Changes denied

The developer looking to build a hotel on the waterfront lost a request to add a storey to the hotel and move some parking off site.

ManShield Construction Inc requested the variances Wednesday at a city committee of adjustment meeting. If successful, the hotel would have had eight storeys and 50 per cent of the hotel’s parking would have been off-site valet parking somewhere in the downtown north core.

City development manager Mark Smith said while there is ample parking, the city hasn’t completed its parking study yet and the five-member committee didn’t feel comfortable allowing the move without that information.

Smith said 12 people showed up to the meeting and five of them had concerns as well.
"Their concerns centred around parking and how parking would be managed," Smith said.
Adding an extra floor to the hotel wouldn’t have changed the 25-metre maximum height at all, just the room heights, he said.

Smith added that he isn’t sure what kind of reaction the developer may have now that the two amendments have been turned down.

"I don’t know (if this would be a deal breaker), I certainly hope not but I haven’t been involved in any way in those discussions," Smith said.

There are 741 parking spaces on the waterfront with 528 needed for the total development, which includes the proposed condominiums.

The developer can now appeal the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, resubmit its application with more information, build as-is or make a request to city council.