pile of dirt,” the owner’s attorney, Robert Drake, admitted during Monday’s hearing. “But there’s no evidence that this is a bad big pile of dirt,” Drake added. The commission decided that no evidence was presented to indicate how much of the land should be moved or where it should be moved. The owner’s lawyer admits the mountain of dirt is a pain in the neck. But Robert Drake says the owner has a plan designed to limit the impact of runoff and flying dust. (Patrick Morrell/CBC) And although the commission rescinded the order to move the dirt, commission member Jan Seaborn ordered the landowners and the city to try to negotiate a deal that works for both sides. City staff did not comment on the decision, saying only that they are reviewing the commission’s decision. Stephen Casselman, who lives several blocks from the site, said the landfill has been a thorn in the side of area residents for more than a year. “Besides being a sore throat … the runoff is huge every time it rains,” he told CBC Toronto. “There was dust in the air and the windows of the houses south of here were covered with dirt and the window ledges were covered with dirt.” But at Monday’s hearing, the owner’s attorney argued that city staff knew about and approved the owner’s use of the site. Drake said the earth piled up there will be used to create a new, environmentally friendly style of brick. Although she’s disappointed by the decision, Sheila White says she’s encouraged by the commission’s request that the city and the owner try to agree on some common ground. (Mike Smee/CBC) “Yeah, it’s a look. It’s a mountain of dirt,” he said. “But my client had the right to do it; it’s planned for it. He went to the city of Toronto and said, ‘This is how we’re going to use the site,’ and the city said, ‘Fine, that’s right, go right ahead.’ Despite the decision, White said she’s encouraged the commission asked the owners to try to find some common ground with the city. “And if that conversation doesn’t happen in a timely manner, we will insist that some new orders be made under the Toronto Municipal Code,” he said. “We want city officials to do a deep search of their municipal code to find the applications that will work to fix this site.”