Vaughan to strike task force on contentious Muslim condo complex proposal

YorkRegion.com
February 18, 2014
By Adam Martin-Robbins

The city is striking a special community working group to address concerns about a contentious Muslim condominium complex in Thornhill Woods.

"What's going to happen, I would hope, out of this (working group) will be some further insights, information, perhaps even some significant changes that would be made to the application that would come from the agreed upon results of this group's deliberations," Thornhill Councillor Alan Shefman said.

The unusual move by council Tuesday afternoon to establish a working group for this proposed development comes nearly two weeks after hundreds of residents descended on city hall for a public hearing.

They came to air concern about, or voice support for, the Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto's proposal to build two 17-storey residential towers, 61 townhouses and retail space on its 11- hectare property at 9000 Bathurst St., south of Rutherford Road.

The new Islamic community would be built around the Jaffari Community Centre.

The proposal has stoked both religious tensions and concerns about adding more people and vehicles to an already congested area.

Members of the community working group will include ward and regional councillors, city staff, community representatives and members of the local business community.

The working group is slated to report back to council with its recommendations in about five months.

Council also left the door open to hiring a facilitator to help the group work through the issues.

"This is not going to be a one meeting and voila we've found a solution type of process here," Mr. Shefman said. "And, I think, with some of the emotions that exist around this issue ... it's well worth the potential cost of having a facilitator if we can find a good solution to this issue."