Raise the Hammer
The city says that businesses don't develop here because of the lack of 'shovel-ready' land.
On the corner of Rymal Rd. and Dartnall Rd. are seven hectares (17 acres) of shovel-ready land zoned for industrial use and about to be turned [PDF] into three drive thrus, a car wash and gas station, and a bank, with a whopping 118 parking spaces for what looks to be about a total of 17,000 square feet of buildings.
Most of the land in the proposed development at Rymal and Dartnall is reseved for cars.
Are parking spaces still required by the city if the restaurant is just a pad site drive-thru?
It's interesting to note the Environmental condition on the "Triple Bottom Line" checklist.
"Is the environmental well being enhanced? Yes or No" It's is ticked off Yes, with a note that says, "Investment in Hamilton is enhanced and supported."
According to the Planning and Economic Development report, Environmental Well-Being is enhanced by this development.
Strangely enough, that's the same comment under "Is the economic well-being enhanced?" for the third condition in the Triple Bottom Line.
Obviously this is another piece of policy that isn't worth the paper it's printed on when in control of administrators like planning and economic development general manager Tim McCabe, who submitted this report to the EcDev committee to recommend:
That upon finalization of the implementing By-law, the East Mountain Industrial - Business Park Neighbourhood Plan be amended to change the designation of the southern portion of the subject lands from "Restricted Industrial" to "Restricted Commercial".
The document also states that this is in line with the Places To Grow Act. Really? I thought that it mandated high and medium density land uses, not land use that is almost 80 percent dedicated to automobile idling and parking.
This is Mr. McCabe's version of a gateway to a prestige industrial park. His concern was that it is an entrance to both North Glanbrook and East Hamilton Industrial Parks, as if this gives the image of prosperity and prestige, somewhere that a pharma or high tech company would like to be associated with - an A&W drive-thru and car wash/gas station.
Nice work, Tim.
By Connie (registered) | Posted July 20, 2007 at 03:49:40
"Shovel ready" days are over ... That greenfield should be kept green to offset a few emissions. :(
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