A bid to remove Toronto planning decisions from the oversight of the Ontario Municipal Board deserves support, city councillors say.

Ontario’s capital city has a strong planning department which should be accountable to the public for how the city evolves, said Councillor Adam Vaughan.

Vaughan and Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam held a city hall news conference Thursday to support a move by a Toronto MPP to exempt the city from the municipal board, which hears appeals of planning decisions.

Toronto could set up its own appeals body under private member’s legislation being pushed at Queen’s Park by New Democrat Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina).

Vaughan said the current system lets councillors off the hook by allowing them to pretend to oppose unpopular developments while knowing they will likely be approved on appeal to the OMB.

“As long as you have an unaccountable body, politicians can hide behind it,” Vaughan said.

At city hall, there has been relentless criticism that the provincial tribunal too often sides with developers.

“The OMB does little to provide clarity, accountability or vision to the planning process,” he said. “What they are is a venue for people with deep pockets to second-guess the city.”

Wong-Tam said an example of the body’s clout was its ruling in favour of Menkes Developments’ plan to replace the old Four Seasons Hotel at Bloor and Avenue Rd. with two tall condo buildings.

Opponents, including Queen’s Park Speaker Steve Peters, argued the buildings would mar the view of the legislative building from University Ave.

Peters took the unusual step of appealing the OMB’s decision to the courts last summer, but lost.

“Even the speaker of the house could not stop the developer from breaching the view corridor,” said Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. “As a symbol of democracy and one of our most important institutions, we should be protecting the view of Queen’s Park.”

Marchese, who attended the news conference, noted Toronto is bigger than some provinces and deserves more control over shaping the city.

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“The city is mature enough, and has a strong planning department,” Marchese said. “I think they’re the ones who should worry about planning, should be responsible for planning, and should be accountable for their own planning decisions.”

Marchese said his bill would empower Toronto to set up its own appeal body, deciding what its scope should be and who should sit on it.

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