Niagara-on-the-Lake residents decry region waiving nearly $1M in development charges for controversial hotel

A planned hotel in picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., has drawn the ire of some local residents who say they’re concerned about the impact of the project and how the developer and town have been handling it.

Located on the site of a now-demolished public school at 325 King St., the Parliament Oak Hotel development is a few hundred metres from the town’s main tourist strip. On its website, developer Two Sisters Resorts says the four-storey facility will have 130 suites, event space, a restaurant, bar and green space. 

But the developer has faced several bylaw infractions leading up to its construction and some residents say they are concerned the development will cause flooding.

Ron Simkus, a retired professional engineer and mining executive, said he's worked with a group of locals, including another engineer and a hydrogeological expert, to do their own analysis of plans the developer submitted.

“We got together and said, ‘Holy God. This thing is so thin,’” Simkus said of the plan.

Building the hotel and its underground parking structure requires diverting a lot of underground water into nearby One Mile Creek, which borders about 90 homes, he said. That creates a risk of flooding.

Two Sisters did not respond to a request for comment.

In a frequently-asked-questions section on its website, the developer says its site servicing-strategy will “ensure no negative impacts to the existing sewers and water supply.”’

Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa told CBC Hamilton town staff reviewed the developer’s plans and doesn't have concerns.

“I’m really confident we’ve landed in a good place," Zalepa said.

For Simkus and resident Lyle Hall, who lives about 150 metres from the development, another frustration with Parliament Oak has been alleged violations of town bylaws.

As of Dec. 18, the town had fined the developer $500 a total of 10 times, Niagara-on-the-Lake spokesperson Marah Minor told CBC Hamilton in an email.

In September, for example, the town issued two stop-work orders for excavation and removing soil without a permit.

Despite those stop-work orders, Hall said, he continued to see work happening on the site. He doesn't think the town has done enough to crack down on all the alleged violations.