Notice of Decision - 447 and 449 Geneva Street

TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Corporation of the City of St. Catharines, at its meeting on August 10^th, 2026, refused a request for an application to amend The Garden City Plan (Official Plan) under Section 17 of the Planning Act and to amend Zoning By-law No. 2013-283 under Section 34 of the Planning Act for lands municipally known as 447 & 449 Geneva Street.

The Legislated Public Meeting was held and closed on July 13^th, 2026. Council referred the applications back to City Staff requesting to work with the applicant to provide further information. The application was brought back to Council for the August 10^th, 2026 meeting. 

The applicant was seeking approval to amend the City’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law to facilitate the construction of a four-storey apartment building with fifty (50) dwelling units.  

The Official Plan designates the subject lands as Neighbourhood Residential on Schedule D1 and further designates them as Low Density Residential on Schedule E1. The applicant proposed to redesignate the subject lands to Medium Density Residential with a special policy to facilitate the proposed development. 

The Zoning By-law zones the subject lands as Low Density Residential – Suburban Neighbourhood (R1). The applicant proposed to rezone the subject lands to Medium Density Residential (R3) with a new special provision to facilitate the proposed development. The special provision requested to reduce minimum side yard setbacks for the building and balcony, reduced minimum front yard setback for a balcony, reduced minimum landscape buffers surrounding a parking area, reduced minimum parking requirements, reduced maximum building height and increased maximum density. 

The Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments for 447 & 449 Geneva Street were denied for reasons and explanations stated and expressed at the City’s Council Meeting on Monday, August 10^th, 2026. In coming to their decision, Council discussed the following concerns: the City’s recent flooding events, the capacity of existing sewer and stormwater infrastructure to accommodate the proposed development, the proposed density, increase in traffic and whether the proposal is compatible with and fit appropriately with the character of the surrounding neighbourhood. 

All written and oral submissions related to the application that were made at the public meeting on July 13^th, 2026, have been taken into consideration by Council as part of its deliberation and final decision. This included concerns regarding increased traffic, street parking availability, grading concerns, garage storage and waste pickup, compatibility with the surrounding neighbourhood, increased density, height and privacy concerns. 

Legal Notice

The last day for filing a notice of appeal is September 8^th, 2026, at 4:30 PM. The notice of appeal must be filed with the Clerk or submitted through the Ontario Land Tribunal’s (OLT) e-file portal. It must set out the specific objection to the by-law(s) and the reasons in support of the objection and be accompanied by the fee required by the OLT. More information on fees can be found on the OLT’s website: www.olt.gov.on.ca/fee-chart

The decision of council is final if a notice of appeal is not received on or before the last day for filing a notice of appeal. 

Only the registered owner of the land to which the Official Plan and By-law would apply, specified persons and public bodies as defined in the Planning Act may appeal a decision of the municipality to the Ontario Land Tribunal. 

No person or public body shall be added as a party to the hearing of the appeal unless, before the by-law was passed, the person or public body made oral submissions at a public meeting or written submissions to the council or, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party. 

For more information about this matter, including information about appeal rights, please contact Madeleine Ferko, Planner, Planning & Building Services Department, at (905) 680-7167, via email at mferko@stcatharines.ca or at the City’s TTY number (text telephone) at (905) 688-4889.