How tall is too tall for Niagara-on-the-Lake?

Steve Hardaker
Community Correspondent

When I retired in 2010 after 35 years with the federal government, I relocated to Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Glendale community.

My motivation? To get away from the harsher winters of the Ottawa Valley and to live in a smaller community.

I bought a house in the yet-to-be-completed Niagara on the Green neighbourhood. At the time, Glendale was only starting to develop into one of the five settlement areas of Niagara-on-the-Lake. But the town had a plan.

In 2011, the town approved the Glendale secondary plan, which was to help guide future development within the community.  

Fast forward to 2024 and little, if any, additional residential development has occurred in Glendale.  

Glendale became a strategic growth area for the Niagara Region and in 2018, the region commenced developing the Glendale Niagara district plan. 

Within the district were portions of Niagara-on-the-Lake and a small portion of St. Catharines between Homer Road and the Welland Canal.

As stated by the region, the purpose was to develop an exciting urban vision for an area that has been identified to accommodate higher-density, mixed-use urban growth. The district plan was approved in 2021.

A district plan is a framework for the land-use planning, design and development of complete communities. It does not deal with building heights.

This then spurred the town to update its secondary plan to become in line with the district plan. 

The current draft of the Glendale secondary plan update identifies acceptable building heights in conformity with the Niagara District Airport’s airport zoning regulations. 

Those heights generally are not to exceed six stories, without requiring an exemption from Transport Canada to the regulations.

The updated plan now also recognizes areas in Glendale where enhanced building heights may be considered in addition to the already accepted higher builds at White Oaks and York and Airport roads. 

The enhanced heights are mainly eight stories, with two areas identified for builds up to 20 stories. 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 town can approve proposals with these heights, the proponent still must seek an exemption from the airport zoning regulations. An amendment to the Town’s Official Plan would also be required.

On Oct. 15, the town hosted a Glendale secondary plan update statutory public meeting. This was an opportunity to update residents and others on the secondary plan update and give landowners and residents an opportunity to present ideas, ask questions and raise concerns.

It became very evident during presentations by the numerous landowners and planners in attendance, that eight to 20 storeys were not enough — even higher buildings were desired. 

Some of these properties where additional heights are desired will overshadow the other already established lowrise neighbourhoods in the community like Niagara on the Green and along Queenston Road — all to the objections of residents.

Which then begs the question: How high is too high in Niagara-on-the-Lake? 

If it is acceptable to have highrises in Glendale, why not the rest of Niagara-on-the-Lake?

When council approved the four-tower development at White Oaks with their 17, 18, 21 and 25-storey towers and the two-tower development on York and Airport roads with their eight and 10-storey towers, residents objected and presented a petition to council with more than 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 had become the case, as planner after planner presented requests for additional heights.

For instance, during their presentation, the planners for the lands between the Outlet Collection and Glendale Avenue, known as Niagara on the Green North, wanted additional heights without the need for an official plan amendment.

They also wanted their parkland requirement reduced and spread out to other lands in Glendale.

They projected that the population of this land could be as high as 7000 residents alone if approved to proceed.

It is clear this council does not care how its residents feel about density and heights in Glendale. They are only interested in additional revenues from property taxes and development charges, regardless of residents’ concerns.

Residents only want a community that mirrors the other four settlement areas that make up Niagara-on-the-Lake. Is this too much to ask for?

And Glendale does not need all these additional highrises to reach the population targets of 14,000 residents and 9,200 jobs by 2051 or 100 people and jobs combined per hectare already enshrined in the draft Glendale secondary plan update document.

The residents of Glendale want reasonable development that increases our population and brings much-desired amenities to the community. 

What we do not want is numerous highrises scattered across Glendale. If that is allowed to happen, then Glendale will become Niagara’s version of Mississauga.

Steve Hardaker has lived in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s community of Glendale since 2010. He was previously a Niagara-on-the-Lake appointee to the Glendale task force. He was appointed by the Niagara Region to the community focus group for the Niagara Region’s Glendale Niagara district plan initiative and most recently a town appointee to the Glendale secondary plan update community focus group.