Former GM plant to be used as a lot for vehicle transfers
The public will have no input on the future of a planned parking lot spanning almost 50 acres on the site of the former GM plant.
But Ward 4 Coun. Chris Holt said he is “comforted” by what the company using the property has promised to do.
“There’s really nothing we can do because of the zoning, because of the fact that it’s already on a big paved area and they’re just going to be utilizing that,” said Holt. “At the end of the day, I would urge the residents that this is not the worst thing in the world that can happen. It’s pretty much the status quo with painted lines on it.”
A city planning document stated that Essex Terminal Railway will use the property as a waypoint for vehicles going from rail to truck. The 45.36-acre property’s three lots will accommodate 644, 742 and 4,436 parking spaces respectively, for a total of 5,822 spaces.
Since the site is already zoned industrial, there’s not much councillors could do to prevent the property from being used as a parking lot, if they wanted to. But the city must still approve the site plan, which means it could require the company to do things such as build berms or do landscaping.
Company representatives wouldn’t comment outside council chambers.
But Melanie Muir with Dillon Consulting, hired by Essex Terminal Railway, told councillors that about 20 trucks a day will come and go from the property off Walker Road.
Between 150 and 175 cars will be driven onto the property from the Kildare Road entrance every day. Muir said that will be considerably less than when 1,400 people worked at the plant, which closed in 2010.
Muir said the company will enhance or build six-foot berms, install fencing and gates and plant new trees to block views of the vehicles. The lighting on the property will be shielded and directed away from neighbouring properties.
She said the plans also allow for the trains to sit entirely on the property when unloading vehicles, so local traffic won’t get held up at railway crossings. The lot will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Holt said following Monday night’s council meeting that company officials understand the public scrutiny they are under.
“They know how many emails and phone calls I’ve received and they understand,” said Holt. “So they’ll be doing what they can to really minimize the impact of it on the neighbourhood.
“One day hopefully we will get to that point where we’ll be able to redevelop this as a beautiful mixed-use urban community, but this isn’t the end of the world. So I would really want to let the residents know that.”