The ward 1 city councillor is hoping a proposed development near the Roseland Golf Club can be reconsidered after seeing over 900 new dwelling units approved at the committee level.
Fred Francis says he's heard from residents who are "scratching their heads" over the proposed Roseland condos.
During Monday's Development and Heritage Standing Committee meeting 947 dwelling units were approved through a range of new developments - majority of them along arterial roads by private developers.
Francis, who's a member on the committee, says that's exactly where these condos should be built, not on city-owned, public property.
The proposed plan at Roseland would include a 38-unit luxury condo building with a green roof, underground parking, tiered levels, glass railings, balconies, and sports courts, along with a new clubhouse for the golf course.
He says as more information comes to light about the Roseland project, more and more people are confused with why this project is moving along.
"Why are we selling public land on a heritage site for 37 luxury condo units, with the understanding that we have a housing crisis, not a luxury condo housing crisis? And if the city can work with private development, on private property, to develop 947 housing units in one meeting, then maybe we should rethink the need to sell off public land."
Francis says there are better ways to address the housing crisis than luxury condos.
"If there's still land options available, like we dealt with on Monday, where we could do multi-storey housing units at affordable and attainable costs, I think that's how we solve the housing crisis - or at least make a dent. 947 units in one night is a pretty good start, and if we could continue that, that's something I think would make us move forward in a more practical and pragmatic way."
He adds that the projects that were brought to the committee are the ones that council should be approving right now.
"We heard this from city planners saying we don't have many of these lands available, so when they do come up for this kind of development we have to take advantage of them. So, I'm of the opinion, and many of my residents are of the opinion, are let's maximize the land we can maximize until it's not there."
Francis says the next steps will see a report come back to council at a future meeting as a communication item addressing the process on how to move forward with reconsidering the project.
He says council will then have to decide if they want to move forward with reconsidering, or if they want to move it to a regular agenda item to allow delegations to speak to it.
Francis says he's not sure which meeting this will be discussed at.