Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why is the application before the Ontario Land Tribunal when it has never been considered at the municipal level?
A: This Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment Application has not been considered by Council at a public meeting as required by law. The application is before the Ontario Land Tribunal as the City did not render a decision in the timeframe permitted by the province. (The timeframe was reduced by the provincial government from 210 days to 120 days under Bill 108. Many municipalities struggled to meet the reduced timelines during Covid.)
Q: Where can I see more details on the existing land-use designation and zoning?
A: Full details can be found at https://www.kitchener.ca/en/strategic-plans-and-projects/civic-centre.aspx
The Civic Centre Heritage District Plan is available at https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/Documents/DSD_PLAN_Heritage_Plan_Civic_Centre.pdf
Q: Where can I find more information on the application?
The owner of 22 Weber St W has updated their application to permit a 19-storey build. The revised Heritage Impact Assessment can be found at https://obtfriends.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/22-Weber-St-W-Revised-HIA-with-Elevations-submitted-April-29-2022.pdf
Other revised supporting documentation, including site plans, urban design report, justification report, etc. can be found here:
For comparison, the supporting documents for the original 15 storey proposal can be found here:
Kitchener Planning Staff’s Pre-Submission Consultation record begins on page 59 of the “Planning Justification Report 21July2020“.
Three additional Pre-Submission Consultation comments from city staff were made public via the Ontario Land Tribunal on June 16, 2021, dated from August and September 2020 regarding Heritage, Planning and Urban Design.
View the August 24, 2022 notice of appeal of the Heritage Permit Application decision.
Q: Where can I see more about the Heritage Kitchener reviews?
A: You can watch the March 1, 2022 Heritage Kitchener review of the draft Heritage Impact Assessment at https://youtu.be/1_Q1BLeLOkU.
Friends of Olde Berlin Town engaged a registered heritage planner to review the application. You can watch his presentation to Heritage Kitchener on the Heritage Impact Assessment here and view his presentation slides here.
You can watch the August 2, 2022 Heritage Kitchener review of the Heritage Permit Application at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uYR0c_OaGI and read a summary of the Staff Report here, with the full June 29, 2022 report including our consultant’s report (starting on page 100) available at the City’s website.
The Civic Centre Heritage District Plan is available at https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/Documents/DSD_PLAN_Heritage_Plan_Civic_Centre.pdf
Q: How can I participate in the OLT hearing process?
You can submit a ‘participant statement’ to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) outlining your thoughts on the application. The participant status request form is due at least 10 days in advance of the Case Management Conference. We expect there will be opportunity to update your statement at a later date, when the full facts of the case are made available to all, but best to make your full arguments now.
You must fill out a short form to send in a ‘participant statement’. The form is available at the OLT website . All you need to do is complete the:
1) Request Date (date of your submission)
2) Your name and contact information, and
3) The participant statement.
Our case number is OLT-22-002377 (Legacy Case Number PL210104).
Once you have completed the form, attach it to an email to all the established parties in a single message. The parties are:
–Tribunal Case Coordinator Ben Bath at Ben.Bath@ontario.ca
–Region of Waterloo Solicitor Fiona McCrea at FMcCrea@regionofwaterloo.ca
–City of Kitchener Solicitors Lesley MacDonald at Lesley.MacDonald@kitchener.ca and Katherine Hughes at Katherine.Hughes@kitchener.ca
–Solicitor for Applicant Jennifer Meader at jmeader@tmalaw.ca
–Friends of Olde Berlin Town at obtfriends@gmail.com
Please note that new participants are expected to attend the Case Management Conference to ensure their request is considered by the Tribunal.
And, of course, you can join the Friends of Olde Berlin Town party by contacting us at OBTfriends@gmail.com.
Q: How do I contact Council?
A: To submit an official comment to staff and the current members of Council, email the following addresses. Try this link to auto-generate an email to submit a comment regarding the August 22 Council Meeting item on 22 Weber St W.
delegation@kitchener.ca;
mayor@kitchener.ca;
bil.ioannidis@kitchener.ca;
christine.michaud@kitchener.ca;
dave.schnider@kitchener.ca;
debbie.chapman@kitchener.ca;
john.gazzola@kitchener.ca;
kelly.galloway-sealock@kitchener.ca;
margaret.johnston@kitchener.ca;
paul.singh@kitchener.ca;
sarah.marsh@kitchener.ca;
scott.davey@kitchener.ca;
Resources
Request a lawn sign
Lawn signs are a great way to show your support and spread the word in your neighbourhood! Several lawn sign designs are available and details can be found here
Download our flyer
We have a flyer which you are welcome to share with interested neighbours.