January 14, 2025, City Council Meeting
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Civic Recognition - AN Myer Secondary School - Football Team
Council recognized the accomplishments of the AN Myer Secondary High School Junior Football team, who won the 2024 Provincial Championship.
Congratulations!
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Civic Recognition - Elizabeth Lutsyshyn and Victoria Dulepa
World Karate and Kickboxing Champions (WKC)
Council recognized the outstanding achievements of Elizabeth Lutsyshyn and Victoria Dulepa, who recently competed in the WKC World Championship in Portugal. Elizabeth (10) triumphed with one Gold and two Silver medals, and Victoria (5) secured second place in her division!
Congratulations!
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Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment Application:
4500 Park Street and 4200 Queen Street
Council approved Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments to permit the development of a 20-storey residential use building at 4500 Park Street and a 20-storey mixed-use building at 4200 Queen Street.
View the report. View the Staff presentation.
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Zoning By-law Amendment:
7715 Beaverdams Road
Council approved a Zoning By-law Amendment for 0.18 hectares (0.45 acres) on 7715 Beaverdams Road to facilitate the conversion of the existing building from a retirement home to a boarding or rooming house, subject to regulations.
View the report. View the Staff presentation.
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City Initiated Zoning By-law Amendment AM-2024-033, and
General Amendments to Zoning By-law No. 79-200
Council approved general amendments to By-law No. 79-200, a comprehensive zoning by-law that applies to most of the City, including most urban areas.
The proposed amendments aim to modernize definitions and regulations and include technical updates to enhance the by-law’s functionality and ensure alignment with current planning practices.
The amendments are recommended for the following reasons:
- To improve clarity and usability by updating definitions and provisions to reflect modern zoning standards and eliminate ambiguity.
- To support housing diversity and intensification by facilitating new housing typologies and modern development patterns.
- To streamline implementation by addressing minor issues, removing outdated provisions, and ensuring the by-law remains effective in guiding development.
These amendments are administrative and technical in nature, ensuring the by-law
remains a relevant and effective tool for managing land use and development
throughout the City, without introducing substantive changes.
View the report. View the presentation.
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City Initiated Zoning By-law Amendment:
Updated Additional Dwelling Unit Regulations
Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) are self-contained residential units with private kitchens, bathrooms, and sleeping facilities located within existing dwellings or accessory buildings. ADUs are commonly known as second units, garden suites, basement apartments, in-law suites, etc.
Council approved amendments to Zoning By-law No. 79-200 in order to:
- Align the City’s zoning regulations with provincial policies and requirements.
- Ensure appropriate massing, siting, and compatibility for ADUs in urban and rural areas.
- Provide additional opportunities for the creation of attainable and affordable housing units.
- Support Provincial, Regional, and local goals to diversify the housing supply and address current and future housing needs.
View the report to see the list of updated ADU regulations.
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Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment &
Draft Plan of Subdivision Modification:
9304 McLeod Road & PID 1337
Council approved an Official Plan Amendment and a Zoning By-law Amendment to enable the development of 544 dwelling units, parkland, and a stormwater management facility at 9304 McLeod Road and PID 1337, with specific regulations and modifications in place. Additionally, the McLeod Meadows Draft Plan of Subdivision has received draft approval, contingent upon certain conditions.
View the report. View the Staff presentation. View the Applicant presentation.
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Declare Surplus Lands and Sale of Facilities
The City Review examined the current state of City operations with the goal of identifying opportunities for cost savings, generating new or increased revenue, and making service delivery more efficient. Among the opportunities supported by Council is declaring two (2) unoccupied municipal properties as surplus and moving forward with their sale.
Council authorized the permanent closure of 8196 Cummington Square West and 11211 Sodom Road and declared them surplus to the City's needs. The City Solicitor and Chief Administrative Officer, or their designate, will execute all documentation and take whatever steps necessary to carry this out, including engaging in negotiations in accordance with the area breakdown of Subject lands and with the City's land sale policy. The funds for 8196 Cummington Square West will stay in Chippawa.
