The former General Amherst High School in Amherstburg is one step closer to being redeveloped.
Council approved administration's recommendation to rezone the area from institutional to mixed-use residential/commercial.
The proposed redevelopment by Valente Development calls for the construction of 144 units in an 8-storey and 11-storey mixed-use towers with residential, commercial, and institutional uses on the property located at 130 Sandwich Street South.
During public consultations, council heard time and time again from residents who were concerned with parking availability and the proposed height.
Valente is proposing parking on-site and underground for a total of 262 vehicles with access from Sandwich Street South and Laird Avenue South.
The town retained lawyer Analee Baroudi, whose practice focuses on land development and municipal law, to provide advice prior to voting.
Baroudi told council Monday night that the proposed on site parking is more than sufficient to meet the zoning requirements.
"If council were to refuse the application based on lack of on site parking, again, this is not something that would be defensible at the Ontario Land Tribunal if the applicant appealed that refusal because they're not asking for relief from parking, they are going to comply with the requirements from the zoning bylaw," Baroudi said.
Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb said he understood resident concerns over parking.
"This developer is providing 1.5 spaces per residential unit, one per unit is the minimum, the Piroli building was approved at 1.25, and like we've heard we can't deny based on parking anyway, they're providing more than our minimum," Gibb said.
Councillor Diane Pouget said she could not support moving the project forward because she believed it went against the town's official plan of 8-storey max.
"When we lose control we don't see or we don't vote on the site plan, at the last meeting I asked specifically if I could see the site plan when they were proposed to the accessibility committee, and the answer was no," Pouget said.
With the passing of Bill 17, the "Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025", the province has shifted the power from council to town staff to approve site plans in an effort to streamline approvals to facilitate the construction of more homes.
Mayor Michael Prue amended the motion to include a provision that town staff negotiate site control to ensure residents can feel that their interests are being heard.