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The Planning and Building Services Department received applications for a Zoning By-law Amendment and Official Plan Amendment for lands located at 159 Ontario St. The Applications were declared complete on April 4, 2025, pursuant to sections 22 (6.1) and 34 (10.4) of the Planning Act.
The applicant is seeking permission to construct an 18-storey mixed-use building containing 492 apartment units, ground floor non-residential uses, amenity areas, and a parking garage.
The City’s Official Plan designates the subject land as Downtown on Schedule D1 and further designates the land as Medium High Density Residential (60 to 198 units / hectare) on Schedule E10. There is a special policy which states that small scale ground floor retail, service commercial, office and indoor recreation uses are permitted in conjunction with residential uses on the site. The Applicant has requested an Official Plan Amendment to permit a maximum density of 410 units per hectare.
The Zoning By-law zones the subject land High Density Residential (R4) with Special Provision 58. The R4 zone permits high density apartment buildings. Special Provision 58 permits additional non-residential uses (Office, Retail, Service Commercial, and Indoor Recreation) and establishes a maximum density of 198 units per hectare. The applicant has requested to replace Special Provision 58 with a new Special Provision that carries forward the additional permitted uses, but removes the density cap. The new Special Provision is also proposed to establish an expanded list of permitted non-residential uses, a reduced parking ratio for the residential units, site-specific building setbacks, reduced dimensions for obstructed parking spaces, site-specific bicycle parking location permissions, and the elimination of a requirement for 1.5 metre bump outs at the end of parking aisles.
More Information
The application materials are available for review and comment and may be found at www.stcatharines.ca/development and at the Planning and Building Services Department, City Hall, 50 Church St. Please contact Charlotte McEwan, Senior Planner at 905.688.5601 x1716, the City’s TTY number (text telephone) 711 or by email (cmcewan@stcatharines.ca) if further information is required.
How To Participate
City Council is hosting a Legislated Public Meeting on July 14, 2025, to receive input and comments on the proposed Zoning By-law and Official Plan Amendment applications, after which Council will consider staff’s recommendations.
Date: Monday, July 14, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Council Chambers, City Hall 50 Church St., St. Catharines, ON
Visit www.stcatharines.ca/Council for information on how to access and participate in the Public Meeting, and how to request and make a delegation before Council.
Written submissions must be received by noon the Friday before the public meeting by mailing or delivering them to:
City of St. Catharines Legal and Clerk Services/City’s Clerks Division, City Hall, 50 Church St., P.O. Box 3012, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 7C2.
Refer to File No: 25 103727 OP and 25 103728 ZA
Email submissions may also be made by noon the day of the public meeting and directed to clerks@stcatharines.ca. Both oral and written comments will be taken into account by City Council in making a decision on the subject matter.
Legal Notice
Only the registered owner of the land to which the by-law would apply, the applicant, the Minister, specified persons, and public bodies as defined in the Planning Act may appeal a decision of the municipality or by-law to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of Council of the City of St. Catharines to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to Council of the City of St Catharines before the by-law is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.
If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to Council of the City of St. Catharines before the by-law is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so.
If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Corporation of the City of St. Catharines on the proposed zoning by-law amendment, you must make a written request to:
City of St. Catharines Legal and Clerk Services / City Clerks Division, City Hall, 50 Church St., P.O. Box 3012, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 7C2.
Refer to File No: 25 103727 OP and 25 103728 ZA
Contact
For more information about this matter, including information about appeal rights, please contact Charlotte McEwan, Senior Planner, Planning and Building Services Department at 905.688.5601 x1716, the City’s TTY number (text telephone) 711, or by email at cmcewan@stcatharines.ca
Charlotte McEwan, Senior Planner
Planning and Building Services Department
cmcewan@stcatharines.ca 905.688.5601, ext. 1730 or TTY: 711
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