What was expected to be the ‘quickest [OLT] approval ever’ is now a settlement agreement.
Hamilton City Council voted 10-5 on March 5 to settle at the Ontario Land Tribunal and permit the redevelopment of 399 Greenhill Avenue.
The details of the settlement are not yet public. Council debated the issue in closed session.
The Ontario Land Tribunal is awaiting the City and developer to finalize the agreement and transmit it to the Tribunal. The contested hearing was scheduled to begin on March 24, but this date could be converted into a settlement hearing.
Background
In June 2024, Hamilton City Council voted 8-8 to oppose the development of a partially vacant 1.45-hectare commercial plaza site at 399 Greenhill Avenue in East Hamilton.
Medallion Developments plans to redevelop the lands with two 12-storey rental apartment buildings, including ground-level commercial space, and two blocks of townhouses.
The City’s planning staff recommended approval.
Ward 5 Councillor Matt Francis opposes the development citing concerns expressed by nearby residents regarding density, height, and traffic.
The board of the two neighbouring 12-storey condo buildings formally opposed the proposal, stating that more 12-storey buildings would harm neighbourhood character in an area with other mid-rise buildings.
A few weeks after the June vote, Federal Conservative shadow critic for housing MP Scott Aitchison visited the site and recorded a social media video criticizing City Council’s vote, blaming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [who had no role in the decision], saying a Conservative government will require municipalities to approve these kinds of project if they wish to receive federal Housing Accelerator Fund funding.
The irony is that the conservative-leaning council members voted against the project.
Five Councillors Voted Differently on Settlement Compared to June
Five council members changed their votes on March 5.
Brad Clark, Jeff Beattie, Mark Tadeson, and Ted McMeekin voted in favour of the settlement, whereas they voted against the project in June.
John-Paul Danko opposed the settlement. He voted in favour of the project in June, and was vocal in his criticism of the voting block that opposed the development.
On July 27, he wrote that the “Council horse trading voting bloc” opposed the project “for no reason—none.”
During the same March 5 meeting, the same 10-5 split occurred in voting to approve an OLT settlement for another shopping plaza site at 499 Mohawk Road East.
New Provincial Planning Statement Mandates Shopping Plaza Redevelopments
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 new PPS, combined with the City’s planning staff’s support for the redevelopment proposal, effectively guaranteed Medallion’s victory at the OLT.
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: March 11, 2025
Last updated: March 11, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
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v. 1.0.0 original version