Muir doesn't like the proposal for the east end of the city; not that many people in the community want to see quite this much density.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

July 31st, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Development proposals are flooding the city hall planning department.

Much of the public focus has been on proposals for developments in the downtown core. There are others.

The Lakeshore Village Plaza proposal for the east end of the city – yards away from the border with the Town of Oakville, was a bit of an eye popper for the many people that attended the first public viewing of what the developer has in mind.

July 18th crowd

Decent crowd for the first public event – another viewing will take place August 8th: 2:00 to 4:00 pm and 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

The proposal is to basically tear down everything on the site and put in three levels of underground parking and put up a total of 11 buildings on the site – the heights range form a single storey to one building that will reach 18 storeys into the sky. That one building will not be the only tower in the area.

There are several towers on the south side of Lakeshore overlooking the lake that are in the 15+ storey range.

Should the development proceed there will be a considerable amount of disruption during the building phases.

The Gazette asked the developers planners, MHBC – MacNaughton, Hermsen, Britton, Clarkson Planning Ltd., if there was a time line for the 5353 Lakeshore Road project. We wanted to know if there are dates attached to the start and finish of each phase? There are five phases. This community is looking at 7 years of disruption after which the community will never be the same.

Mayor Goldring promised the public that less than 5% of the city would be subject to intensification. The people in the east end are beginning to feel like that 5% is in their community.

Their answer to our question was: “Currently there is no set time line for the construction. There is a phasing plan included in the submission materials which was developed based on the site’s context and consideration for existing tenants. The goal of the owner is to ensure tenants who wish to remain can be relocated to the new portions of the site to minimize disruption, maintain existing tenant parking, build new underground parking and accommodate the various engineering and technical requirements for demolition and construction – all while trying to minimize construction times and impacts from construction to the community.

“We have estimated that each phase could take between a year and 18 months to construct with some overlap of phases. It is also highly depended on changing market factors which could be very different in 3 years.”

The development of the 3.84 hectare site is to include 900 residential units, 11.955 square metres of retail space and 2700 square metres of office space. There will be 200 parking spaces on the surface with three levels of underground parking.

Application time line

In order to build a development of this size applications have to be made for both Official Plan amendments and zoning amendments.

This project comes under the existing Official Plan – not the plan that city council approved (but could not pass until it has been passed by the Regional government. In the event that the city decides it doesn’t like the size of the proposal and staff decide not to recommend it – the developer will have the right to take the proposal to the Ontario Municipal Board – where Burlington doesn’t usually do all that well.

The Gazette pointed to a sentence in the Justification report prepared by MHBC that said: “The proposal is in conformity with the general direction of the proposed intensification framework set out in the draft city of Burlington Official Plan dated April 2018.

We followed that up the question: “How out of conformity is the proposal?”

MHBC said: “The proposal is not out of conformity with the new draft Official Plan but would require an amendment to consider the tall buildings. While we are not subject to the new Official Plan since the new Official Plan is a reflection of Council’s approved direction and it contemplates such an amendment, we believe with such an amendment, the current proposal would conform and the proposal also conforms to the overall general direction.”

That viewpoint has not been tested before city council. The city council that is elected in October will have at least three new members, perhaps a new Mayor as well.

With 37 people going after the 7 council seats in October you know that a desire for change is in the wind. The Lakeshore Village Plaza will come before a much different council in the Spring of 2019. .

Tom Muir, an Aldershot resident who has been following development applications at city hall for several decades, claims that the development is not in compliance “with any Official Plan (OP)

Muir with pen in hand

Tom Muir doesn’t like the idea of any amendments – even if they are to an Official Plan that will not apply at some point in 2019.

He adds that the “ application is not in compliance with the OP Residential Medium Density designation, and not in compliance with the zoning and bylaws that state the permitted heights, density, FAR, massing, compatibility, parking, amenity area, and any and all of the permissions needed to make this development fit what the application is asking for.

“The developer can ask for anything they want; if you are looking for reasons why you see a proposal that is so diametrically opposed and contradictory to residents’ perspectives, and demanding of such OP and zoning bylaw amendments needed to get it, look no further than the recent track record and performance of City Planning and Council.

Muir adds that he “can’t even guess what the planners might make of this application.

“The planners and city council can always stick to their guns and enforce the OP density designations, they publicly stated they would, show everyone publicly their informative consideration of the adopted but not in force OP, give serious and explained consideration of the neighborhood views and compatibility issues expressed several times, and do the right thing.”

“This is not Downtown, and not a Go Station” said Muir, “ so no excuses.”

MHBC say that: “While we are not subject to the new Official Plan since the new Official Plan is a reflection of Council’s approved direction and it contemplates such an amendment, we believe with such an amendment, the current proposal would conform and the proposal also conforms to the overall general direction.

Muir, who has been described as acerbic said: “This is what I mean about planners not enforcing any OP, existing or adopted. What they want is any expanded OP permissions for anything they can want, and they just say the words, mixing in amendments needed, however they want.”

He adds that it is “BS on purpose”.

