Neighbours' concerns about massive hotel outweighed by staff, council support

Four residents stood before town councillors hoping to persuade them to change their stance on a massive hotel in the Old Town that was up for the crucial final approval Tuesday night.

But in the end council stuck with the decision made earlier this month to allow zoning bylaw and official plan amendments to permit the development, a four-storey building with a spa, restaurants, 129 rooms, and possibly 248 underground parking spaces at the former Parliament Oak school site.

Councillors sitting as the committee-of-the-whole passed recommendations with a 5-4 vote on June 11, and nobody changed their position Tuesday when a bylaw to allow the amendments for project, proposed by developer Benny Marotta and Two Sisters Resorts, was up for consideration.

Connie Tintinalli was the first delegate Tuesday night, who said she realizes Niagara-on-the-Lake is a tourist destination, but the people who live in town should be given greater consideration by council. 

“I know tourism is important in this town, but the residents should be essential,” she said, claiming NOTL’s small town charm is being “eroded one development at a time.” 

Marilyn Bartlett questioned whether the hotel would actually be considered a five-star hotel, which was implied by a member of council two weeks ago. 

Bartlett said the online booking system Five Star Alliance has laid out that in order for an accommodation to receive the highest rating, each room should have 2.5 employees designated to it. 

If that formula applied to this hotel on King Street, it would require 320 staff members. “Where would they park?” she asked. 

Regent Street resident John Foreman said his main concern is the “massive size of the building,” and told councillors and staff that he would be more supportive of a three-storey hotel with about 80 rooms. 

Gracia Janes told councillors that if the recent decision to allow the project was changed by Tuesday’s vote, residents who are against it would support the town if an Ontario Land Tribunal hearing became the next step. 

“The public will be behind you,” she said. “It’s not a disaster if this development is turned down.”

Sara Premi, legal representation for Two Sisters, said she registered as a delegate to address comments made by residents.  “There’s not a lot left to say,” she added — concerns such as traffic, heritage preservation, landscape, and servicing have all been “properly addressed” from a planning perspective. 

She noted there is no “qualified professional” involved with this file who has said the project is flawed. 

The Official Plan amendment changes the property from its open space and community facilities designation to general commercial use.

The zoning bylaw amendment will convert the property from institutional to general commercial, also with site-specific provisions related to the permitted uses, maximum area of the outdoor patio restaurant, lot frontage, lot area, lot coverage, landscaped open space, setbacks, building height, prohibition of amplified noise, parking and loading spaces, and encroachments.  

Addressing suggestions that the site be used for parks or a community facility, Premi said the property is now privately owned, and the opportunity for other options disappeared when the town didn’t purchase it. 

The property was offered on the open market, she added, also noting it will be 65 per cent landscape and the town will still weigh in during the site plan process. 

Premi said the developer is confident that there will not be water table issues related to underground parking, but admitted that if some are realized, the project would need to be amended and a revised application would come to staff and council. 

Coun. Wendy Cheropita asked if a shorter building “even if it expands the footprint” has been considered, to which Premi said the four-storey height is appropriate due to setbacks, and the developer does not want to scale down. 

Premi also estimated that about $1.4 million would be applied to the local tax base annually through the hotel. 

Coun. Sandra O’Connor remained opposed to the proposal, and said a main concern is that the town’s Official Plan says commercial enterprise should not intrude into residential areas, which she believes this project does. 

Coun. Gary Burroughs raised issues about parking and said what is planned isn’t enough for that area. 

“If it was in some other location, I’d be very supportive,” said Burroughs. 

Cheropita said she has been harassed in public about voting in support of the plans two weeks ago and that this has been the “toughest decision” she’s had to make in the six years she’s been an elected official. 

But there is no “defendable evidence” that says it’s the wrong decision to move ahead, she said. 

Coun. Erwin Wiens said it’s council’s job to test staff on reports, but that if staff is recommending approval of the project, he doubts a land tribunal hearing would change anything. 

He said decisions are “always upheld” by the tribunal when staff have positive recommendations about developments. 

Following the 5-4 vote, shouting ensued in the council chamber from some members of the audience, angry over the final decision, which led to Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa asking them to “exit quietly,” and then calling a 10-minute recess. 

Remaining against the development were Burroughs, O’Connor, and Couns. Tim Balasiuk and Nick Ruller. 

In favour of the Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendments were Zalepa, Wiens, Cheropita, and Couns. Maria Mavridis and Adriana Vizzari.