Elliot Lake City Council gave the green light to zoning amendments on two different properties paving the way for a hotel and a heating and plumbing shop which would include public storage.
The approvals were given at council’s regular meeting Monday evening following an earlier public meeting and involved a plan by a numbered St. Catharines company to convert a vacant school building at 20 Lisbon Road into a 60-room hotel and a plan by Elliot Lake Heating and Cooling for the shop and storage space on land at 32 Oakland Boulevard near the ski hill.
City planner Sarah Vereault of JL Richards recommended council approve both the rezoning applications and noted approval would allow for the types of businesses planned built at both sites.
The potential impact on the Oakland Blvd. plan would be the findings of a stage 1 environmental study of a former garbage dump on an adjacent property to determine if there is any leachate impacting the property. The city is currently undertaking that study. The property is vacant and currently used for overnight truck parking beside the ski hill road.
The Oakland Blvd. property, according to Vereault, includes a 2,400 heating and cooling equipment shop and 800 square-foot public storage facility.
The Lisbon Road hotel would have 60 rooms, a restaurant, a gift shop, a patio area and a gym, the planner said.
Councillor Rick Bull asked whether neighbours of the development were informed about the plan. He was told that letters had been sent to neighbours within 120 meters of the property and no comments or concerns were received about the plan.
Both amendments were approved.