Hamilton 499 Mohawk Road East | 85.3m | 25s | New Horizon | Graziani + Corazza

[Lachlan Holmes]

(note: couldn't find an existing thread for this with a brief search, if there is one that I missed, kindly merge)

Details on this one uploaded to UrbanSolutions UrbanShare site. All images from there.

Height ranging from 3 storeys to 25 storeys. Tallest tower is 85.3 metres to top, inclusive of mechanical penthouse.

Architect is Graziani + Corazza.

1,995 residential units, 1,995 parking spaces. Zero (0) retail space.

 

[Branden Simon]

Today: A Notice of Complete applications received from City of Hamilton for 499 Mohawk Road East

 

[Branden Simon]

The owners of NHDG for 499 Mohawk Road East have appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal for non-decision by City of Hamilton.

 

[KingJames]

What is it with the City of Hamilton. This is a fantastic proposal and fully reasonable density for two major thoroghfares which have transit running to their doorstep.. Given that we have retail at Upper Gage and Mohawk and around Limeridge MAll, honestly dont think we need even more .

 

[DC83]

What is it with the City of Hamilton. This is a fantastic proposal and fully reasonable density for two major thoroghfares which have transit running to their doorstep.. Given that we have retail at Upper Gage and Mohawk and around Limeridge MAll, honestly dont think we need even more .

The lack of retail in this development is alarming, but what’s worse is the lack of family-sized residential units.

There are 1,995 total units proposed in this development, but only 99 three-bedrooms!

Less than 5% of total units are family-sized.

There are also 1,995 Parking Spaces!

Keep in mind this is at the corner of a near-future Rapid Transit stop (Routes 50 & 60), and eventual LRT station (T-Line).

This development looks good in renders, but when you dig a bit deeper you can see how much better it can be… must be!

 

[innsertnamehere]

The lack of retail in this development is alarming, but what’s worse is the lack of family-sized residential units.

There are 1,995 total units proposed in this development, but only 99 three-bedrooms!

Less than 5% of total units are family-sized.

There are also 1,995 Parking Spaces!

Keep in mind this is at the corner of a near-future Rapid Transit stop (Routes 50 & 60), and eventual LRT station (T-Line).

This development looks good in renders, but when you dig a bit deeper you can see how much better it can be… must be!

I think you have to be realistic in terms of parking demand here and actual transit services. technically this is on a future "rapid transit corridor" (not necessarily LRT) - but reality is that it's probably the lowest priority corridor in the BLAST network and is unlikely to see priority transit service for decades.

the 50 and 60 bus routes will become frequent transit routes, and perhaps a less than 1-1 parking rate is appropriate - but this site is unlikely to be serviced by actual rapid transit any time soon. Frequent bus service is what it needs to realistically be planned for.

Under the draft parking standards the City of Hamilton is looking at, this would be in Zone B, which would require 1,297 parking spaces for the project.


I agree on the need for retail here, likely an on-site parkland dedication as well, and a new public street breaking up the block and giving public road frontage to the internal development blocks.

 

[christiesplits]

New Horizon Development appeals proposed 2,000-unit residential development on Mohawk Road to tribunal​

New Horizon Development appeals proposed 2,000-unit residential development on Mohawk Road to tribunal

Mountain Coun. John-Paul Danko calls the proposal 'not good quality development' for neighbourhood.

www.thespec.com

Ward 7 Coun. Esther Pauls, who represents the area where the development is being considered for the property, said residents have been up in arms since the proponent unveiled plans for the property during a February 2023 public meeting.
Since the gathering staff have received 52 email submissions, with 49 against the proposal. Residents have raised issues involving parking, pedestrian safety, increased residential density, building height, and loss of privacy.

Angelo Mosca Jr., who lives in the area of the plaza, has said the development will have an “unreasonable impact on our homes.”

“People have concerns about traffic, and the impact that 2,000 individuals will have on the surrounding area,” said Pauls. “It will affect everyone that drives along (the roadway).”

 

[Sunnyside]

New Horizon Development appeals proposed 2,000-unit residential development on Mohawk Road to tribunal​

New Horizon Development appeals proposed 2,000-unit residential development on Mohawk Road to tribunal

Mountain Coun. John-Paul Danko calls the proposal 'not good quality development' for neighbourhood.

www.thespec.com

I thought the city approved this. Oh well. I guess the chances of retail being incorporated are null now- the OLT will just approve it as-is.

Lots of stuff going to the OLT in the Hammer now, though... wonder what It'll mean for the future of development once were on the other side.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I thought the city approved this. Oh well. I guess the chances of retail being incorporated are null now- the OLT will just approve it as-is.

Lots of stuff going to the OLT in the Hammer now, though... wonder what It'll mean for the future of development once were on the other side.

Depends a lot on whether they go to a full hearing or if they settle.

The OLT highly encourages settlements today, with most appeals resulting in settlements.

As a part of the mediation process, the city will be able to request things like retail.

Hopefully they can come to a resolution through that process, and it won't have to proceed to a full hearing.

 

[Sunnyside]

Depends a lot on whether they go to a full hearing or if they settle.

The OLT highly encourages settlements today, with most appeals resulting in settlements.

As a part of the mediation process, the city will be able to request things like retail.

Hopefully they can come to a resolution through that process, and it won't have to proceed to a full hearing.

Ah. So it seems once non-decision strikes, you appeal, and either you come to an agreement with the city from an advantageous position or it goes to a hearing and you (likely) get what you want. Coupled with the fact that the entire OLT process is faster now without external appeals being allowed, I can see how the OLT might be incentivizing more people to forego the municipal process across the board if it's not keeping pace.

Even if this goes to settlement, if this kind of thing happens enough times (appeal after appeal after appeal...) then presumably the city will have to make some changes. This can't be good for them in the long term to have every project appeal, then be held over their head for a settlement else it goes to a hearing. I suppose I see how this might light a fire under the city to speed things up, meeting the purported intent of the modifications to the OLT in the last year or so...

 

[KingJames]

Just take away local planning accountability from Silly Hall. Save some time and tax payer dollars. Only get it back when there is a commitment to fast track.

 

[jta5]

New Horizons appealed this in August and I was surprised to learn they already got time at the OLT in November. Things were deferred to a settlement hearing though, so the next key date to watch for is March 19, 2024.

The Hamilton Spectator

The Hamilton Spectator

thespec.pressreader.com

Seems like New Horizons' strategy in Hamilton is revealing a pattern. Between this site, Delta and the former Brock campus, they buy sites where they know a reasonable proposal for infill and density will garner public backlash from neighbours who haven't witnessed local development in decades, so they embrace the backlash and propose double the reasonable density with zero commercial, anticipating OLT will be required to have a reasonable development approved regardless of their approach. This proposal, for example, includes more than double the number of homes as Emblem's Design District, the biggest ever single residential project in the middle of Hamilton's downtown core. Hopefully the process to approvals on all these sites brings New Horizons to embrace reasonable site plans that enhance urban fabric for future generations, rather than insisting on maximum profitability and pitting one bad developer-led plan against another bad neighbours-led "plan" to oppose new density.

 

[BrenWilson]

I'd have to agree there. The density doesn't particularly bother me, but the parking and lack of retail (even with the close proximity to wentworth and limeridge) is nonsensical. A grocery store on site would be basically self sufficient. The equal parking while only providing 99 3-bedrooms is really odd, makes sense if its just a figure to provoke settlement.