The following letter was sent to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s town councillors. A copy was shared with The Lake Report for publication.
Dear members of council,
I am writing to express serious concern with the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s planning department and its approach to development approvals over the past three years.
From hotels to rezoning applications, it appears that virtually every proposal brought forward has been approved without visible or meaningful challenge, amendment or denial.
To residents, this looks less like a thoughtful planning process and more like a rubber-stamp exercise.
It is important to recognize that planning policies, regulations, and legislation are not absolutes — they are subject to interpretation and professional judgment. That interpretation should ensure that development aligns with the broader interests of the community.
When every application is approved exactly as submitted, it suggests that the planning department has adopted a one-sided interpretation that consistently favours applicants rather than residents, heritage, or sustainability.
Equally troubling is council’s frequent reliance on the statement that “staff recommendations are professional” and therefore should be followed. This is a cop-out.
While staff provide professional advice, it is ultimately council — not unelected staff — who are entrusted by the electors of Niagara-on-the-Lake to make the final decisions. Deferring to staff as though their recommendations are binding is an abdication of the responsibility that comes with elected office.
This pattern raises troubling questions:
Why has the town not rejected, delayed or substantially modified a single major application in recent years?
Is the planning department exercising its duty to apply independent judgment, or simply facilitating developers’ interests?
Why does council appear unwilling to challenge or question staff advice, when it is council’s role to weigh competing interests and make decisions in the best interest of residents?
When approval becomes the default outcome, the credibility of the entire planning system is undermined. Residents reasonably wonder whether applications are being judged on merit, or whether approval has become automatic regardless of consequences.
This perception erodes public trust in both the planning department and in council’s oversight.
I urge council to take immediate steps to:
- Audit the planning department’s approval record for the past three years.
- Provide a public explanation as to why applications are so consistently approved without alteration and,
- Re-establish a planning process that prioritizes community values, heritage protection, and ‘sustainable’ growth rather than unchecked development.
Niagara-on-the-Lake’s unique character is being put at risk. If council does not assert stronger leadership and demand accountability from the planning department, the town will lose the very qualities that make it special.
Residents deserve transparency, scrutiny and a planning process that serves the community — not just developers.
Allan Bisback
NOTL
