Meet the Homestead Marsh
3054 Homestead Drive, 9166 and 9175 Airport Road, Hamilton
Update: September 2024
Developer: Fengate Asset Management, 2275 Upper Middle Road East, Suite 700 Oakville, ON L6H 0C3.
Status: Appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal April, 2024. Case number OLT-24-000477.
Link to Environmental Impact Study HERE
Plans: Build a 30 hectare (75 acre) industrial subdivision comprised of five industrial buildings with a combined area of 141,600.92 m2 (1,504,180 ft2). 950 parking spaces, 167 truck level doors and 26 trailer parking spaces totaling 1,143 vehicle parking spaces.
Nature impact:
Marsh: Remove five types of Marsh communities: Meadow Marsh, Reed-canary Grass Mineral Meadow Marsh, Cattail Mineral Shallow Marsh, Common Reed Mineral Shallow Marsh, Silver Maple Mineral Deciduous Swamp as well as a stream that supports fish habitat.
Trees: Remove 96%, or 424 of the 444 inventoried trees on site.
Woodlands: Removal of three types of woodland/wooded communities within the Subject Lands: Silver Maple Deciduous Swamp, Mineral Cultural Woodland, Cultural Woodland.
What you can do
Please send a message to the Ontario Land Tribunal and attend the upcoming meetings and tribunal hearing (via zoom). You can copy the points below if you wish, or send your own.
Download the Participant request and statement form HERE.
Case number: OLT-24-000477, date TBA
Fill out your contact information and send the form to the Case Manager: Haris.Imtiaz@Ontario.ca
Feel free to send these talking points
This is referencing Fengate Appeal OLT-24-000477 for 3054 Homestead Drive, 9166 and 9175 Airport Road, Hamilton. Please add me to the list to be notified and receive a link for upcoming meetings.
This development does not conform to either the Urban Hamilton Official Plan (UHOP) or to the AEGD Secondary Plan:
1. Unevaluated and locally significant wetlands must be protected by a 15m buffer as per the UHOP.
2. Core Areas of the City’s Natural Heritage System include both locally and provincially significant natural areas.
3. The AEGD Secondary Plan recognizes the AEGD as an Eco- Industrial Park where development will "design with nature by protecting streams, mature trees, wetlands, significant habitat and integrating topography into developments."
UHOP section 2.5.10 d): "Unevaluated wetlands and locally significant wetlands require a 15 metre vegetation protection zone, measured from the boundary of the wetland, as approved by the Conservation Authority or Ministry of Natural Resources, unless an Environmental Impact Statement recommends a more appropriate vegetation protection zone."
UHOP section 2.3.1: “In accordance with the policies of this Plan, Schedule B – Natural Heritage System, identifies Core Areas to include key natural heritage features and key hydrological features. Core Areas of the City’s Natural Heritage System also include other locally and provincially significant natural areas. Schedule B – Natural Heritage System shall be amended when new Core Areas are identified.”
Page 1 of the AEGD Secondary Plan: “The Airport Employment Growth District is intended to offer a range of employment and employment-related land uses in the context of an eco-industrial park.”
Page 2 of the Secondary Plan:
a) Balance a high intensity of use with large conserved natural areas;
b) Design with nature by protecting streams, mature trees, wetlands, significant habitat and integrating topography into developments;
c) Integrate the open space system with the Greenbelt and other natural areas
Wetlands: The EIS identifies five types of wetlands on the property, all of which are proposed to be destroyed despite the Urban Hamilton Official Plan (UHOP) identifying locally significant / unevaluated wetlands to be Core Features that will be protected.
Trees: Of the 444 inventoried trees, 96% or 424 trees, are proposed to be destroyed. This does not conform with the recently adopted (May 2023) Urban Forest Strategy whose goal is to double Hamilton's tree canopy from 18% to 40% (add 5 million trees) by 2050.
Woodlands: Removal of three types of woodland/wooded communities within the Subject Lands does not conform to the City of Hamilton Urban Woodlands Bylaw No. 14212, which regulates woodlands that are 0.2 ha or greater.
This development does not conform to either the UHOP, the AEGD Secondary Plan or Hamilton Woodlands Bylaw No. 14212, and if approved will result in the loss of wetland communities, 444 mature trees, and three woodlands, all contrary to the City's intentions to preserve these features.