7-storey condo proposed for Ormond
Contaminant cleanup required on site before construction can begin
Owners of a swath of land on Ormond Street South in Thorold are looking to build an 84-unit, seven-storey condominium building on the site, but first a few obstacles must be overcome.
That’s the message Greg Hynde, senior adviser with Quartek Group Inc., delivered to Thorold city council Tuesday during a public meeting required under the Planning Act, for amendments to the city’s official plan and zoning bylaw.
Hynde outlined three constraints. The site — it once housed R. DiFruscia Groceries and Grape Juice — is designated general commercial and its owners want that changed to urban living area, which would permit medium- to high-density residential uses. The zoning bylaw amendment would rezone the land from institutional and neighbourhood commercial zone to a site-specific residential density zone, to permit the construction of an apartment building.
“It’s lacking in some gateway presentation at this corner but the surrounding land use lends itself well to what I’m presenting tonight,” said Hynde. “It’s got really good connectivity at this site to the rest of Thorold, to the rest of the neighbourhood.”
While the former grocery building, with residential units on the second floor, is still on the site, the property is mostly gravel and grass.
Hynde said the second constraint facing the owners — the most important one — is the site is contaminated.
“There are three leaking tanks buried in this site, spilling out into the groundwater,” said Hynde. “We have to clean this site up before we proceed.”
Wells are being monitored, and the three tanks need to be removed as does the contaminated
soil, before it can be replaced with clean soil. Two remediation options cost between $400,000 and $900,000.
“The difference is time,” said Hynde. “One we can do fairly quickly, the other we would have to wait months before soil is cleaned.”
The final constraint the owners are dealing with is utility easements. The current ones are not appropriate for the site; some of them have been abandoned while others wouldn’t cover needs.
“We’re working with the city to identify which are active, and which can be taken out and removed,” said Hynde.
The approved amendments will facilitate the development of a seven-storey condominium apartment building. Comprising two- and three-bedroom apartments, the site will have 105 parking spaces, the majority of which will be located underground with the rest outdoors. The site will also include 48 bicycle spaces.
“This site cannot be developed until the site is sterilized. We have to be very careful with the use of this site,” said Hynde.
This development, he stressed, meets current market need in Thorold.
“We’ve analyzed similar developments and know they fill up very quickly.”
Coun. Jim Handley expressed concern over the 1.25 parking spots per unit. He said that with most developments in Thorold the major concern for neighbours is a lack of parking.
Hynde said the current plan sees only 17 per cent of the property covered in building, so should there be a need for more parking there is plenty of space to accommodate it.
“I personally look forward to seeing that building one day,” said Mayor Ted Luciani.
During the public meeting, Thorold’s regional councillor, Henry D’Angela, spoke to the proposal, asking about proposed access to the site on Richmond Street. He asked whether there has been any thought given to aligning the exit with the existing intersection.
“I guarantee in 10 years from now, there’s going to be a request for a stop sign being put there to address the traffic coming out,” he said, estimating there will be at least 85 to 100 cars exiting there on a daily basis. “You’ll lose sight lines when the building is built.”
Hynde said that should the access be moved there, it would go over a regional sanitary sewer facility.
A staff recommendation report for the proposal will be brought forward to council at a future meeting.