Update: April 22, 2024: The OLT granted an adjournment request from the City of Hamilton. The May 2024 hearing is now scheduled for February 2025.
Councillors on the Planning Committee approved direction to staff in closed session at the end of their meeting on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The direction will “remain confidential” until it is made public at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
In nearly all OLT cases this, combined with the cancellations of the contested hearing dates, indicates a settlement has been reached.
ORIGINAL VERSION BELOW
The Ontario Land Tribunal has cancelled the May 2024 hearing dates to hear arguments regarding the 447-unit redevelopment of the former Jamesville social housing site at 405 James Street North.
Mediation talks have been ongoing between the City of Hamilton, CityHousing Hamilton, the private developer consortium Jamesville Redevelopment Limited Partnership, and CN Rail.
CN Rail appealed Hamilton’s approval of the redevelopment, stating that the new housing units, which will be approximately 230 metres east of CN’s Stuart Street Yard, require better noise and environmental mitigation measures.
“CN is not objecting to the development and principal provided that the impact on the adjacent rail operations are accounted for, and appropriate mitigation measures are applied,” stated CN legal counsel Katarzyna Sliwa in June 2023.
Council to Discuss in Closed Session
City councillors will discuss the mediation talks in closed session at the end of today’s Council Planning Committee meeting. The discussion was added to the agenda as a last minute item.
The City’s Acting General Manager of Planning and Economic Development Steve Robichaud stated he could not provide more information before Council discusses the matter.
Any decisions made in closed session today must be approved next Wednesday (April 24) at the Council ratification meeting.
Possible Settlement
Today’s events indicate the parties have reached a settlement. When settlements are reached, the OLT cancels merit hearings and awaits Hamilton City Council to approve the terms in closed sessions before calling the parties together for a settlement hearing.
More on the Jamesville Redevelopment and Appeal.
Production Details v. 1.1.1 Published: April 16, 2024 Last edited: April 16, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Edit Record v. 1.0.0 original version v. 1.1.0 add post-closed session update, change headline from "Council to Hold Closed Session on Jamesville Redevelopment as Parties Cancel Merit Hearing" v. 1.1.1 added update of OLT adjournment to Feb 2025.