The Public Record | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site (https://thepublicrecord.ca/topics/1190-main-street-west-mcmaster-student-residence/)
McMaster University successfully lobbied the Ontario Progressive Conservative government for legislative changes to facilitate its new for-profit private partnership student residence.
As part of COVID pandemic omnibus legislation, the government’s Bill 213 exempted land intended to be used by McMaster University from development charges.
The rare appeal claiming a failure by the City to approve a site plan within 30 days will likely be rendered moot in the coming months once McMaster’s zoning appeal is settled.
The City and McMaster University continue to dispute the tax status of McMaster’s new for-profit private partnership student residence building.
City Council approved the development in October 2019, but McMaster had already appeal to the LPAT.
McMaster’s appeal is one of over a dozen in Hamilton by development applicants seeking to protect their interests under the more developer friendly OMB rules rather than risk having to appeal under the new LPAT rules.