Plan for Glendale include discussions of building heights, schools and parks

Glendale is an area of Niagara-on-the-Lake that is anticipated to have a population of 14,000 people and 9,200 jobs available in the neighbourhood by 2051.  

That’s a statistic provided to councillors and staff at Tuesday’s committee-of-the-whole planning meeting, with an agenda consisting of only matters related to the Glendale Secondary Plan.  

A public meeting began with Ron Palmer from The Planning Partnership, who gave an overview of the plan, which includes the boundaries of the Glendale urban settlement area, generally following Homer Road to the west, Queenston Road to the north, Concession 7 to the east and the Niagara Escarpment to the south, as explained in the report to council. The QEW runs directly through the centre of the Glendale area, the Welland Canal is just outside the boundary to the west, and the Niagara District Airport is close by to the north. 

One issue discussed was the height of buildings in the area, and the relation to an exemption needed from Transport Canada. Due to the nearby airport, buildings cannot exceed seven storeys in the area – but through projects such as a large redevelopment at White Oaks, already approved by council, there is an effort to have the height limits changed.  

White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa plans 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 planned to be 17, 18, and 21 storeys, but the project remains subject to holding provisions, including one related to approval from Transport Canada regarding height. Planner Stephen Bedford, representing LandX Developments, said he expects an answer from Transport Canada in November.  

Palmer said conversations have been ongoing with both school boards about the need for new sites in the neighbourhood. He also said there will be “urban parks” included in the plan, which are smaller than a traditional park, but “resilient in terms of their design.”  

David Faletta, a planner representing three Glendale property owners, said he and his clients are “generally satisfied” with the plan, but with some modifications.  One of the changes, he said, relates to a client at York and Townline Roads, who has property zoned for employment but feels it should be converted to another use, contrary to the opinion of the experts working on the plan.  

No decisions were made Tuesday. Comments received will be considered through the final review before a staff recommendation report is prepared and presented at a future meeting, staff said.