West Lincoln voters heading to the polls; St. Catharines delays CIP public meeting; Grassy Brook plan moves closer to completion
Niagara Democracy Watch is The Pointer’s weekly feature aimed at increasing the public’s awareness and political involvement in the Niagara Region by highlighting key agenda items, motions and decisions.
Council Meeting
Date: August 12 - 6:30 p.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live
West Lincoln by-election planned for November 4th
West Lincoln council is expected to formally adopt a bylaw on Monday’s agenda to conduct a by-election on November 4th to fill the vacancy left by Ward 3 (Smithville) Councillor Terry Bell.
Bell has been absent from the meetings of council for three successive months without authorization, effectively vacating his seat, as per the Municipal Act. He last attended council on February 26th, but health issues led to his extended absence.
The Smithville councillor had previously served on West Lincoln Council from 2014 to 2018. In the 2018 election, he ran for a seat on regional council, losing to Albert Witteveen by a mere 45 votes. In 2022, he successfully returned to West Lincoln council.
“I feel honoured to have been able to work closely with Terry on council and on our Age Friendly Advisory Committee. He truly loves this community. We will miss him around the horseshoe at council and we wish him all the best,” Mayor Cheryl Ganann stated in response to Bell’s departure.
The Municipal Act allows council to fill the vacancy by appointing a person, who has consented to accept the office, or hold a by-election. West Lincoln has experience filling vacancies by both methods.
In 2016, a Ward 3 vacancy was filled by conducting a by-election in which Ganann was the successful candidate. In 2020, due to pandemic restrictions, council decided the most appropriate course of action to fill a vacancy of a Ward 2 (Gainsborough) seat was to appoint the runner-up from the previous election, Shelley Ann Bradaric, who was within 50 votes of the successful candidate. Councillor Bradaric continues to sit on West Lincoln Council.
With the closest runner-up in the previous municipal election almost 1,000 votes behind Bell, who received 1,671 votes, council ultimately decided with more than two years remaining in the term, a by-election was the appropriate way to fill the vacancy.
After adoption of the bylaw on Monday, the Township will accept nominations between August 13th and September 20th. Advanced polling days will be announced with the voting day on November 4th. Staff estimates the cost of the by-election will be between $25,000 and $30,000.
Past reporting:
St. Catharines postpones public meeting on Community Improvement Plan
The City of St. Catharines is rescheduling public meetings related to proposed changes to its Community Improvement Plan (CIP) and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Program. Initially slated for Monday’s council meeting, members of the public wishing to have their voice heard can now attend the council meeting on Monday, August 26th.
The proposed amendments to the CIP will allow for extensions of completion deadlines for projects approved under the municipality’s 2015 CIP and 2020 CIP. Mayor Mat Siscoe described the need for the amendments as “housekeeping” in nature.
“Development project timelines over the last several years have been significantly impacted by housing market fluctuations, rising interest rates and construction costs and pandemic related restrictions,” Siscoe stated.
The most recent iteration of the City’s CIP program has generated polarizing opinions, with opponents arguing the program is akin to corporate welfare for developers, whose projects would have proceeded anyway, while defenders of the program advocate it helps remediate properties that have sat fallow and increases the assessment base.
The ADU program provides a one-time grant to help offset project costs for the construction of an interior accessory apartment dwelling unit or an external apartment dwelling unit within an existing or new detached accessory structure. The goal of the program is to to support a greater mix and size of housing types in the city, and the increased availability of affordable rental housing accommodation.
The City is still soliciting public feedback on the CIP and ADU amendments.
Past reporting:
Council Meeting
Date: August 13 - 1:00 p.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live
Grassy Brook Secondary Plan Phase 2 completed
A report on Tuesday’s Niagara Falls council agenda indicates that Phase 2 of the Grassy Brook Secondary Plan—which may impact the proposed development of the Lyons Narrows project—has been completed and recommends council direct staff to proceed with Phase 3.
Lyons Narrows, a controversial project that would consist of 1,344 dwelling units on 82.9 hectares of land, including the lands that formerly housed King Waldorf’s Tent and Trailer Park and the Oaklands Golf Club, has been before council twice since October 2023. In both cases, Niagara Falls Planning staff recommended council refuse
Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments as due to the requests being “premature”, especially with the Grassy Brook Secondary Process underway. At a meeting at the end of May, numerous delegates spoke against the project. Council, however, decided to defer the matter, instead of rejecting it, as per staff’s recommendation. The developer has appealed council’s “lack of a decision” to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
A secondary plan represents a land use vision for a neighborhood or specific area within the municipality. Such plans proactively manage new growth while considering infrastructure investment, land use compatibility and a planning framework for both new employment and residential development. Once adopted, the secondary plan becomes part of the municipality's Official Plan.
Grassy Brook, located east of the QEW, is bordered by the Welland River to the north and Lyon's Creek to the south. It is approximately 495 hectares (1,223 acres) and is the last unplanned, unserviced greenfield area within the municipality. With the city expected to accommodate a total of 141,650 persons and 58,110 jobs by 2051, the Grassy Brook area has been identified as a key location to accommodate such growth.
Feedback received, from the Phase 2 open house and Community Focus Group, is the area should plan for higher density housing to lessen the impact of development on the natural areas; plan for active transportation and public transit; enhance the natural areas and link natural areas to the urban design and built form; encourage connections to the Welland River; plan for climate change impacts to the area such as flooding and extreme heat and rain; protect biodiversity, and ensure that there is adequate infrastructure to support the new development.
The staff report also emphasizes the plan to establish a new employment area within Grassy Brook. In April, the City announced the purchase of the Russell Aviation property on Sodom Road, along the QEW, for $6.5 million, to accommodate an industrial park. While the staff report does not specifically speak to the Sodom Road property, it indicates that much of the anticipated 3,450 industrial jobs by 2051 will be accommodated in the Grassy Brook area.
Phase 3 of the project will involve detailed land use policies, additional public stakeholder consultation and the finalization of plans such as the Subwatershed Study, which will identify specific mitigation measures and natural heritage features to be protected. Phase 3 will culminate in a final draft Secondary Plan for Council’s consideration.
The staff report can be read here.
Past reporting:
- Controversial development returns to Niagara Falls City Council, with not much changed, prompting rare recommendation to reject it
- Niagara Falls Council refuses to make decision on controversial 1,300-unit Lyons Narrows development
Email: [email protected]
At a time when vital public information is needed by everyone, The Pointer has taken down our paywall on all stories to ensure every resident of Brampton, Mississauga and Niagara has access to the facts. For those who are able, we encourage you to consider a subscription. This will help us report on important public interest issues the community needs to know about now more than ever. You can register for a 30-day free trial HERE. Thereafter, The Pointer will charge $10 a month and you can cancel any time right on the website. Thank you
Submit a correction about this story
