City Officials Reject Developer's Request to Remove Hwy 406 Overpass Requirement

City officials in Welland are set to recommend that councillors deny a developer's request to remove the requirement for an overpass to be built as part of a proposed housing subdivision on the former Hunters Pointe Golf Course. The overpass, estimated to cost between $10 million and $15 million, is seen as essential to alleviate traffic congestion in the area and provide safe access to the subdivision.

The development, planned by ZSM Development Group, consists of 1,155 single-detached homes, condominiums, stacked townhouses, and mixed-use units on an 83.6-hectare property east of Hwy 406. The developer had requested that the overpass condition be removed, citing the Development Charges Act, but city staff have hired a consultant to study traffic in the area and concluded that an overpass is necessary to accommodate the development's traffic demand.

Key Takeaways:

• The city has set 91 conditions on the draft plan approval for the site, including the requirement for an overpass to be built as part of the development.
• The overpass, estimated to cost between $10 million and $15 million, is intended to provide safe access to the subdivision and alleviate traffic congestion.
• ZSM Development Group, the company behind the project, owns a parcel of land north of Daimler Parkway, alongside a rail line.
• The city hired consultant R.V. Anderson Associates Ltd. to study traffic around Daimler Parkway, which concluded that an additional non-emergency access is needed to accommodate the development's traffic demand.
• The overpass would reduce out-of-way travel and overall commute time for traffic heading to the south and west.
• City councillors will consider the staff recommendation at a meeting on Tuesday, which can be viewed virtually at welland.ca/Council/Livestream.asp.

Statistics:

• 83.6 hectares: The size of the property where the proposed housing subdivision will be built.
• 1,155: The number of single-detached homes, condominiums, stacked townhouses, and mixed-use units planned for the development.
• $10 million to $15 million: The estimated cost of the overpass.
• 91: The number of conditions set by the city on the draft plan approval for the site.
• 600: The number of homes that would need to be completed before the overpass can be built.

Sources:

• May, a lawyer for 2599587 Ontario Ltd., asked council to remove the requirement.
• City planning staff set 91 conditions on the draft plan approval for the site.
• Mark Flowers of Davies Howe LLP argued the overpass condition violates the Development Charges Act.
• R.V. Anderson Associates Ltd. conducted a study on traffic around Daimler Parkway, concluding that an additional non-emergency access is needed.