Housing development at Seaway Mall has building heights lowered
October 25, 2021
Housing development at Seaway Mall has building heights lowered
A developer proposing to build 1,300 housing units on six hectares of land at Seaway Mall, including the former Target store, has lowered the planned heights of apartment buildings. JULIE JOCSAK / TORSTAR
Idrakoth Ltd. will fund or build a new transit terminal at Seaway Mall as it develops six hectares of land on the Niagara Street north property, Welland city council heard recently.
The developer is proposing 1,300 housing units on the northeast corner of the mall and will tear down the former Target store as part of the project.
The project will feature internal streets, parks, small-scale commercial uses and a mix of buildings including townhouses, two-unit dwellings and accessory dwelling units.
Originally proposing apartment buildings with maximum heights of eight, 20 and 30 storeys, the developer has scaled back the proposal.
Last Tuesday, council passed a report ensuring the maximum height of the residential towers are 16 storeys, down from an original 30 storeys and a second proposal at 22 storeys.
The staff report from planning manager Rachelle Larocque said the developer listened to comments from a meeting in early October when it came to maximum heights.
“The proposed 16-storey height can be supported by staff, and the evaluation of the application does not change based on this height reduction,” her report said.
Contained in Larocque’s report was a provision for community benefits in return for height and density permitted on the site.
Ward 4 Coun. Bryan Green asked if the provision was something new.
“I don’t recall seeing that before,” he said.
Larocque said it was in a previous staff report and that community benefits could include new parks and transit amenities.
She said previous reports identified need for a new transit hub at the mall, especially with new residents coming to the area, and was determined to be the best benefit.
There is a new development on Niagara Street beside the Esso Station at Woodlawn Road and a new nine-storey, 98-unit high-end, condo-style rental property on Lancaster Drive almost directly opposite the Seaway Mall proposal.
Larocque’s report said staff determined a financial contribution of $500,000 toward construction of the terminal would be appropriate given preliminary cost estimates for the project.
“Staff have been in consultation with the applicant, and they are satisfied with this proposal. The applicant has also provided the option that they would be willing to construct the terminal using their resources in lieu of the cash contribution. City staff are supportive of this option and will provide wording in the agreement that would allow this, however, would provide a time frame within which the terminal must be constructed or the financial contribution provided,” her report said.
Ward 4 Coun. Tony DiMarco is still concerned about the height of the buildings and that they would be overlooking Willowlanding Court, which sits east and below the grade of the mall’s northeast parking lot.
He questioned the density of the development and how it was allowed.
“It far exceeds the norm,” he said.
Larocque said there is a range of density across the project, and one of the ways to approve the increase on the property, including the height of the buildings, was through the community benefits provision.
DiMarco also questioned the removal of a snow storage area on the site just so the developer could add another home or two.
Council heard the company plans to take snow off-site, rather than create piles of snow.
DiMarco said he is all for intensification but said the Idrakoth Ltd. development is too big for the area.
“We’ve got to stop allowing this, especially in areas like this. Something of this size does not fit in,” he said.
