City of Hamilton to put proceeds of Stoney Creek land to affordable housing

Thestar.com
Jan. 13, 2021

The city plans to sell land wedged between the QEW and Lake Ontario in Stoney Creek to raise money for affordable housing projects.

The nearly three-acre parcel at 1400 Baseline Rd. will “likely” have an asking price “north of $3 million,” real estate manager Ray Kessler told councillors Tuesday.

The planning committee backed policy changes to allow for as many as nine storeys, up from the existing three-storey cap, for the vacant property ahead of a sale.

“We’re trying to make these lands development-ready,” planner Alissa Mahood said.

The city has flagged the property near the Fifty Point Conservation Area for divestment, with sale proceeds going toward affordable-housing projects.

The Ministry of Transportation initially eyed the land for a “Tourism Gateway Centre,” which can include a gas station, variety store and washrooms, but changed course.

This allowed the city to prepare the municipally owned property for sale to private developers.

Coun. Maria Pearson, who represents Ward 10, said the plan to use proceeds for affordable housing, as well as sidewalks in the area, is sound. “We need a pot of money in order to do this.”

Coun. Brenda Johnson, whose Ward 11 in Stoney Creek borders Pearson’s to the south, was less convinced.

She questioned why the city would predestine the property as strictly residential and not commercial.

“I think we could do much better,” Johnson said, suggesting the land could fetch more on the market.

She also argued the city could have garnered more feedback from residents in an area that has seen an increase in traffic with a new Costco across the highway.

Meanwhile, residents along Stoney Creek’s lake shore, between Gray and Fruitland roads, have complained about highrise development proposals in recent years.

On Tuesday, Coun. John-Paul Danko supported changes to allow for more units and height at 1400 Baseline Rd., noting the city’s obligation to meet provincial growth targets over the next 30 years.

Staff plan to report back on the possibility of including a sale condition that would oblige the purchaser to include affordable units as part of any development plan.