Developer wants town support for a provincial Minister's Zoning Order

Niagara-on-the-Lake councillors have shared thoughts on a request from a developer to allow redesignation of lands in Virgil from employment to residential for the purposes of building 290 homes at the site.

Known as The Reservoir, the large residential development would face Niagara Stone Road, but due to a back portion of the area currently meant for employment purposes, a green light is needed from the town for the builder to move forward with a request to the province to allow homes to be built there, explained John Ariens, a planner from Arcadis who was representing local developer Rainer Hummel at last week’s council meeting to pitch the idea.

He was asking council to endorse a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), an approval from the province so the project can move ahead, bypassing the need to go through the municipal rezoning approval process.

Council received the request to convert the portion of property at the rear of 1287, 1301, and 1313 Niagara Stone Road to residential – property that is behind the business park, at the end of Henegan Road — but no decision has been made.

Niagara Region has turned down the MZO request, Ariens explained.

“It’s important to note the lands along Niagara Stone Road are already zoned residential,” said Ariens, pointing out that a large percentage of the area is currently zoned for homes.

Affordable housing was a factor Ariens stressed in his presentation regarding the seven-hectare piece of land, noting that the majority of the homes and apartments in the plans would fall into this category. Only 26 of almost 300 homes proposed are planned to be single-detached dwellings.

Three units will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, he said. And there are plans for parkland, trails, and a crosswalk.

Ariens said Niagara-on-the-Lake has a surplus of 10 hectares of industrial land, a figure confirmed later in the meeting by planning director Kirsten McCauley, who explained this number is a projection by the Region, looking ahead to 2051.

“It’s not as though your industrial supply is dwindling,” said Ariens.

Matters such as accesses will need to be sorted out through further approval processes, staff and Ariens both concurred.

Coun. Maria Mavridis asked what the next steps would be if the town does give the developer what it needs to move ahead with an MZO request.

“There would be subsequent applications that would have to be made,” such as a draft plan of subdivision, and site plan, explained McCauley. “And that would have to come to the town for approval.”

Coun. Sandra O’Connor raised concerns about the region saying the town’s 10-hectare surplus of employment lands should be set aside for the future. “Everything we have now they’ve concluded needs to be protected,” she said.

Coun. Erwin Wiens said Niagara-on-the-Lake needs affordable housing, and that he likes that the plans involve trails and connectivity.

There is also a “huge issue coming up” in that area – the new Pleasant Manor long-term care home, and housing for the staff that will be needed once it opens.

Coun. Wendy Cheropita also said she sees the project as an opportunity to create affordable housing, as well as green space, and that so far, there are “no residents that are complaining” about the potential development.

Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa called the plans a good opportunity. “We need attainable units for people that have regular jobs,” said Zalepa. “These kinds of units are the type of housing that are going to deliver that.”

The request was not approved at this stage — the report was accepted by council, to consider approving when it comes back to them.

Kris Dube, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Niagara-on-the-Lake Local