East Grimsby development gets amendment approvals

By Mike Williscraft
NewsNow

A controversial development in Grimsby’s east end got green lights from a special meeting of council Monday night.

The special meeting was set after Monday, July 19’s committee of the whole ran very long and council opted to cancel the council portion of the night’s agenda as it would have started after 11 p.m.

Two delegations from the neighbourhood adjacent to 314 Main St. E. spoke in detail of significant planning issues which either remain unresolved – such as completion of a drainage Master Plan – or have cropped up – clear cutting the land in contravention of an approved agreement as well as density and height issues which have arisen as a result of altered plans.

Regardless, five members of council approved the proposed amendments to the Town’s Official Plan and bylaws – Councillors Randy Vaine, Kevin Ritchie, Dave Kadwell John Dunstall and Dave Sharpe.

Councillors Lianne Vardy and Reg Freake, as well as Mayor Jeff Jordan voted against the approval. Coun. Dorothy Bothwell was absent.
Annette Gibbons and Walter Spoja both addressed council on behalf of neighbouring residents.

Gibbons noted several major issues with communication, inaccurate and misleading information, poor meeting minutes and the condition violated by Branthaven on May 17.

“What is the purpose of having the condition? They should be held accountable now,” said Gibbons.
Antonietta Minichillo, Grimsby’s director of planning, said the matter was federal jurisdiction and she has contacted them regarding the infraction.

Spoja cited several components of the plan which do not meet current planning guidelines writing off explanations related to these issues as “wordsmithing and misleading information”.

While consultant Bruce McCall-Richmond and Enzo Bertucci, Branthaven’s director of land management, both took issue with some of the comments made, Vardy gave an example of why residents and some members of council feel misled by the process.

Vardy noted that at an earlier meeting another consultant for the project noted that new builds backing onto established homes on Lawrence Avenue would be bungalows – by definition single storey.

However, peaked roofs were added to the submitted designs which McCall-Richmond described Monday as two storeys.

Noting she did not appreciate this variation in information, Vardy added, “I feel misled by that comment.”

“It would seem to me, that from a planning perspective we have really dropped the ball on a lot of issues that need to be addressed.”

Vardy was clear she did not oppose the development, but made it clear there are issues which need to be dealt before she would support the amendments.

“I’m not comfortable proceeding at all. I’m really concerned by the points Mr. Spoja made,” said Vardy, adding it is not the Town’s issue that Branthaven went ahead and sold all 53 lots in the development before they had approvals.

Vaine was of the opposite opinion.

“It’s a little late in the game to suddenly say a year later that we’re not happy now because our residents and potential voters are upset at us. We can’t suddenly change our minds,” said Vaine.

“The developer is doing the right thing. I think we need to move on. We need to approve this.”

Gibbons noted she received a Branthaven letter last Friday noting construction would start July 27.

“That’s tomorrow,” she noted.