By james art How tall is too tall for Niagara on the Lake?
Steve Hardaker
Community Correspondent
When I retired in 2010 after 35 years in the federal government, I moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Glendale community.
My motivation? To escape the harsher winters of the Ottawa Valley and live in a smaller community.
I bought a house in the Niagara neighborhood of Greene, which is not finished yet. At the time, Glendale was just beginning to develop into one of the five settlement areas of Niagara-on-the-Lake. But the city had a plan.
In 2011, the city approved the Glendale Secondary Plan, which was supposed to help guide future development in the community.
Fast forward to 2024 and little, if any, additional housing development has occurred in Glendale.
Glendale has become a strategic growth area for the Niagara Region and in 2018 the region began the development of a Glendale and Niagara Regional Plan.
Within the district were parts of Niagara-on-the-Lake and a small portion of St. Catharines between Homer Road and the Welland Canal.
As stated by the district, the goal was to develop an exciting urban vision for an area that has been identified as suitable for higher density mixed-use urban growth. The regional plan was approved in 2021.
The district plan is a a framework for land use planning, design and development of whole communities. It does not deal with building heights.
This then prompted the city to update its secondary plan to align with the district plan.
The current draft of the Glendale Secondary Plan Update identifies acceptable building heights in accordance with Niagara Region Airport Zoning Regulations.
These heights should not normally exceed six storeys without requiring an exemption from Transport Canada regulations.
The updated plan now also recognizes areas in Glendale where increased building heights could be considered in addition to the already approved taller structures at White Oaks and York and Airport Roads.
The improved heights are mainly eight storeys, with two areas identified for development up to 20 storeys. One of those parcels is at the northwest corner of Glendale Avenue and Taylor Road, and the other is south of York Road and west of Glendale Avenue.
While the city can approve proposals with these heights, the proponent must still request an exception to the airport’s zoning regulations. A change to the city’s official plan is also needed.
On 15 Octthe city hosted a mandatory public meeting to update Glendale’s secondary plan. It was an opportunity to inform residents and others about the secondary plan update and to give landowners and residents an opportunity to submit ideas, ask questions and voice concerns.
It became abundantly clear during presentations to the many landowners and developers in attendance that eight to 20 stories were not enough—even taller buildings were desired.
Some of these properties, where additional heights are desired, will overshadow other already established low-rise neighborhoods in the community such as Niagara on the Green and along Queenston Road – all against the objections of residents.
Which then begs the question: How high is too high in Niagara on the Lake?
If it’s okay to have tall buildings in Glendale, why not the rest of Niagara-on-the-Lake?
When the council approved the construction of four towers in White Oaks with their 17, 18, 21 and 25-storey towers and the construction of two towers at York and Airport roads with their eight and 10-storey towers, residents objected and presented a petition to the council with over 640 signatures.
The problem with these approvals is that they set a precedent for future development proposals in Glendale.
And it became very clear that this was the case as designer after designer submitted requests for additional heights.
For example, at the time of their presentation, planners for the lands between the Outlet Collection and Glendale Avenue, known as the Niagara of the Green North, wanted additional heights without requiring a formal plan amendment.
They also wanted their park requirements to be scaled back and spread across other lands in Glendale.
They predicted that the population of this land could reach 7,000 if only it was allowed to continue.
It is clear that this council does not care how its residents feel about density and heights in Glendale. They are only interested in additional revenue from property taxes and development fees, regardless of residents’ concerns.
Residents only want a community that mirrors the other four townships that make up Niagara-on-the-Lake. Is that too much to ask for?
And Glendale doesn’t need all those extra high-rises to reach the population goals of 14,000 residents and 9,200 jobs by 2051, or 100 people and jobs combined per hectare, already included in the update document of the Glendale Secondary Plan project.
Glendale residents want sensible development that increases our population and brings much-desired community amenities.
What we don’t want are multiple high-rises scattered throughout Glendale. If this is allowed to happen, then Glendale will become Mississauga’s version of Niagara.
Steve Hardaker has lived in the Niagara on the Lake community of Glendale since 2010. He was previously assigned to Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Glendale Task Force. He was appointed by the Niagara Region to the Community Focus Group for the Glendale Area Plan Initiative for Niagara in the Niagara Region and was recently appointed by the City to the Community Focus Group to update the Glendale Secondary Plan.