IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A version of this article was originally published by ThoroldToday on April 4.
Despite a petition with 116 signatures of concerned neighbours, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) has once again ruled in favour of a proposed development.
Developers, Francesco Grotolla and Victor Pietrangelo, sought to sever a property, located at 2292 Centre St. in Allanburg, into two separate lots.
The proposal would reduce the minimum rear yard setback requirement from 7.5 metres to 3.1 metres, which is a minor variance request.
That's why the project appeared before the Thorold Committee of Adjustment on July 21, 2022.
During that meeting, the city’s planning staff expressed their support for the minor variance, and presented a map that showed 12 other lots in the area of a similar size.
But concerned neighbours worry that the variance would set a precedent and irrevocably change the look and feel of their neighbourhood.
To assert their concerns, the neighbours presented members of the adjustment committee with a petition of 116 signatures.
Their plea did not fall on deaf ears, because committee members decided to deny the minor variance request.
In response, the developers took their case to the Ontario Land Tribunal where they have now gotten the variance approved.
“The variance facilitates the proposed development, which is compatible with the existing neighbourhood,” reads a report from the tribunal. “Moreover, it allows intensification and infilling in an existing neighbourhood that contains low-rise residential dwellings.”
The tribunal finds that only a minor portion of the house is in need of the variance.
“The insufficient rear yard setback is due to the location of an existing mudroom addition to that dwelling,” the report reads. “Most of the rear wall of the existing dwelling is largely situated 7.5 metres from the lot line and therefore conforms with the required setback requirement.”
Furthermore, according to the OLT, there will be no significant impact on the neighbourhood.
"As the dwelling would continue to be a detached dwelling, there was no significant change to the density or form of the established residential neighbourhood," concludes the report. "It facilitates the extension of an existing development pattern within a settlement area while contributing to intensification goals at both the regional and municipal levels."
The city decided not to participate in the OLT hearing.
According to internal City Hall procedures, every time a minor variance request ends up at the OLT, the city gets a professional planning opinion before deciding whether or not to seek representation.
Concerned neighbour Bill Petrushko, who spearheaded the petition against the development, is disappointed he was never notified about the OLT hearing.
“I didn’t think I was going to make any changes to prevent it from happening but I still think I should have been given an opportunity to go,” Petrushko tells ThoroldToday. “We thought we’d at least let our voices be heard that we’re not really happy about it.”
While Petrushko acknowledges that the development would not directly impact him, he is worried about the rapid development in Allanburg and its surrounding areas.
“The amount of traffic that has been going through Allanburg has significantly increased,” he says. “There are a lot of cars that are turning up and down our street at probably double the speed limit. If you want to build up this area, build up the sidewalks, get closed in storm sewers, and possibly take a look at slowing down the traffic.”
While he accepts the decision of the tribunal, Petrushko still worries for his neighbourhood.
“As far as the severance and the variance go it’s spilled milk,” he says. “The size of that property does not reflect the surrounding properties. What drew people to move out here was that it’s a quiet village. It’s no longer a quiet village.”
