Dundas 125 Pirie Dr. neighbours have limited time to comment on staff report

Neighbours of a proposed 159-unit residential building and 17 townhouses at 125 Pirie Dr. in Dundas going to City of Hamilton's planning committee Sept. 6 say information and time provided is inadequate to prepare comments.

Area residents Alan Tucker and Bill Vickers pointed out the property is outside the city's targeted Dundas intensification node, and is surrounded by one- or two-storey single family homes, and conservation area.

They said building is to be expected on the property, but the proposed four to five story building, with 75 retirement home units and 84 apartment units with an underground parking level, in addition to 17 townhouse units is not the proper use of the open space, and doesn't fit within the existing neighbourhood.

Concerns include the project's density, level of intensification, main building height, stormwater runoff and increase in traffic.

We know it's going to be built on," Vickers said. We just don't think it's the right project for this area."

Tucker said the city's meeting notice states comments must be submitted by Sept. 2, while the staff report and recommendations won't be released until the week of Aug. 31 possibly leaving less than two days for residents to review the report and provide comments.

They are deliberately allowing very little time to organize our opposition," Tucker said.

But Tucker and Vickers were already submitting letters to planning committee members asking them to deny the zoning amendment application, and delivering information flyers to their neighbours encouraging them to do the same.

Tucker said Dundas' existing retirement homes are not located in outlying areas, as the 125 Pirie development would be. He said they are located closer to the downtown, or community node, area where larger and taller buildings are more common.

The proposed development site is at least 2.5-km outside the Dundas Community Node, which is targeted by the City of Hamilton for intensification.

Dundas Valley Conservation Area is less than 450 metres west.

In addition to little time to review the staff report and recommendations, Tucker said a site plan drawing distributed with the meeting notice is too small to be legible and did not include elevations indicating the proposed building's height.

Staff cannot advise members of the public or media of staff's position until after the report has been available to the public on the city's website," city spokesperson Michelle Shantz said.

City council could be limited on what decisions and direction it can make on the development application due its lame duck" status. Councillors can not approve any expenditure, or incur any other liability, exceeding $50,000. If city council makes any decision on the application, and if that decision is appealed by any party - the city is barred from accessing the development fee stabilization reserve for legal or planning costs, until the new council takes office.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: We wanted to learn more about the impact of the upcoming planning committee review of a zoning amendment application at 125 Pirie Dr.