Brampton monster home stuns its bungalow-dwelling neighbourhood

Neighbours say the 6,600-square-foot house under construction on the site of a formerly modest house doesn't fit into the neighbourhood. Some councillors agree.

One neighbour compared it to a Walmart store.
Another fears it will house multiple units.
Many other shocked neighbours claim the 6,600-square-foot monster home being built in a quiet part of Brampton known for modest bungalows and side-splits is twice the size of the structure the city approved.

But the home’s owner, Ahmed Elbasiouni, says he has done nothing wrong.
“There are hundreds of phone calls from people complaining about this house,” Elbasiouni acknowledged Wednesday afternoon, frustrated that another stop-work order by the city is preventing him from finishing the house intended as a home for himself, two brothers, their families and their parents.

“I’m doing everything legally,” Elbasiouni said. “I’m sticking to the plans and showing I’m doing what was approved by the city.”
Joe Ronayne, who has lived next door to the property for 32 years, says the rebuilt house is “too big for the area. It’s supposed to be a single-family home, but we’ve heard multiple units are going in. It’s like the city can’t do anything about it.”

A statement by the city doesn’t provide details of the building permit, but does say it authorized only what’s allowed under the zoning bylaw and the Ontario Building Code.

At a council meeting Wednesday, Councillor Grant Gibson, who represents the ward, explained to staff what residents are complaining about and said he believes the owner has gone far beyond what was allowed under the permit. He asked staff to report back on details of the building permit and how construction has been able to continue.

“This person came in for a permit to renovate,” Gibson told his colleagues Wednesday. “The house was gone — nothing left but a hole in the ground — without a demolition permit.”
A meeting between senior staff and Elbasiouni is planned Friday to find a solution.

Councillor Elaine Moore agrees that neighbours are rightfully angry.
“The owner told me it was going to be a 3,600-square-foot home, an addition to the 1,800-square-foot bungalow that was here. Instead of building the addition, (the owner) knocked the entire house down, completely demolished it,” said Moore, who lived five houses down from the property for 31 years.

“These are 1,400- to 2,000-square-foot homes. I thought 3,600 was going to be too big for the neighbourhood.”
Elbasiouni said the house had to be demolished after work began and the supporting walls collapsed. He said a new building permit was obtained for a two-storey home to be constructed, and repeated that he is following the plans submitted to and approved by the city.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, councillors demanded the structure be torn down, pointing out that a house in Toronto is facing partial demolition for going just one foot beyond what bylaws allow.
Gibson said the house is now being built “even higher” than it already is. “How could this be allowed to happen?”
Councillor Paul Palleschi agreed with other councillors who said this sort of thing is becoming more common in Brampton. He said the city must take a strong stance.

“This needs to be torn down. Not only a stop-work order, but bring it back to a one-unit, even if he has to do some demolition.”

SAN GREWAL/The Toronto Star