A proposed amendment to the Glendale Secondary Plan was met with ample questioning and proposed additions from councillors, developers and residents.
The update, presented during a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, addressed how development will look and function in Glendale in the coming years.
No decisions were made on the secondary plan during the meeting.
“What does Glendale want to be when development is underway and working toward its ultimate evolution?” planner Ron Palmer with the Planning Partnership said during his presentation.
There are 12 principles for what Glendale wants to be, he said, including promoting compact land development, providing a full range and mix of land uses, supporting mobility options and establishing an integrated pedestrian realm and active transportation network.
The plan outlines the future of Glendale until the year 2051, by which time the community is expected to grow by 14,000 people and have 9,200 available jobs.
One of the main questions regarding the presentation was what kind of timeline can be expected.
“We keep hearing the comment ‘over time,’ and it concerns me,” Coun. Gary Burroughs said.
A vague timeline is especially concerning when it comes to schools and community centres, he said.
“I was hearing it could be by 2051— that’s a long time off,” Burroughs said.
Palmer would give Burroughs his best “non-answer” before sending his comment to the team for feedback, he said.
“This issue of time is an extremely complicated one,” Palmer said.
Obviously, the community would want to build schools before everything is built up, he said.
“I’m going to ask the school board to give me some advice on that, ” Palmer said.
The town’s community development director, Kirsten McCauley, said a recommendation is set to be brought to council in December.
Building height was another major aspect of the updated plan for councillors to address.
An increase in building height for Glendale is dependent on approval from Transport Canada.
With pending approval, planners came up with a map of Glendale that includes an increased building height schedule, including some sections with heights up to eight storeys and other sections with up to 20 storeys.
Coun. Sandra O’Connor questioned Palmer on how these heights were chosen.
“We have been doing a fair bit of work in advance of hearing from Transport Canada,” Palmer said.
Height fitting into its surroundings is not a science of compatibility, but instead a conversation about what kind of character is trying to be achieved, he said.
Stephen Bedford, a planner retained by White Oaks, spoke on behalf of LANDx Developments.
The White Oaks highrise development has proposed heights reaching 25 storeys — council rejected a proposal to increase these heights back in June.
Burroughs questioned Bedford on height requirements, asking if it was difficult to get an answer from Transport Canada.
By mid-Nomember, they may not have a final answer, Bedford said.
“We may not have a confirmed final answer but we will certainly have a direction,” he said.
LANDx is comfortable with the proposed height of the buildings given the guidelines now in place and expects to be able to proceed with feedback from Transport Canada, Bedford said.
Planner David Falletta spoke on behalf of three property owners behind the Outlet Collection at Niagara.
Falletta insisted that increased building height should be included in the secondary plan, rather than having planners apply for height amendments.
“It’s helpful because there are other safeguards in place, like rezoning,” he said.
Falletta addressed other concerns.
There is an excess of parkland included in the plan, beyond what the Planning Act requires, he said.
“We think the schedule should be revised to reduce the amount of parkland on the Niagara-on-the-Green lands,” Falletta said.
He is supportive of the transit hub included in the proposed plan revision, but thinks a number of public service facilities are unfair to Niagara on the Green community lands.
“We think spreading them a little bit would be helpful,” he said.
Michael Macdonald, a resident of Niagara on the Green came forward to speak following an open commentary period and was concerned about the proposed higher buildings.
“While developers are all extremely happy and call this ‘enhanced,’ I and most residents living here would tell you that’s not enhanced,” he said.
Macdonald is concerned that Glendale will look like the worst part of Toronto, he said.
