City of Mississauga rejects applications for 2 residential towers because proposed buildings are too tall

The City of Mississauga rejected applications for two residential towers in Port Credit steps from two major transit stations this month, saying the buildings proposed were too tall. 

But the province of Ontario says the city can no longer make this type of decision due to municipal planning changes the province brought into play in late 2022. 

In November, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved a Peel Region official plan, which a ministry spokesperson told CBC Toronto "removed the discretion of lower-tier municipalities to establish maximum heights within major transit station areas." 

The minister also wrote a letter to the Peel Regional Council using similar language in February. 

This hasn't stopped Mississauga — a lower-tier municipality — from going ahead with rejecting recent applications that don't conform to its own plan, including applications for several tall buildings on transit routes.

City planning staff recommended Mississauga's Planning and Development committee reject the Port Credit 40 and 42-storey development proposed for 88 Park St. East — a site which is next to a GO station and LRT station under construction — saying to conform to the city's plan the height in the area should top out at just over half of what is being proposed.

Resident Jonathan Giggs, asked during the March planning meeting if the city could still set their own height limits given new provincial rules around major transit areas.

Councillors and city staff now say they are currently seeking clarity from the province on the issue, with some councillors expressing concern about what losing the right to make height restrictions would mean for city planning.

Planning and Development Committee Chair Dipika Damerla calls the situation a "grey area." 

She says while Mississauga has an official plan of its own, areas within Mississauga, such as Port Credit, also have plans which limit height.

Ward 1 councillor, Steven Dasko, says his ward is already hitting minimum density targets and the development "doesn't fit the neighborhood."

He says it doesn't fit into the local area plan and anything above what this plan indicates would be "reckless" and "highly inappropriate." 

"There's prescribed heights and densities in place for a reason," he said. 

Damerla says it would be difficult for the city to plan for schools and other infrastructure needs without having height limits near transit.