[ScreamingViking]

Update on 71 Main:


Dundas 71 Main St. proposed development site undergoes stage 3 archeological assessment
Potential for both Indigenous and 19th century Euro-Canadian archeological sites

Craig Campbell
Dundas Star News
Monday, April 12, 2021

https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-st...al-assessment/

A stage 3 archeological assessment at the site of a controversial, proposed nine-storey, 64-unit residential building at 71 Main St. was underway by Friday, April 9, as the property’s owner continued an effort to fulfil various conditions for final site plan approval.

Completing all archeological assessments, up to a possible stage 4 excavation to mitigate the impacts of development, is one of the conditions of final site plan approval. Once final site plan approval is granted, a building permit can be applied for.

City of Hamilton spokesperson Michelle Williams said the requirement for a stage 3 archeological assessment was identified in the April 24, 2020 stage 2 review.

Although the stage 2 report was not available by deadline, the stage 1 report completed by Oakville’s Archaeological Assessments Ltd. in December 2013 concluded the second stage had to be completed before any development could occur.

“The subject property has some potential for both Aboriginal and 19th century Euro-Canadian archeological sites,” the stage one report stated.

According to the report, 71 Main’s long history of occupation, and location within one of the oldest areas of the Town of Dundas creates a quite high potential for deeply buried Euro-Canadian archeological deposits.

“The subject property does contain some potentially undisturbed areas and therefore does have some potential for pre-contact archeological deposits,” the report states.

David Horwood, president of property owner Centurion (Dundas) Holdings Ltd and Effort Trust, said the company continues to make progress on clearing site plan approval conditions, after successfully fighting an Ontario Municipal Board appeal of the City of Hamilton’s rezoning three years ago.

Horwood said he would share more concrete information after writing to his tenants — apparently at neighbouring 75 Main St.

Planning consultant Matt Johnston of Urban Solutions and a broad team of consultants are actively working with city staff to clear conditions.

“Once that milestone is complete, the building permit application can be submitted,” Johnston said. “Current activity on the site relates to the team working to clear these conditions of approval.”

Williams did not say what other conditions remain for site plan approval.

“The applicant made a resubmission at the end of December 2020 to clear site plan conditions,” Williams said. “Staff have responded to the resubmission with comments identifying revisions required to obtain final site plan clearance.”

Williams said the city’s building department submitted zoning review comments to planning staff in January 2021, but she did not provide any further details.

In July 2020, City of Hamilton staff said the development proposal, including a 29-metre tall building where the previous zoning permitted a maximum of 16-meters, had received conditional site plan approval in June 2017 but no submissions had been made to clear any of the conditions.

The conditional approval was set to expire in June 2018 but Centurion applied for, and received, an extension to June 8, 2021.