[LikeHamilton]

Mountain Plaza Mall redevelopment in jeopardy?

Dispute over parking spaces could scuttle $50 million development

By Mark Newman, Mountain News, May 23, 2008


A proposal by SmartCentres to eliminate 597 parking spaces as part of its redevelopment plans for Mountain Plaza Mall could end up nixing the $50 million project.

The city's committee of adjustment last week tabled the Vaughan-based company's request for several on-site variances after some committee members questioned the proposal to reduce the minimum number of parking spaces at the plaza at Upper James and Fennell from 1616 as required under city bylaws to 1019. Currently there are 1194 parking spaces around the mall.

The move puts the project on hold pending a review of the parking plan for the development.

Christine Cote, land development manager for SmartCentres, was disappointed with the committee's decision, noting city planning staff support the project.

"If we don't get the variance for the parking, it's unlikely that a redevelopment will go through," said Ms. Cote, who maintains all of the requested variances, including the number of parking spaces are minor in nature and are in line with city policies and current trends in the shopping plaza industry.

"Purchasing the mall was a very expensive endeavour and in order to make a redevelopment work, we have to fit so much GLA (gross leasable area) on the site."

SmartCentres is looking to tear down all the existing buildings on the 7.6 hectare (18.8 acres) site with the exception of the building at the north end of the property along Fennell Avenue and build six new retail buildings including a 130,103 square-foot Wal-Mart and a 17,035 square-foot Shoppers Drug Mart and a two storey retail office mixed-use building.

Four of the buildings are slated to go up along Upper James. The new Wal-Mart will anchor the south end of the site backing against Allenby and Howard avenues. A long, rectangular-shaped building is planned for the north-east side of the property near Terrace Drive. A site plan was submitted to the city last fall.

Since the area is currently zoned for shopping centre use city council approval is not required. However, some of the redevelopment plans (number of parking spaces, loading areas and setbacks from surrounding property) do not conform with city bylaws and minor variance approvals for those changes are required from the committee of adjustment.

Eric Saulesleja, a planning consultant for SmartCentres, told the May 15 meeting the mall, originally built in 1973, is in need of renovations and modernization and the new development will create a more pleasant walking environment along Upper James.

But, many neighbours living around the mall are not pleased with the proposed redevelopment. About a dozen or so of them attended the meeting, several voicing their displeasure about the reduction in parking spaces in particular.

"If Wal-Mart needs a larger, independent facility, I suggest they go further south on Upper James," said Terrace Drive resident Charles Stirling.

Lawyer Jerry Aggus, representing a numbered company that owns a nearby variety store, said the plan to reduce the number of parking spaces by nearly 600 is not a minor variance.

"I think the report submitted by the applicant is somewhat suspect," Mr. Aggus said.

He said his client is concerned that fewer parking spaces might result in mall customers taking up parking spots at the variety store.

Mr. Aggus also complained that additional requests for variances were put before the committee without being properly circulated in the community and the committee ought not to consider them until the public has been informed.

Former Hamilton councillor and committee of adjustment member Don Drury called the parking issue the "800 pound gorilla in the room."

While most committee members did not appear to have a problem with variance requests for reducing the size of parking spaces or set-backs from private property surrounding the site, it was clear a number of them would either not support the reduced number of parking spaces or sought more information as to the rationale for the reduction.

"I think the reduction of almost 200 parking spaces (from the current number) is pretty serious," Mr. Drury said.

Grant Pretorius, vice president of development at SmartCentres said the company will review the site plan and provide more information to support their case. He couldn't say if the site plan could be reworked to add more parking spaces.

According to a report prepared for the committee, city planning staff "is satisfied that the proposed reduction in parking is appropriate in that sufficient parking would be provided to meet with anticipated demand at most times."

Comments from city parking operations took a different view.

"This is an overall reduction of 597 parking spaces." the report states. "It is our opinion that the scope of this variance is not minor in nature as it is likely to have a noticeable impact to the residents in the surrounding neighbourhoods."

According to an assessment done by city parking officials, the proposed number of spaces at the mall would only be able to handle peak demands for parking from Monday to Thursday in non December months and on Sundays in non December months.

Mr. Saulesleja said a week-long study done by the company last June showed on average that about 689 parking spaces at the mall were being used at any given time.[/QUOTE]

.