A few minor zoning variances in Thorold have turned into a major land dispute.
A developer has filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal to seek permission to build a six-storey apartment building in downtown Thorold.
As ThoroldToday first reported, developer Shane Webber is proposing a 40-unit apartment complex at 16 Ormond St S., but some of the surrounding residents feel the project does not fit their neighbourhood.
The proposal appeared before the Thorold Committee of Adjustment in March, where a decision was deferred because committee members felt they didn’t have enough information—particularly pertaining to parking in the area.
Now that the developer has filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal, neighbours are worried that they won’t be able to fight the project any longer.
“Of course this becomes more challenging as it becomes more costly to pursue at the provincial level through lawyer and planner fees,” says concerned resident Tim O’Hare, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “We are clearly at a disadvantage at this point. The developer can out-dollar us as they have the professionals on staff and much deeper pockets.”
O’Hare is part of a group of concerned neighbours who call themselves Citizens for Responsible Development and Neighbourhood Preservation.
The group can have their voice heard at the appeal in three different ways: They can either send in a written statement, choose to represent themselves, or hire a lawyer and planner of their own.
“We're not sure how we're going to proceed,” O’Hare says. “We’re just gathering as much information as we always do. We’re digging up research regarding our rights, and research regarding urban design and planning. It’s for us to inform ourselves with as much information as we can, so we can approach this knowledgeably and well prepared.”
O’Hare points out that his group of concerned citizens has already spent $3,000 trying to fight the development, and he’s not sure they can afford to spend more.
Another worry is that the Ontario Land Tribunal might not understand the nuances of what downtown Thorold looks like.
“It’s a city that has a quaint town-like feel to it, it has a historical significance to it, and it has the canal,” says O’Hare. “You start turning it into the ugly duckling and people might go to Elora or Cambridge. It’s a really pretty beautiful city and with the wonderful work that has been done downtown, that should be continued.”
O’Hare hopes that the appeal doesn’t defer a decision on the project for much longer.
“We are not looking for conflict,” he says. “We do in fact support intensification and the need for housing, especially senior and affordable housing in Thorold. We are hoping for a solution that would work within the neighbourhood. That’s the big part we want to stress. Dragging this out for years would not be good for anybody."
When asked for comment, Zachary Soccio-Marandola, the lawyer for the property owner, released the following statement to ThoroldToday: “The developer has chosen to exercise their appeal right to ensure the Application is evaluated and decided upon solely on its planning merits.”
