County Fair (Upper Sherman/ Mohawk) ?

[ScreamingViking]

It does need retail at street level. Though people around those parts probably drive to Lime Ridge or the box retailers east and west.

I bet the hissy fits over height and how "it doesn't fit the character of the existing neighbourhood" will be high-pitched and high-volume. Density here makes sense, but perhaps not quite as tall (15-20 storeys max?)

[Beedok]

I feel like they jammed it to the maximum with units to give themselves more wiggle room when they get negotiated down.

[Crapht]

Ugh. I can’t even. Haha. All I see is drive drive drive everywhere. Barf.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by Crapht

Ugh. I can’t even. Haha. All I see is drive drive drive everywhere. Barf.

Given the location, being a drive-centric development makes sense

[Crapht]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Given the location, being a drive-centric development makes sense

If the development retained the grocery store and some retail there would be less driving. As this is, it just adds more people to drive more.

[StEC]

They absolutely must include a grocery store and some other retail here. They removed two grocery stores here (No Frills and Walmart) to make way for this development and the nearby grocery stores are already too busy. With this amount of density and new residents here it should be a requirement to replace the grocery store('s).

I don't mind the density but so much space dedicated to cars in the renders ughh.

[ScreamingViking]

I doubt we'll see a full grocery store. No Frills and Walmart didn't succeed here -- the market seems to have dictated that the offerings blocks away are sufficient.

Some retail is needed, I think. Not sure if grocery (full service) is part of that. But it may be required if other changes happen along Mohawk.

[TheRitsman]

Even just the basics, a dentist office, cafe, variety store, nail salon, barber. You need like 5 or 10 units here and you could reduce car trips significantly.

[King&James]

https://canadatoday.news/on/massive-...untain-141550/

Krazy Binz Liquidation Hamilton Mountain has relocated to the former No Frills Outlet at County Fair Plaza.

Nearly 2,000 units are earmarked for a massive residential redevelopment on the County Fair Plaza site at the corner of Mohawk Road East and Upper Sherman Avenue.

An application from owner 499 Mohawk Inc. was filed with the city’s planning department in late November, seeking a total of 1,995 housing units. The plan includes eight- to 25-story buildings on the four-acre site, including 1,945 condominiums and seven three-story stacked 50-unit townhouse blocks.

Changes to the official plan and zoning are required to redesignate the land from a commercial district to a modified medium-density mixed-use designation.

The plan includes on-site above and below ground parking, open space and recreational areas with access from Mohawk Road East and Upper Sherman.



Read also: The County Fair Plaza redevelopment on Hamilton Mountain will have "a little bit of everything."

The proposal also promises 948 long-term bicycle parking spaces and 95 short-term bicycle parking spaces, according to a project website from Urban Solutions Planning and Land Development.

In a November interview, Jeff Paikin, president of the New Horizon Development Group, said the development would include “a little bit of everything” and would require no additional site maintenance.

“We think it fits in well with the neighborhood,” Paikin added at the time.

The development is also just steps from Macassa Park, Paikin noted.

While the plans for the residential development are progressing, other commercial tenants have since settled in the existing retail space.

Krazy Binz Liquidation Hamilton Mountain is now open in the former No Frills unit. According to its website, Krazy Binz is a bargain hunter that offers a “treasure hunt” with items priced by day of the week. The goods are sourced from major online retailers. Prices start at $25 on Friday and drop to $1. See krazybinz.ca.

OPM Sales, a division of SVP Sports, has been open at the former Walmart/Zellers location since August. Billing itself as a big-box value retailer, the store offers discounts of up to 80 percent on clothing, shoes, accessories, sporting goods and more. See opmsales.com.

Ustad Kar Kare opened in the former Beverly Tire Outlet on the west side of the plaza and The Beer Store remains in the plaza’s easternmost unit.

[Pulkvedis Pods]

Two letters to the editor in "Ancaster News" appeared in today's edition, in which the writers expressed identical concerns - the size, the traffic volume to come, etc.
Without any commercial, retail, service oriented space in this project, I too would reject it.
This project is too out of scale within the neighbourhood context.

[Fruitloops]

I have always felt that if we are to have intensification it should be at the junction of major intersections be it Up Sherman/Mohawk, Queenston/ Nash, King/Dundurn etc, in effect creating mini downtown or economic zones aligned with transit.

Look to the big smoke albeit on a grander scale ie Yonge/Sheppard etc.

[Innsertnamehere]

It could probably come down in density a bit, maybe lop off a few of the uppermost floors. Definitely needs retail, and more than just a token coffee shop, though.

[mikevbar1]

I’m sure the reason they didn’t include retail was because the developers think they can get away without it. It’s up to the city whether or not they were right.

