Development issues tower over Port Dalhousie
Hank Beekhuis wants to keep the special village feeling in Port Dalhousie.
“We’ve always been in favour of some development, we just don’t want to see a massive overshadowing of the heritage buildings that are left and maintain the village feel,” says the president of the Port Dalhousie Conservancy.
“That’s why people come to Port — the waterfront and the village feel of the place.”
The north St. Catharines waterfront community is a place where development, or lack of it, has been dominating headlines for 15 years.
That’s not about to change for the 2018 municipal election.
Beekhuis said now that the city has approved two condo development projects at the Royal Canadian Legion and Lincoln Fabrics buildings, there is a concern among residents about resultant traffic and parking issues. Particularly, maintaining free and easy access to Lakeside Park for all residents of St. Catharines.
He said the park’s parking lot was already packed this summer on days when nothing was going on.
“I think that’s a big concern that people have,” he said. “The infrastructure and whether we can handle it.”
That concern extends to future developments that haven’t been proposed yet and whatever ends up being built on the large Union Waterfront property.
Earlier this year, city council approved the Port Dalhousie secondary plan, which sets proposed guidelines for development in the commercial core and harbour area, including heights, setbacks and parking.
But Beekhuis said the first projects approved were already pushing the boundaries of that plan. He doesn’t have a great deal of confidence the city will keep the plan in place.
“We have laws in place and then a developer will come in and ask for all kinds of exceptions to those laws and that is where the problem stems from,” he said. “Instead of dealing with these things in an administrative manner, we’ve put them all in the political realm and that’s where the conflict comes from.”
The local business community
was by and large supportive of the newly approved condo developments after dealing with years of stalled projects on the site now slated for the Union Waterfront project.
“I think we’re in a good place now,” said John Scott, co-owner of Scorecard Harry’s. “It’s like anything, once you get shovels in the ground it starts to get interest up again.”
Scott said the development community needs to know Port Dalhousie is open for business and projects at the legion and Lincoln Fabrics are going to be great city economic boosters to get action in Port.
“If nothing else, I think once things start to develop there, people are going to start to come down, see what’s going on down there, and then might revisit.”
Scott said he’s not opposed to paid parking for short-term visitors to Lakeside Park to control traffic and a percentage of the fees go back into the park. The city could give long-term visitors another place to park and penalize extended parking lot users.
Jordan Campbell, owner of Carousel Tattoo and Barbershop on Lakeport Road, said he likes the charm of Port Dalhousie and wants to see revitalization, not empty buildings.
“People think that some of the business owners down there want these big developments to go in just to improve business,” he said.
“I opened my business in Port Dalhousie because I like Port Dalhousie. But I think there’s a lot of untapped potential down there.”
But resident Michael Scott is concerned about development impacting traffic flow. He already has limited options to get in and out of his neighbourhood.
“I want to hear how candidates are going to control traffic in a town that’s the size of a thimble and they’re planning on development the size of a two-cup jar,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be tight. Things are tight there now.”
The Standard asked Port Dalhousie’s four ward candidates for their vision of the commercial core and balanced development.
Incumbent Carlos Garcia said the city has to work closely with council and developers to ensure that any new development in the core is consistent with the new secondary plan recently approved by council. Development should be compatible with the current buildings and streetscape and not overwhelm traffic, parking and infrastructure.
Jeff Mackie, a business owner, said the city needs to encourage the types of development that will bring in full time, year-round residents as well as encourage the types of business that service them. It also needs to create new capacity for seasonal traffic and parking regardless of residential developments.
Wolfgang Guembel, a business owner, said the only way to find balance is through a joint venture between the city, the developers and representation from the community. Each stakeholder will have to offer compromises if they are going to be realistic about finding a common ground and viable solution.
Incumbent Bruce Williamson said whatever is approved must be carefully planned to not negatively affect the quality of life in the surrounding neighbourhood. That means an appropriate mixed use development compatible with the new secondary plan.