A Dollarama store will open in the long-vacant space beside the Foodland location in Elmira, as Woolwich this week reached a deal with Sobeys Capital Inc. The agreement approved by council Tuesday night made short work of an Ontario Municipal Board hearing scheduled for the following day.
Under the deal, in exchange for the dollar store, Sobeys will pay the township $40,000 towards a future commercial policy review, contribute $10,000 over two years to the Elmira BIA and not request any additional expansion at the site for three years, said chief administrative officer David Brenneman the day after councillors deliberated in closed session following the May 21 committee-of-the-whole meeting.
As well, Sobeys will also speak to neighbouring property owner Villarboit Development Corp. about contributing $10,000 to the commercial policy review. That study, to be carried out within three years, is expected to cost about $100,000, said director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley. Like Sobeys, Villarboit has also made inquiries about expanding the range of commercial uses on its land in the south end of Elmira.
Council’s decision, made official in a special session following a closed-door meeting Tuesday night, came over the pleas of Ann Tomadini, owner of the downtown Elmira Dollar Store. In the earlier committee meeting, she argued the township’s own studies found that allowing more general merchandise retailers elsewhere in the town would have a negative impact on the core, specifically on her store and The Bargain Shop.
“Why ignore the findings of the study?” she asked.
Kennaley said he continues to stand by his original planning assessment that the Dollarama store shouldn’t be permitted at the Foodland location, adding the settlement was made to steer clear of an OMB proceeding.
“My planning opinion hasn’t changed.
“The benefit is that we avoid the risk of spending money on an OMB hearing that we might lose.”
In the event of a loss – and the OMB has a long history of siding with developers – the township wouldn’t have got the concessions it did, nor the financial support for the planned review of appropriate commercial development in the community, he said.
The deal puts on hold any other development at the site. Sobeys’ original request was for a much larger project. Under the original proposal, the Foodland would expand into the vacant portion of the existing building, increasing in size to 47,000 square feet from the current 34,000. A 22,000-sq.-ft. addition would be built on to the current structure, some 9,000 sq. ft. for a retail outlet such as a dollar store and 13,000 sq. ft. for a mix of retail, services and offices, perhaps including a wine store. Two separate freestanding buildings would be constructed on the west side of the current parking lot, closer to Arthur Street: a 6,900-sq.-ft. unit to house a restaurant with a drive-thru (Harvey’s being the name attached to the project at the time), and one of 8,000 sq. ft.
Kennaley noted that some of the additions could go ahead at any time, as they don’t require Sobeys to apply for a zone change or Official Plan amendment.
The timing for the Dollarama development was not part of the discussion.
“I’m under the impression they want to proceed quickly. The ball is in their court,” said Kennaley.
