Council sends Glendale high-rise proposal back to drawing board

A large, four-building commercial and residential expansion at White Oaks Resort has been given another chance following a move made by Niagara-on-the-Lake council Tuesday night. 

Two weeks ago, during a committee-of-the-whole meeting, councillors turned down Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendment requests needed for the project to move forward. Those voting against it cited height of the proposed buildings as the main concern. 

But this week, following a plea from the planning company behind the development, rather than approving the committee decision, have given the project new life. 

LandX Developments president Tim Collins asked council to overturn the decision from June 12, saying there was no dispute about density of the project, just the height.

Following last week’s decision when the height concerns were brought up, council attempted add to the recommendation that height be scaled down - but this was after a vote was already taken on the proposed zoning and bylaw amendment requests to turn them down. 

At council Tuesday, Coun. Nick Ruller asked that the town and developer “consider changes to the layout of the buildings,” placing the tallest buildings the furthest from adjacent homes. 

Staff was directed to ask this of the developer, and council will also be able to weigh in on the site plan process, staff explained. 

Planning director Kirsten McCauley said as a result of this change, the zoning bylaw amendment will also need to come back to council as it currently is written to reflect the initial proposal. 

Coun. Gary Burroughs is one member of council who voted against the zoning and bylaw amendments at committee, but changed his position as a result of the idea that the buildings could be moved around. 

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” said Burroughs. “I’m hoping that’s going to be part of our decision,” he added, before a vote was taken on Ruller’s amendment. 

The developer will also be asked to explore options related to affordable housing within its plans, an idea brought forward by Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa. 

The lone councillor who voted against a revised plan was Coun. Sandra O’Connor. She attempted twice to defer a decision until the Glendale Secondary Plan is finalized, but was unable to get a colleague to second her motion both times. 

“I don’t know how we can make an informed decision without seeing that plan,” she said. 

In the town’s current secondary plan for the Glendale area that was approved in 2010, a group of buildings is permitted to have one that stands 20 storeys tall and the others can be no higher than 16 storeys.  

White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa proposal is for four buildings with 810 units and more than 1,500 square metres of commercial space.

The tallest building is planned to be 25 storeys, while the other three are set at 17, 18, and 21 storeys.

Glendale resident Steve Harkaker, a vocal opponent of the project, said reconfiguring the layout of the buildings “will certainly help,” but he’s still concerned that the height of the buildings has not changed and that the current secondary plan is not being adhered to.

"They've totally ignored it," he told  The Local Thursday. “It will completely change the skyline of Glendale,” he added.

The project remains subject to holding provisions such as one related to approval from Transport Canada regarding height, without which they would be limited to no more than six storeys due to the proximity of the nearby Niagara District Airport. 

Later in the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting was a notice of motion from Burroughs related to the town’s communication with Transport Canada on this project and others in that area that may require the same exemptions. 

“The more that come forward the more we’re going to have,” said Burroughs, referring to requests for tall buildings in that edge of town. 

He suggested that a town committee be struck involving the lord mayor, staff, and one other representative from council to meet with Transport Canada. 

During his presentation, Collins said White Oaks currently employs 551 people and that the expansion will create another 133 jobs, and also generate $4.3 in tax revenue for the town annually.