Hello (again), GALA Residents!
Last year, a community information meeting was hosted at Cathy Wever Elementary School on June 14th, 2023 regarding a proposed redevelopment of 87-109 Ashley Street in the Landsdale Neighbourhood. This project proposed a six-storey, 136- unit residential apartment building. A site walk with the GALA Neighbourhood Community Planning Team was also held the week prior on June 8th, 2023.
The owner and developer Tyros Development Ltd. has been completing additional modifications to the plan based on your feedback and preliminary comments from the City Planning Department in 2023, as well as a recent consultation meeting with staff held in May of 2024. The project design and planning applications are nearing completion, but before they are submitted we are reaching out once more to the community with an update about the project and an invitation for you to attend an additional public consultation session on August 14, 2024.
The proposed development remains a six-storey, 136-unit apartment building. This building will be a purpose-built rental apartment with a range of unit sizes from studio apartments up to three-bedroom units. The majority of the required parking will be provided within an underground garage, with some limited surface parking for residents and visitors at grade. Bicycle parking will also be provided on site.
As a result of neighbourhood and City feedback received on the project, the developer has directed that some additional changes be made to the site and building design, which include:
- Adjustments to terracing (i.e. step backs) for upper floors to limit shadow and overlook impacts on adjacent property.
- The inclusion of an additional parcel of land to the northwest for additional surface parking and waste collection pick-up;
- Utilization and enhancement of the public alleys surrounding the property (windows facing the alleys, landscaping, permeable paving for drainage).
The developer is preparing to apply for a Zoning By-law Amendment to the City of Hamilton at the end of the summer. The amendment will change the current Neighbourhood Commercial (C2) Zone to a site-specific Mixed Use Medium Density (C5) Zone.
Before the application is made, the developer’s Planning consultant, GSP Group, will be hosting a virtual meeting on Wednesday, August 14th, 2024 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm to provide updated information on the development concept and project. Everyone interested in this project is invited to attend.
The main questions for development projects are 1) when will you start building and 2) when will you be done? As the impacts of development are unavoidable, we are pleased to provide a brief overview of the typical approval and construction process.
The process for approving this development will involve two applications to the City of Hamilton. The first application is the Zoning By-law Amendment. This process includes a review and circulation of the planning application and required studies and reports for the review of City departments and external agencies or groups. Comments are provided to the applicant for response and action, as needed. A formal Public Meeting with the City Council must be held for Zoning applications and would be expected to occur sometime in the Fall of 2024. Council consideration of the approval of the application would occur following the public meeting. Typical review periods are around 90-120 days, inclusive of preliminary submission and appeal periods.
If the Zoning By-law Amendment is approved, the development would be subject to a second Planning application for Site Plan Approval. This application is facilitated between the City and developer and is focused on technical design matters such as landscaping, building design and site engineering. Timelines for this review can vary depending on submission.
When Site Plan Approval is granted, construction can commence. Small apartment builds such as the one proposed typically take between 1-2 years to complete fully, depending on methods used. On-site efforts related demolition, grading and servicing the site are undertaken first, with building construction and interior finishing advancing after the site is serviced and accessible.
This application has been well received by the neighborhood and City to date and will provide new housing opportunities within the GALA Neighbourhood. As housing availability and prices remain an obstacle to citizens throughout the community, projects such as these seek to address the issue head-on and provide opportunities for everyone to have a place to call home.
In the coming days you will see an invitation in your mailbox inviting you to attend the session. We are circulating this invitation to folks living within 300 metres of the subject property. Please feel free to share copies and information with any friends or neighbours outside the circulation area that may be interested.
To register for the community meeting, please send an email to Ethan Cleugh (ecleugh@gspgroup.ca) requesting to attend. We will send you the meeting link and login information in a reply message. For anyone that is unable to attend, but that has questions or comments, please feel free to submit them to Ethan via email as well or give us a call at 289-814-3090.
We look forward to seeing you again and hearing your feedback on this exciting project.
Craig A. Rohe
Senior Planner
GSP Group (Hamilton)
