Council’s Planning Committee will decide new boundaries for the Airport Employment Growth District, popularly known as Aerotropolis, vote on designating Delta Secondary as a heritage building, vote on approval of a new 14-storey building at Garth and Rymal, and vote on an expansion of a retirement residence on Fiddlers Green Rd in Ancaster that is generating much neighbourhood opposition.
Live at 9:30am
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Planning Committee Agenda
DELEGATION REQUESTS
4.1 Delegation request from Teresa St. Michael respecting Item 8.2
4.2 Delegation request from Sheila Smith respecting Item 8.2
4.3 Delegation requests respecting Item 7.2 Airport Employment Growth District:
(i) Peter Pickfield, Doug Annand and Kevin Fergin
(ii) Bryna Wasserman
(iii) Chris West
PUBLIC HEARINGS AND DELEGATIONS
6.1 Application for a Zoning By-law Amendment for Lands Located at the Southwest Corner of Parkside Drive and Spring Creek Drive
PRESENTATIONS
7.1 Airport Employment Growth District (AEGD) Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) Hearing – Phase 3 Secondary Plan Boundary Refinement and Revised Land Use Plan
(i) Ross & McBride LLP – on behalf of Ancaster Christian Reformed Church
(ii) Goodmans LLP – on behalf of Elfrida Landowners
(iii) Anthony F. De Rubeis
(iv) Wellings Planning Consultants Inc – on behalf of the Smith’s
(v) Fogler, Rubinoff LLP – on behalf of Twenty Road West Landowners Group
(vi) Garrod Pickfield – on behalf of Lea Silvestri Invesntments Ltd.
(vii) Davies Howe Partners LLP – on behalf of Twenty Road East Landowners
(viii) John Harvey
(ix) RCI Consulting
(x) Vince MacDonald
(xi) Birgit Gerke
DISCUSSION ITEMS
8.1 City of Hamilton Standard Form Special Sewer Service Agreement and Special Water Service Agreement
8.2 Recommendation to Designate 1284 Main Street East (Delta Secondary School)
8.3 Fifty Road
8.4 A Review of the Federal Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) – Planning and Building Implications for the City of Hamilton
8.5 Applications for an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment for Lands Located at 1670 Garth Street
(i) Correspondence from Donald Wainman
8.6 Proposed Zoning By-law Amendment for 307 and 325 Fiddler’s Green Road
MOTIONS
9.1 Fruitland-Winona Secondary Plan – the City will not exercise the powers of expropriation to acquire lands for a community park
9.2 Canada Post – Discontinuation of Door-to-Door Mail
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(Note: Still having problems with YouTube livestreaming, hope to have it back working tomorrow.)
Watch the Livestream here: https://new.livestream.com/joeycoleman-ca/events/2778641/
Airport Employment Growth District / Aerotropolis
Following an Ontario Municipal Board decision, Council must scale back the AEGD urban boundary expansion by 107 hectures to a expansion of 555 net hectures.
The response from property owners in the 107 hectures now excluded is not positive, with numerous landowners suggesting alternatives to the consultants proposed new boundary.
The urban boundary expansion is for the creation of new commercial lands around the airport for growth of airport related and businesses looking for highway access along Highway 6.
Just before approving the AEGD expansion in 2010, Council voted to include lands owned by Ancaster Christian Reform Church in the expansion. The Church plans to offer services such as retreats and offices for Christian organizations. The retreat is intended to be national and the airport proximity is a key part of the plan. The proposed new boundary does not include the Church.
The stakes are high for landowners, being included in the urban boundary means a higher land value and the ability to develop.
A series of letters from neighbours in the area expresses concerns that Starward Homes is seeking to redesign its lands in the area of the airport to residential.
Opponents of the urban boundary expansion expressed concern that if the commercial developments do not occur, the land can eventually be rezoned for new suburban residential development.
Proposed mid-rise (14 storey) at Garth and Rymal
14 storeys is a significant height in Hamilton, even more so south of the Linc. This is what is proposed for a new building which the City’s planning staff is recommending for approval.
The building on the southwest corner of Garth and Rymal will be residential with ground floor commercial and is attracting opposition from area residents for various reasons.
A consistent concern is traffic, with both Garth and Rymal being single-lane in each direction in the area, despite significant growth in the past decade.
Both roads are slated for urbanization by the City.
The building’s top height of 42 to 44 metres is for less than 50% of the structure with step-ups at the 3-storey level, 7-storey, and 10-storey.
Fiddlers Green Retirement Home Expansion
A retirement home expansion is back in front of Planning Committee after being deferred from the December 3, 2013 meeting to give Councillor Lloyd Ferguson an opportunity to find a community consensus.
The report, with the staff recommendation to approve the expansion, is back in front of Committee with no changes.
Medical Marihuana Zoning
City staff says more research is needed to determine how the City will zone federally-permitted medical marihuana growing operations.
Staff say they need to consult further with Health Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and other municipalities to determine the best zoning.
Among the considerations, is medical marihuana growth a agricultural or industrial operation?
This is an information report, with no recommendations.
Delta Secondary Heritage Designation
Delta Secondary School will be a heritage building if Planning Committee votes for the staff recommendation to designate the building today. The school – Hamilton’s oldest secondary school still in operation – was built in 1924.
The school is on Main Street East between Kenilworth and Ottawa Streets.
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board voted to close the school in favour of a new lower city high school. The school will close in 2016.
Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla publicly stated there are developers looking to convert the building into residential when it closes.
Of note on this designation, the HWDSB has not replied to any City correspondence during the progress, say City staff in their report.