Hamilton City Council approved a confidential settlement to permit the redevelopment of a 3.9-hectare shopping plaza site at 499 Mohawk Road East, ending a non-decision appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal by developer New Horizon Development Group (NHDG).
The March 5 Council vote was 10-5. All Mountain ward councillors opposed.
The OLT received notice of the settlement from the parties last week. Settlement documents have not yet been filed.
NHDG filed a non-decision appeal to the OLT in August 2023 after City of Hamilton planning staff stated they would recommend Council deny the original proposal.
Major Changes to Ontario Provincial Planning Statement Favoured This Development
On October 20, 2024, the Ontario Conservative government issued a new Provincial Planning Statement. The new PPS states municipalities must permit intensification on large commercial plaza sites. [Policy 2.2.1(b)2]
The Ontario Land Tribunal is to enforce the PPS.
This change effectively set the stage for the OLT to approve the developer’s proposal.
Original Proposal
NHDG applied to construct 15 buildings: two 25-storey multiple dwellings, one 20-storey multiple dwelling, two five-storey multiple dwellings, one 13-storey multiple dwelling, two eight-storey multiple dwellings and seven three-storey townhouse dwellings.
The buildings will have 1,945 units, and the townhouses 50 units. 1,995 parking spaces are proposed. The 1,995 proposed building units include 350 bachelor units, 585 one-bedroom units, 619 one-bedroom + den units, 342 two-bedroom units and 99 three-bedroom units.
No commercial uses were proposed at the ground level.
Hamilton City Council voted in October 2023 to “vigorously oppose” the proposal.
Revisions During OLT Process
Filings during the process leading up to the OLT settlement state the City and NHDG discussed a modified proposal that included adding commercial uses at the ground level, lowering the height of the 25-storey towers to 20-storeys, decreasing the number of units to 1,850 from 1,995, and moving the townhouse units closer to the property line on the north and west boundaries.
Final Settlement Confidential Until Filed to OLT
The final settlement will become public when filed to the OLT.
A date for the settlement hearing is still to be determined.
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: March 11, 2025
Last updated: March 11, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
Once again the Mountain community is being bullied by the other communities. All Mountain councilor’s oppose this “development”, but their concerns are ignored. This mega project does not consider traffic issues or community standards. Shame on those councilors who approved this.
Hi Dave,
Thank you for commenting. I write this response without the benefit of yet seeing the settlement documents.
Therefore, these are general comments about land-use planning and municipal politics.
Generally speaking, municipal councillors are responsive to local concerns. It is common for people to oppose new development, for a variety of reasons. [Most neighbourhood associations trace their origins to some planning dispute that created community mobilization.]
It has been common for neighbourhood (ward-level) politicians to vote against development in their neighbourhoods.
Again, having not read the settlement documents, I’m speaking in general.
The new Provincial Planning Statement effectively made this matter fait accompli—the Policy states that commercial plaza sites shall be redeveloped into higher-density uses.
Strategically, the Council as a whole must decide how much it wishes to engage in what is likely a futile legal battle at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Ultimately, this decision was made at Queen’s Park.
Hi Dave,
You have to have facts supporting your arguments, not feelings about things like perceived traffic issues, and the very odd, vague ‘community standards’ perceived issue. This sounds like very basic NIMBYISM. No one is bullying, that is an unfair allegation. In reality Council is approving the infill and intensification that all of Hamilton agreed to, instead of greenfield development. Change can be hard for some, but this NIMBYISM is a standard problem we as a community need to get past.
It is very sad and very telling that all the Mountain Councillors continue at every opportunity to not support the right thing, infill and intensification.
We cannot stop development for perceived issues and feelings, there must be facts.