The Grassy Brook area is located east of the QEW, boarded by the Welland River to the north and Lyon's Creek to the south. It is approximately 495ha (1,223 ac) in area and is one of the last unplanned and unserviced greenfield areas in the City.

Both the City and the Region of Niagara have completed several underpinning studies to inform growth at the Regional and City scales to the 2051 planning horizon and beyond. At the Regional level, this included the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) and a new Official Plan. The City has completed an Employment Lands Strategy and a Housing Strategy. These studies have pointed to the need for the City to accommodate a significant amount of new population and employment growth over the next 30 years. The City is expected to accommodate a total of 141,650 persons and 58,110 jobs by the year 2051.

The Grass Brook Area will be where some of this growth will occur. Recognizing this, the City has initiated a proactive approach through a secondary plan process that will allow the City to balance the need for environmental preservation, the protection of employment areas and providing opportunities for residential growth.

The Secondary Plan study will consider the local context, environmental conditions, infrastructure investment, land use compatibility, urban design, cultural heritage, and other elements to provide a policy framework and direction for employment and residential development in the area.

This project aims to work with City Staff, Regional staff, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Council, residents and stakeholders as part of a continual and transparent land use planning process to create a vision and policies to guide the future development of the Grassy Brook Area.

Update

To support the Preferred Land Use Concept that was contained in report PDS 33-2024 and shown at the August 13^th session of Council, the City is posting a number of key background studies.

These background studies include:

• Planning Justification Report
• Stage 1 Archaeological Study
• Transportation Assessment (Existing Conditions)
• Subwatershed Study with Supporting Appendices

The background studies provide the technical basis for the secondary plan, and the information presented in these reports reflects the best information available at the time the reports were prepared. The reports are considered to be final documents, and any further feedback received will be incorporated into the applicable aspects of the Grassy Brook Secondary Plan policies and schedules.

View the background studies here.

Open House #2

Thursday, April 11, 2024, MacBain Community Centre

This Open House was the second in a series of open houses and public meetings where participants had the opportunity to receive information on the Secondary Plan and associated studies and to provide their views and comments.

Please feel free to view the information presented at the Open House:

Public Open House # 2 Display Boards

Public Open House # 2 Presentation

Information Report to Council

May 30, 2023 – Council Meeting

Watch the council meeting online here.

Planning Report PBD-2023-28 introduces Phase 1: Existing Conditions and Background Review, prepared by Dillon Consulting for the information of Council. Phase 1 included completing background technical research, analyzing opportunities and constraints, and engaging with residents and stakeholders.

Council Report: Grassy Brook Secondary Plan Phase 1: Existing Conditions and Background Review

Phase 1: Grassy Brook Secondary Plan – Existing Conditions and Background Review

The City's Grassy Brook Secondary Plan consultant will present to Council. View the presentation here.

Public Open House

Thursday, April 13, 2023, 6 - 8 pm, MacBain Community Centre, 7150 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls

This Open House was the first in a series of open houses and public meetings where the public is provided with an opportunity to receive information on the Secondary Plan and associated background studies and to provide comments and views. The session focussed on providing a summary of background work completed to date and obtaining initial feedback on the opportunities and constraints analysis to support future phases of the project.

Please feel free to view the information presented at the Open House and provide us with your views and comments.

Open House #1 Slide Presentation

Open House #1 Presentation Boards

Open House #1 Discussion Activity

Community Focus Group

This engagement is now closed. Thank you to those participants who volunteered to be part of the Community Focus Group.

Please see our attached Terms of Reference for the Community Focus Group for additional details, including composition guidelines and our selection process.

DRAFT Vision & Principles | November 2023

Grassy Brook will become a complete, sustainable, and connected community, acting as a catalyst for economic development through the provision of employment, commercial, residential, and recreational opportunities while protecting and enhancing the natural heritage features in the area.

DRAFT Principle 1: Establish Grassy Brook as a Complete Community

Provide opportunities for the efficient use of land, compact urban form, and a mix of uses by encouraging the development of a commercial and industrial node, a wide range of housing, and community infrastructure to support livability and sustainability of the community.

Objectives:

• To provide parks, recreation, and open spaces for current and future residents and employees while preserving natural heritage.
• To promote a mix of land uses, including residential, employment, commercial, and community facilities, to support the needs of the community.
• To provide a variety of housing opportunities and choices, including affordable housing and supportive housing, to meet the diverse needs of residents.
• To ensure the built form is context-appropriate and climate resilient to support land use compatibility, place making and high-quality living environments through the provision of urban design guidance.

DRAFT Principle 2: Enhance the Connectivity of the Grassy Brook Area

Provide and promote active transportation and transit-supportive design while ensuring connections manage traffic flow.

Objectives:

• To create a well-connected community that promotes a variety of mobility options that are safe and encouraging of a multi-modal split.
• To enhance the public realm and leverage the natural heritage system to generate an integrated pedestrian and cyclist network throughout the area.
• To ensure that all new and improved connections do not interrupt the planned functions of the ecological and natural heritage system.

DRAFT Principle 3: Protect, Preserve and Enhance Natural Heritage Resources

To identify, protect, and enhance the existing natural heritage resources by protecting endangered species and biodiversity and strengthening linkages.

Objectives:

• To ensure that any future development protects the existing natural heritage system and biodiversity of the area and does not have adverse impacts on the planned and intended functions of the existing natural heritage system by identifying buffers, linkages, and eco-passages.
• To facilitate a connected system of neighbourhood parks, trails, and green infrastructure that are visible and accessible to residents.
• To integrate the Welland River and broader natural heritage system into the design, layout, and organization of the public realm.
• To establish policies that align with the Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan to support development that helps to achieve the vision of reducing the Region and the City’s greenhouse gas emissions.

DRAFT Principle 4: Enhance Economic Opportunities and Growth

To promote and protect employment areas for long-term prosperity while ensuring resiliency through sustainable infrastructure and design.

Objectives:

• To support opportunities for economic development and job creation by maximizing the potential of employment lands.
• To recognize the importance of the nearby Regional Hospital in attracting a range of employment opportunities within the area and the broader community.
• To ensure land use compatibility between employment areas and the other planned uses within the area through urban design and other measures.
• To provide a framework for the phasing of development to meet local and provincial targets for residential and employment growth while ensuring that growth is fiscally and environmentally sustainable and responsible.
• To utilize sustainable urban design and development tools to prioritize climate resiliency.

Have your say!

Questions or comments on the Draft Vision and Principles are welcome and encouraged! Please view the Question & Comment section below.

Thank you!

Questions or comments?

Email Brian Dick, Senior Manager of Policy Planning, at bdick@niagarafalls.ca(External link)

Please note that information will be collected in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, please note all comments will become part of the public record.