Hamilton’s planning committee on Nov. 14 rejected an application for 1225 Old Golf Links Rd. in Ancaster for a storage facility. Councillors argued it would contribute to climate change.
Hamilton’s planning committee on Nov. 14 rejected an application for 1225 Old Golf Links Rd. in Ancaster for a storage facility. Councillors argued it would contribute to climate change.
Hamilton’s planning committee rejected an application to build a self-storage facility on Old Golf Links Road in Ancaster.
Ancaster Space Station Inc., owned by Steve Grzenda, had applied for an official plan and zoning bylaw amendments for a five-storey self-storage facility located on the north side of Old Golf Links Road with an estimated 46 parking spaces on what has been described as an “awkward” triangle parcel of land abutting the Lincoln Alexander Parkway.
Councillors at the Nov. 14 planning meeting approved the official plan amendment to allow for the redesignation of the 5,735-square-metre parcel of land from open space to mixed-use medium density, but opposed in an unanimous 12-0 vote allowing the storage application to move forward, despite planning staff’s recommendation to approve it. Councillors will vote on the committee’s decision at their Nov. 22 meeting.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Ryan Ferrari of A.J. Clarke and Associates, representing the owner, said “it made sense” to propose a self-storage facility on the property since the private road is a dead end and because of the location and the difficult design of the land.
“It’s very passive,” said Ferrari. “It doesn’t bug anybody.”
He said the property, which the owner purchased from the city after it had declared it surplus, needs to be serviced. It is also constrained because of an hydro easement south of the property. The plan would be to “make the (property) more palatable” through some “softscaping” at the site plan stage.
But Ancaster Coun. Craig Cassar said there are better ideas to develop the location. He said the city in 2019 declared a climate emergency, so it is “not business as usual” when it comes to allowing developments such as storage buildings that contribute to climate change. He said storage facilities encourage “more consumerism,” which promotes greenhouse gas emissions, he said.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Cassar said allowing the facility to be built “sends a signal (to the public) council is not serious about the climate emergency.”
Mountain Coun. John-Paul Danko said councillors “have an obligation to use the highest and best use” of a property.
“Self-storage is not the highest and best use for the property,” said Danko.
Stoney Creek Coun. Jeff Beattie, who said he has used self-storage facilities and agrees there is a need for such businesses, still supported Cassar and his colleagues as they voted 12-0 against the storage facility.
In 2021, councillors deferred discussing an application for an official plan and rezoning amendments to allow for a six-storey, 101-unit hotel with a total of 74 parking spaces at 1173 and 1203 Old Golf Links Rd.
Former Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson said he was surprised by the application and wanted to discuss the issue with the owner first before the committee discussed the proposal.
Staff have not identified when the application will be before the planning committee for review.
is a reporter for Hamilton Community News (Ancaster News, Dundas Star News, Mountain News and Stoney Creek News). He can be reached at kwerner@hamiltonnews.com.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation