Binbrook mid-rise proposal: sticking to the plan

NRU
Sept. 6, 2017
Dominik Matusik

A proposed mid-rise development in Hamilton has staff support to exceed the building height in the approved secondary plan, but concerns linger, with the ward councillor raising concerns about infrastructure and loss of rural character.

Losani Homes proposes to build two four-storey mixeduse buildings on its 1.11-ha lot at 3100-3140 Regional Road 56 in the hamlet of Binbrook in Hamilton. Losani’s proposal is for 90 residential units and 1,650m2 of retail space.

Ward 11 councillor Brenda Johnson has raised a number of concerns with the development. She told NRU that there is a secondary plan in place for a reason and bending the rules will only result in taller and taller buildings.

“One of the things in the [Binbrook Village] secondary plan is, it’s a three-storey maximum,” she says. “For various reasons—we wanted to keep the characteristic of a rural village, infrastructure...—everything was toned down because of those factors. And this developer came in with four [storeys]. Now, four doesn’t seem like a whole lot to anybody else, but it is a glass ceiling. The minute that you punch through that glass ceiling, it just becomes whatever.”

Johnson says that road and sewer infrastructure is already at capacity due to the intense development pressure on Binbrook.

Development planning, heritage and urban design manager Anita Fabac told NRU that while it is true that the proposal exceeds the height prescribed in the secondary plan, staff found that there would be minimal adverse effects resulting from the increased height.

“Based on the evaluation of staff, they felt that the addition of that fourth storey could be supported based on the specific site characteristics,” she says. “There was, what I would deem a significant, separation distance between the building face and the residences at the back... Staff evaluated it and they felt that there were no overlook or privacy issues that would be created because of this, in large part because of that separation distance.”

Fabac says that the proposal generally complies with provincial and municipal policies and provides an appropriately compact urban form. To address the issue of infrastructure capacity, staff is recommending attaching a holding provision to the site until upgrades are made to the sewer system.

Hamilton planning committee approved the official plan amendment application in an 8-1 vote yesterday. Council will consider the application at their meeting on September 13.

Representatives of Losani Homes were unavailable for comment before deadline.