View the report.
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Municipal Accommodation Tax
The Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) is a tool provided to municipalities under the Municipal Act that provides funding for the City and the tourism industry to support initiatives to support the tourism industry, as well as programs and services that visitors take advantage of when visiting (including but not limited to things such as roads, transit infrastructure, culture, parks, natural areas and recreation assets). The MAT is paid for by visitors to the City and not the residents of the City.
Based on the direction provided to staff by Council from a previous in-camera meeting in November, staff have brought a proposed new MAT bylaw to Council.
Council received the report and proposed Municipal Accommodation Tax bylaw with the following amendments:
- That the Municipal Accommodation Tax move to 4% of the Room Rate effective April 1, 2026 and 5% effective April 1, 2027.
- Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of the proposed bylaw change from a minimum of $1 (one dollar) to a minimum of 1%, respectively.
- Council directed staff to come back to Council with a revised bylaw prior to June 1, 2026, with any other changes that may be required to implement these changes.
- A committee be formed to work on the specifics of how the money is to be allocated.
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MTO/Greater Niagara General Hospital Lands
Neighbourhood Plan and Background Study Initiation
Council approved the initiation of a Neighbourhood Plan exercise for the southwest corner of Highway 420 and Stanley Avenue.
This area includes land south of Highway 420 to North Street and the land between Stanley Avenue and Portage Road. Most of this land consists of the current Greater Niagara General Hospital site and its related operations, along with land previously owned by the Provincial Ministry of Transportation, which has now been acquired by the City of Niagara Falls. Future planning for this area is essential due to the upcoming closure and relocation of the hospital.
As part of this process, the City will create a Community Focus Group to engage in discussions at various stages. This group will provide input and feedback for staff to consider while developing a new Neighbourhood Plan for the area. A Request for Expression of Interest and a Terms of Reference will be published in the newspaper and on social media.
View the report. Learn more and join the conversation at letstalk.niagarafalls.ca.
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- 2025 Interim Tax Levy
- Council approved the 2025 Interim Tax Levy calculation and by-law providing for the 2025 Interim Tax Levy.
- Surplus Land - Looking for Change: City Review
- Council directed staff to begin a multi-year coordinated effort to review all 159 vacant land parcels across the City and report back to Council with any potential sales opportunities, including detailed valuations, risks and plans for sale.
- Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Project Update – Context Report
- Council received the Single Room Occupancy Project Update for information and authorized the initiation of Phase 2 of the project
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Proclamations, Flag-Raising and Illumination Requests
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Flag-Raising Request | First week of June 2025
Italian Heritage Week
Council approved a request from Club Italia for a flag-raising ceremony for the first week of June 2025 to promote "Italian Heritage Month."
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Proclamation Request | June 30, 2025
Indigenous Survivors Day
Council proclaimed June 30, 2025, as Indigenous Survivors Day, a city-wide observance that reflects Niagara Falls’ commitment to inclusivity, empathy, and reconciliation.
This meaningful day, already recognized by provinces such as British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, as well as cities like Surrey and Prince George, honours the resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples while acknowledging the lasting impacts of colonial policies, including the Sixties Scoop, Millennium Scoop, birth alerts, and other practices that disrupted Indigenous families and communities.
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Upcoming Proclamations, Flag-Raising and Illuminations
(approved at Previous Council Meetings)
Flag Raising & Proclamation Request | Crime Stoppers Niagara (January 2025)
Flag Raising Request | Serbian Statehood Day (February 14, 2025)
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Next Council Meeting: Tuesday, January 21. Public meeting to discuss the Operating Budget begins at 4:00 pm
The Niagara Falls City Council meeting will be open to the public and held on Tuesday, January 21, at 4:00 pm. For more information, please visit niagarafalls.ca/council.
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