[TheRitsman]

I think it should be taller. Could probably handle the corner being 30 floors, and the other back portions should be 2-3 floors taller.

Retail is a must here, if they don't, this will be a huge miss.

[Pulkvedis Pods]

If you can un-stroadify Mohawk, and urbanize this district, then that would be a step forward.

[ScreamingViking]

There is no good reason the city can't begin running express buses along Mohawk now, never mind if timed to coincide with this getting built; more supportive transit services could help transform the street (and presumably other proposals will be coming in the near future). There are also stretches of the street that are fairly dense and have been for a while... decades. No need for a full BRT just yet, per the BLAST concept's "T" line; just something akin to the B- and A-lines as a starter.

Anyone know what pre-pandemic ridership of routes 41 and 42 was like?

L and S should have such service upgrades too. Especially the latter, with Confederation GO coming and all the growth around the airport... make it easier and faster for people to use the HSR!

[ScreamingViking]

No surprise this is going to the OLT next month.


New Horizon Development appeals proposed 2,000-unit residential development on Mohawk Road to tribunal
Mountain Coun. John-Paul Danko calls the proposal 'not good quality development' for neighbourhood.

Kevin Werner
Hamilton Mountain News via The Spectator
Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023

https://www.thespec.com/news/new-hor...mmunities-news

The owner of a proposed nearly 2,000-unit residential development — that would include two 25-storey towers at Mohawk Road and Upper Sherman Avenue at the County Fair Plaza — has appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

The applicant, New Horizon Development Group, informed the city it was appealing for non-decision by Hamilton council in August, 291 days after the city received the application for the plan.

Under the Planning Act, official plan and zoning bylaw amendments can be appealed to the tribunal after 120 days if council has not made a decision on the application.

The owner’s lawyer, Patrick Harrington of Aird & Berlis LLP, stated in an Aug. 11 letter that an application had been filed with the city on Oct. 24, 2022.

A video case management conference has been scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 15, 2023.

The proposed development at 499 Mohawk Rd. E. includes not only the two 25-storey towers, but also one 20-storey building, two 15-storey structures, one 13-storey building, two eight-storey structures and seven three-storey townhouses, totalling 1,995 residential units on less than 10 acres of land.

The plan also includes four levels of underground parking, more than 1,000 bike parking spots and some green spaces within the developed area.

The County Fair Plaza was purchased by New Horizon Development in 2021. The plaza’s Walmart store closed in August 2021 and the unit is now home to OPM Sales, a division of SVP Sports. A former No Frills grocery store is now occupied by a Krazy Binz Liquidation store, and the Beer Store operates on the plaza’s west side.

Ward 7 Coun. Esther Pauls, who represents the area where the development is being considered for the property, said residents have been up in arms since the proponent unveiled plans for the property during a February 2023 public meeting.

Since the gathering staff have received 52 email submissions, with 49 against the proposal. Residents have raised issues involving parking, pedestrian safety, increased residential density, building height, and loss of privacy.

There have been more than 600 people who have signed a petition against the development.

Angelo Mosca Jr., who lives in the area of the plaza, has said the development will have an “unreasonable impact on our homes.”

“People have concerns about traffic, and the impact that 2,000 individuals will have on the surrounding area,” said Pauls. “It will affect everyone that drives along (the roadway).”

Other residents have complained that the addition of an estimated 4,000 people from the development will put extra pressure on area hospitals and emergency personnel along with contributing to existing traffic congestion.

Staff had stated the proposal “does not meet the planning use” for the lands, nor does it meet the intended built form. It also “does not satisfy” the intensification criteria of the Urban Hamilton Official Plan, nor does a traffic study demonstrate that the traffic created by the development will be accommodated on the existing road networks.

A design panel review meeting in December 2022 resulted in the experts recommending reducing the density to enhance open space and improve pedestrian connections.

...

[drpgq]

"Other residents have complained that the addition of an estimated 4,000 people from the development will put extra pressure on area hospitals and emergency personnel along with contributing to existing traffic congestion."

Never really thought Mohawk and Upper Sherman had much in the way of traffic congestion, especially compared to something like Main.

Anyways, the OLT will do its job and the councilors will have cover saying they opposed it.

[King&James]

Agree, looks like the OLT will have to do the councils' work again. Why do we need to have local planning control, seems as though it just slows things down.

[ScreamingViking]

Did staff even attempt to work with the developer to introduce any changes? Even just ground floor retail?

And ya, several thousand more people will increase demand for hospitals/health care, and also schools, city services, etc. But that's going to happen no matter where they go, and with about 250,000 more people expected to be in the city before mid-century there will need to be major capacity increases for many things public.

But don't dare force an existing resident to drive a bit slower if there are more vehicles on the major roads... or make them wait an extra cycle at a traffic light.