By Pepper Parr
August 17th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Dozens of developments are in the hands of the Planning Department and the Ontario Land Tribunal
Those at the Tribunal are related to the Interim Control Bylaw the city imposed two years ago and the 2018 edition of the Official Plan that has been adopted but is not yet in force.
Waterfront Hotel on the right at the bottom of Brant Street.
A development project that has been in various states of review and considerable public debate is the plans to re-develop the Waterfront Hotel site.
The city planners have known for more than a decade that the hotel would be demolished and something quite a bit larger put in its place. The early thinking was to look west along the Promenade and use some of the land that was created with landfill that extended the property out into the lake.
Referred to as the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study it began in March 2017 and was put on hold in June 2018.
The first view the public got of the thinking going on in the Planning was called the Emerging Preferred Concept. It was not a pretty picture in the minds of a group of downtown people who labelled themselves Plan B.
It was the two emerging concepts that resulted in the creation of Plan B.
could not take place. Their view was that there had to be a line drawn beyond which development could not take place. They felt that the public had to have a clear view of the lake from Brant Street.
There was a second Emerging Preferred concept that Plan B didn’t think was all that much better
The thin red line would allow both Brant and John street to funnel into Spencer Smith Park and still leave for plenty of room for a development that would be zoned mixed use which would allow for some street level retail along the south side of Lakeshore Road.
The buildings would have lower height on the south side and not overwhelm the lake. Also – the elevation is considerable lower as you walk into the park – the height suggested would not impact Lakeshore Road.
The last public communication on the status of the study came through Staff Report in May 2020.
“Staff has had preliminary discussions with the representatives for the property owner and are working to create a revised plan to complete the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and other project delays have caused the timing of this work to shift farther into 2020. Staff will provide a report with a proposed revised action plan by Q4 2020.”
The city’s communications people reported that “The role (planner) responsible for leading this study is currently vacant. We are in the hiring process now, and the successful candidate will be charged with re-initiating the work as soon as possible.
The lead consulting firm is The Planning Partnership (TPP).
This news has the Plan B people ticked, which puts it mildly. With no planner on the file – nothing gets done.
When the Plan B people saw the Emerging Preferred Concept they surveyed the community and came forward with a plan they felt would do justice the the waterfront and the view of the lake from Brant Street.
Their “red line” was crucial.
With Covid providing a good cover for no movement within the Planning Department the Plan B people want a seat at the table.
Burlington they feel has grown to the point where citizens should be in the room when the discussions take place and note just the planners, developers and the developers consultants.
There are precedents for this.
The look of the properties adjacent to Spencer Smith Park are too important to be left in the hands of the commercial interests.
Watch for some healthy public discussion that is open and really transparent.
The city hired The Planning Partnership (TPP) to conduct a number of public sessions – there wasn’t a consensus nor was there much in the way of respect for the public participation. Speakers were shut down, discussion was limited -many felt they were being pushed around by the consultants.
The studies that are being done are paid for by the developer who has input but certainly doesn’t determine the outcome.
Why wouldn’t the city want you at the table – your plan is the best thing the city has seen in a decade. How can we help getting you at the table?
Who are you referring to as “you”?