Appeals against Capitol Condos to proceed at OMB
Hearing to be held in late February
Created: 29.Aug.2016
Last update: 24.Jan.2017
Section: City Hall
The Ontario Municipal Board has set the dates for appeals against Kingston City Council’s approval of a downtown condominium project. IN8 Developments’ plan for its Capitol Condominiums project exceeds height restrictions in the city’s official plan but an exemption was approved by the council in November.
The appeals by locals Shirley Bailey (of the Frontenac Heritage Foundation), Annette Burfoot, Samantha King (of Vision for Kingston), and Vicki Schmolka, will be heard in just over a month, on February 27 and 28.
BackgroundThe Capitol Condominiums is a project by IN8 Developments, a Toronto- and Waterloo-based developer to be built at 223 Princess Street. The company initially proposed a 21-story tower which greatly exceeded guidelines in the city’s official plan. IN8 then lowered the proposal to 16 and then 15 storeys. As well, they added a dozen "affordable-housing" units.City Council approved the last plan although there was then a dispute about whether one of the councillors was in a conflct of interest. The City subsequently received a ruling on that claim from an integrity commissioner that Coun. Adam Candon had violated the council’s code of conduct.
Council OKs controversial condo project (Whig: 20.Sep.2016)
[Councillor found in breach of code of conduct
(Whig, 1.Nov.2016)](http://www.thewhig.com/2016/11/01/councillor-found-in-breach-of-code-of-conduct)
Although the city plan calls for much lower building heights in the area, Kingston City Council narrowly approved a height of 15 stories. As a result, four separate appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appear to be the next chapter.
The most high profile of the appeals is probably that coming from the Frontenac Heritage Foundation. The group is currently appealing for donations to support the costs of the appeal.
Appeals rise against condo (Whig, 19.Oct.2016)
Weekly Poll: Calls for City to Investigate Conflict of Interest, The Kingstonist 26.Sep.2016
Related LinksOMB sets dates for Capitol pre-hearing (Whig, 23.Jan.2017)
Sept 1: Planning Committee meeting details (City of Kingston website)
Community Benefits & the Proposed Capitol Condo Project (Mayor’s blog, 4.Aug.2016)
City planning staff support approval of proposed development (Whig 29.Aug.2016)
Capitol condo project: ‘This is as far as we're going’ (Whig, 26.Aug.2016)