Lord Mayor reflects on first half of council term

Protecting Niagara-on-the-Lake’s heritage is vital, but that doesn’t mean things shouldn’t change. 

This was a stance shared by Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa Tuesday in a discussion about the completion of the first half of the current council term, as well as an outlook into the next two years. 

There needs to be a balance, and an interpretation of what that means is “something we struggle within the community,” he said. 

Preventing any development or growth is not the right way to go, he said. “I would suggest that’s probably not a balanced approach.”

He said the town is seeing record numbers as of late related to heritage designations, with about 10 on the go currently. 

When facing decisions related to heritage properties, he said “having conversations” with owners has been productive, and has prevented having “having to go to appeals.” 

Two contentious issues that have made plenty of headlines this year are the proposed Rand Estates subdivision and the approved Parliament Oak hotel and conference centre.

The Ontario Land Tribunal gave an interim order earlier this month saying the developer, Solmar, has to meet a number of conditions if they choose to move forward with the Rand project. 

Zalepa declared a conflict on this matter when it was before council last year due to the close proximity of his home. 

The project proposes close to 200 homes in Old Town in the area of the historic Rand property, but was turned down by a slim council vote last year and contained recommendations from staff that council deny the application, sending it to the tribunal. 

The difference between that residential development and Parliament Oak is that the proposed hotel was supported and recommended for approval by staff. Critics of the project argue that it was approved too swiftly and without enough analysis. 

A large protest was held outside town hall in late July, participated in by residents opposed to this project and other developments. 

The town approved Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendments for the 129-room hotel in June, but there is more to be done, said Zalepa. 

“That doesn’t mean all the details are sorted out yet,” he added, referring to the upcoming site plan process. “We’re committed to working through that process with the developer,” with heavy, technical engineering and servicing matters the key items still needed to be addressed. 

“You don’t do those things ahead of time,” he said. 

An update to the town’s Official Plan is being worked on, which Zalepa said is important moving forward. 

A dashboard on the town’s website, a tracker of the local government’s progress on projects and key pillars, is something he said he’s proud of. The recent status update on the dashboard on the town’s website from March says council’s 2022-2027 strategic plan is making significant progress, with 58 per cent of projects complete or tracking above or on target. 

He said the Official Plan update will create more defined policies within the town to “harmonize” the province’s planning rules for municipalities with “the needs of the community.” 

Being the lord mayor) also means he has a seat on regional council. Asked about the most important issues at the region this term, Zalepa pointed to items such as programming for seniors and youth, and transit.

The town recently joined forces with the region with a shared services agreement for planning matters. “We want to continue to explore other opportunities” for shared services, said Zalepa. 

When asked if he plans to seek re-election in 2016, Zalepa said he’s “keenly interested.” 

At the region, Zalepa serves on corporate services, public works, and budget review committees, as well as Niagara Region Housing.

Zalepa was a town councillor from 2008 to 2014 and a regional councillor from 2018 to 2022 before defeating incumbent Betty Disero in the 2022 mayoral race.