Whaley has been vocal about this issue for years, telling the Chronicle in 2012, “I don’t have a problem with the community evolving. We have to tear down the old to build up the new,” he said. “I do have a problem with replacing the old housing stock with poor new housing stock.”

When properties are up for redevelopment, applicants must first have a proposed site plan approved by the site plan review committee at the city before applying for demolition control. Once the demolition control application is submitted, it will be reviewed by staff who make a recommendation to the chief building official.

If it is approved, the applicant can apply for a demolition permit. If the application is refused or deemed "complex" by the chief building official, the application will go to council for final consideration.

Whaley was — and still is — concerned about the quality of buildings being proposed, especially in the student-heavy Northdale neighbourhood, where single detached homes were being purchased and converted into multistorey student apartments that acted more as warehouses than dwellings.

Not until recently, Whaley said, have attitudes toward building design and amenities changed. He credits developers for getting smarter and realizing that the nicer their building looks, the more likely they are to fill it with students.

“That’s of no credit to our own,” said Whaley.

Developers are required to follow the city’s urban design guidelines, which have specific guidelines about the Northdale neighbourhood.

“That brought the minimum standard up substantially,” said Henry adding that more developers have gone above and beyond the minimum. “So I’m very happy with the way development is occurring in Northdale.”

Overall, Whaley said, councillors should be making the major city-shaping decisions and not bureaucrats at city hall.

“It’s eroding our democracy,” he said.