This one will get to the new city council, along with a Staff Report – it might be the first development application that tests them.

There will be a second viewing of the plans and an opportunity to bend the ear of candidates running for the ward 5 seat and ask questions of the developers planners.  There will not be any city staff at the event.

Afternoon from2 to 4 pm; evening from 7 to 9 pm on the site a few dorrs to the west of the supermarket.

What is the development going to look like when it is completed and how will it fit in with what is already in place?

Here is what the developer is showing the public.

Kenwood elevation

Rendering of the view from the western side of the site.

Hampton Heath elevation

Rendering of the view from the eastern side of the site.

Lakeshore road elevation

Rendering of the view from Lakeshore Road

Previous articles on this development

Part one of a series on the Lakeshore Village Development plans

Part two of a series on the Lakeshore Village Plaza redevelopment plans.

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5 comments to Muir doesn’t like the proposal for the east end of the city; not that many people in the community want to see quite this much density.

  • Lucy

    On page 17 of the Proposal a building Height Survey of adjacent properties appears which lists the addresses and heights (stories). Three buildings in the proposal are of great concern: one 14 storey and two 18 storeys. I did some research concerning this survey. The tallest, at 19 storeys is Admiral’s Walk which was built in 1978. The second tallest at 12 storeys is the Royal Vista built in 1983. Only one building (The Lakeshore Club, previously the Canadiana-Rental) is 11 storeys and it was built before 2000. Three 10 storey buildings were also built before the year 2000 (2 Diplomat buildings, 1 Astoria building-all rental units.) Lord Nelson is 8 storeys of rental units built before 2000. Lakeshore Retirement built in 1998 has 8 storeys. Brant Landing East built in 2006 also has 8 storeys. Waterford Place is the most recent build in 2006 and has 5 storeys. NOW, DON’T TRY TO TELL ME THAT THE LAKESIDE PROPOSAL IS KEEPING IN LINE WITH THE BUILDING TREND IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMUNITY. It is obvious that since the 1990’s this community has experienced only midrise buildings. We do want redevelopment of the Plaza. However, we want it to remain at Residential Medium Density (minimum 51 units per hectare). We in this neighbourhood reject the proposal’s request to rezone to Residential High Density (76 to 185 units per hectare). We in this neighbourhood reject the proposal’s request to amend this site to accommodate 235 units per hectare which is even more intense than the high density maximum. We in this neighbourhood do not want 900 units and 14,655 square metres of office, retail, and services crammed into this block just so this developer can satisfy is out of control greed.. It is so clear that this developer doesn’t give a hoot about the character of our present neighbourhood. There is no objection to reasonable intensification, but we are disgusted by this attempt to destroy our east side Lakeshore community.

  • Penny

    I am surprised, that everyone is surprised by what is happening regarding the Lakeshore Village Plaza redevelopment plans. Did residents think that development was only going to take place on Brant Street or at the Mobility Hubs?

    Do we need new faces at Council? Absolutely? However, we as residents need to be realistic as to what a new council can accomplish with regard to intensification in Burlington.

    What I would like to see is a change in culture at City Hall, where residents are seen as an asset in making decisions that will affect their lifestyle. I would like to see a council that works together to make Burlington a better place to life.

    Presently, in my opinion, the council works in silos. Most ward councillors while taking care of the residents in their wards don’t seem too concerned about how decisions they make affect residents living in other wards.

    Most importantly I would like to see ward councillors treating each other and residents who come to delegate with respect.

    Perhaps if residents were involved when an application came into the city rather than having to delegate in an adversarial manner just prior to council voting on a staff report – delegations would be a thing of the past.

    • “What I would like to see is a change in culture at City Hall, where residents are seen as an asset in making decisions that will affect their lifestyle. I would like to see a council that works together to make Burlington a better place to live.”

      Yes! Exactly, and well said.

      “Perhaps if residents were involved when an application came into the city rather than having to delegate in an adversarial manner just prior to council voting on a staff report – delegations would be a thing of the past.”

      Yes! Something like this can be done, is done elsewhere (even as nearby as Toronto) and it should be welcomed.

    • Lucy

      Hi Penny…You are so right. We need residents to get involved right now with this new application and make their objections to this proposal known. I hope there will be a large turn out on August 8th at both sessions. At the afternoon session of the first Open House, Dana Anderson, who prepared the proposal said it might take approximately 15 years from start to finish before all phases of the project would be completed. That just floored me. This end of Lakeshore will be a chaotic mess for a very long time if this goes through as is. The traffic disruptions alone will make travelling in this area unbearable.

  • Stephen White

    By whatever criteria you use to evaluate this application (e.g. height, shadowing, accessibility, parking, appealing retail space, visual appeal, traffic congestion, green space, responsiveness to local residents’ concerns, etc.) this development is excessive, extreme and egregious. At the open house on July 18th there wasn’t a single positive comment I heard expressed by attendees.

    Another sad and sorry chapter in this City’s ongoing slide and deterioration. No one so many residents are considering pulling up stakes and leaving. A fine legacy for this Council and this Mayor’s last term in office.