Another condo planned for Port

Developer Norman Rockwell presented his plans for a 50-unit waterfront
condo building to members of the Port Dalhousie Legion on Sunday, with
the promise that the legion will always have a home on site.

"I have been working with the legion for over a year now to come up
with a plan to keep them in their building," Rockwell said in an
interview on Tuesday. "I have presented a plan to build a new facility
for them."

But Rockwell's "extremely preliminary" plans for The Landings at The
Legion also include 50 condo units to be marketed to veterans and
seniors, to be built above the new legion building.

The condo units are small ones and the total height of the building
will be six or seven storeys -- "in the area" of the 21-metre height
of the nearby Lincoln Fabrics building, Rockwell said. His project
won't be "anywhere near the height" of the controversial 17-storey
Port Place development that was the subject of a recent Ontario
Municipal Board hearing and is awaiting a decision.

"Height will be a minor issue," Rockwell promised, saying he didn't
expect his plans to cause a problem for either the Port Dalhousie
Heritage District Advisory Committee or citizens' group PROUD (Port
Realizing Our Unique Distinction). "This would be in their genre of
appropriate development," he said.

But PROUD spokesman Carlos Garcia said anything taller than the 11
metres permitted by Port's heritage guidelines is too tall.

"We support development that is consistent with the heritage
guidelines," Garcia said.

"The violation of the heritage guidelines and the zoning bylaw would
be a major concern," Garcia said.

He said PROUD had warned the Port Place proposal would set a dangerous
precedent.

"We always said Port will be a forest of towers and citizens will lose
their heritage and their precious beach," he said. "If one tower goes,
we will have many towers. That's what we always said."
Garcia said PROUD would also be opposed to demolition of the legion's
existing heritage building.

According to Port Dalhousie's Heritage Resource Inventory, published
by the City of St. Catharines in 1998, the original L-shaped building
that is now obscured by additions and renovations was built in 1870.

It was originally a lock maintenance facility, and was later used to
store rowing sculls for the Henley Rowing Club.

"We would certainly forcefully oppose demolition," Garcia said,
"although many of our members are legion members and they would want
appropriate development if it fits."

Branch 350 president Bill Mutch wouldn't comment on Rockwell's
proposal or even confirm there was a proposal, saying he is bound by
the legion's confidentiality rules. The branch's building is actually
owned by the Royal Canadian Legion's Dominion Command and any
development proposal would have to be approved by provincial and
national legion officials, Mutch said.

Such a request would first require a notice of motion being mailed to
all branch members at least 10 days in advance of any meeting being
held at which a decision could be made, Mutch said.

The branch has about 650 members, but only 35 are needed for quorum,
and a decision would require a two-thirds majority.

Mutch said the Port Dalhousie Legion's problems with its building
foundation are "common knowledge" but the legion itself is on stable
financial footing.

He said members (which include veterans, their family members and
anyone who wants to be an affiliate member) pay $50 a year for
membership, although nearly half of that is forwarded to provincial
and national bodies. The bulk of the local branch's revenue is from
hall rentals, its Friday fish fries, and sales of food and drink in
the canteen, he said.

Rockwell, who is a legion member, said he was approached by "a number
of members some time ago," and understands there were other developers
who also submitted proposals.

St. Catharines' heritage planner Kevin Blozowski said the legion is in
the heritage district, and the current zoning on the property permits
only the legion building. Any other development would require rezoning
and an Official Plan amendment, Blozowski said.

Rockwell said the remnant of the original legion building is barely
visible, while his proposal is meant to preserve the heritage of
Canada's veterans and their significant contributions to the county.

"The whole purpose is remembrance of veterans. The lives that have
been lost, the service they have given," Rockwell said.

"This is to keep their service and their spirit alive, the remembrance
of what they have done. This is more important than the remains of a
building."

mbergsma@

stcatharinesstandard.ca