[davidcappi]

It is more often the councillor, not staff.

An example would be the 9 storey building at James and Burlington - full staff support, reports recommending approval, but the councillor didn't want to upset voters in the co-op to the north, so Farr votes against, sending the project to the LPAT where it was obviously approved. Farr gets to shift blame to another party while saving face. Its a tactic used a lot in Toronto too. It's why despite what folks will say, the OMB/LPAT is a necessary force because ultimately local councils just don't feel like adhering to the planning act