Burlington mayor, councillor claim ‘significant victory’ in provincial Waterfront Hotel decision

It's not the end of the fight, but city representatives are calling it a win.

Burlington mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Ward 2 councillor Lisa Kearns are claiming a victory following a Jan. 3 decision by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) on the site of the Waterfront Hotel. Plans released by the developer include the creation of two mixed-use buildings of 35 storeys and 30 storeys with a five-storey podium at that site.

The OLT concluded the application to develop the site was made" on the day a complete application was accepted by the City of Burlington. That date was after the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing shifted the Urban Growth Centre (UGC) and Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designations from the downtown toward the Burlington GO station area. This means the applicant can no longer rely on the UGC or MTSA designations to justify their proposal that Burlington City Council unanimously rejected last year with strong planning rationale as overdevelopment.

The OLT's determination is a significant victory in our city's priority to control overdevelopment in our downtown, particularly along our waterfront," reads the joint statement from Kearns and Meed Ward.

The Jan. 3 decision is not the final one on the matter and, ultimately, the OLT will decide on whether the development will go forward.

For more information on the project, visit www.burlington.ca/2020lakeshore.