By Doug Draper
Fort Erie’s mayor Doug Martin says he’s prepared to stake his political future on supporting a controversial high-rise tower for his town’s historic Crystal Beach district, and he has proved it.
Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin displays images of condo development he's willing to stake his political future on. Photo by Doug Draper
At the end of another marathon meeting before his council this March 1 on the pros and cons of a developer’s plans to erect a 12-storey condominium in front of a publicly owned stretch of the Lake Erie shore, known as Bay Beach to many Niagara, Ontario and Western New York residents who enjoy it during the summer months, Martin stood true to his words.
The mayor – having listened to close to two hours of delegations speaking for and against the council plan – broke a three-to-three tie on his council to support the passage of a bylaw allowing the height restrictions in Crystal Beach (where most of the cottages and buildings presently there are one or two stories) accommodate a building as high as 12 storeys.
“I believe this is the right thing to do,” Martin told Niagara At Large while the marathon meeting was still looming. “It is about Crystal Beach. It is about rejuvenation. It is about laying the foundation for our children to built on.”
Martin went on to say that there has been “a lot of misinformation” spread about a Toronto area developer’s plans to build the condo tower in front of the town’s publicly owned beach. That misinformation includes arguments that public beach would be lost, which the mayor stressed, is “absolutely untrue” and any suggestion people will have less access to the beach which, he argued, is also untrue.
In fact, Martin argues that as much if not more access to Bay Beach will be made available, and he said he hopes there are opportunities for the town to buy up more shoreline for the public in the future.
Responding to complaints that the tower is not compatible with its surroundings, the mayor said there are many examples in history of structures people felt would be out not fit their surroundings – the Empire State Building and Eiffel Tower, among them – but are now regarded as icons. He conceded during the interview that there may be an equally long list of structures that were disliked in their planning stages and, having been built, are still disliked today.
With all that said, at the end of the long March 1 meeting, Martin broke his council’s tie vote in favour a high-rise condo in front of Bay Beach. The vote came after about two hours of delegations of residents speaking for and against the condo plan.
“I truly believe that this is the best thing that can happen for Crystal Beach,” said area resident Lois Wilson of the tower plan. John McCarthy, another area resident said he and his family “firmly believe the development … is an inappropriate use of this property.” Another area resident, Joseph Bieron, expressed his opposition by saying that “you can put a 12-storey condominium anywhere. … You cannot put a beach anywhere.”
Then there was another area resident, Sandra Fishman, who insisted “I truly believe that this project (the high-rise condo) will bring the downtown of Crystal Beach back to life. … I think this is a win-win situation for all of us.”
With planning consultant Greg Hynde in foreground, lawyer Tom Richardson argues against a high-rise condo tower in Crystal Beach on behalf of property owners from Buffalo.
Toward the end of the delegations, the council heard from Niagara lawyer Tom Richardson, who was representing a Buffalo couple who owned three properties near the proposed condo development and are opposed to it. Richardson argued that the condo tower is not compatible with a community of mostly one and two-storey cottages, homes and businesses. And he went on to refer to a decision by the Ontario Municipal Board this January to reject a plan for a four-storey building in the Beaches area of Toronto because, in part, it would be “distinctly out of character with the subject neighbourhood.” Interestingly enough, Richardson is the same lawyer who successfully represented developers of a high-rise condo tower for the St. Catharines, Ontario waterfront community of Port Dalhousie at Ontario Municipal Board hearings against local residents group that argued the tower would assault the character of that low-rise, heritage community. What do you think? Share your comments below.
In the meantime, click on http://www.niagaraatlarge for more news and commentary of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.
Niagara At Large 
I find it ironic that Mayor Martin, while yet to announce his candidacy for Mayor, now says he is staking his political career on his tie breaking vote in favour of the “The Crystal Beach Gateway Plan”.
Frankly I find it difficult to understand how a man who claims that this proposal is so wonderful now has to gauge the political “fall out” before he commits to a campaign for reelection.
To me that’s more calculation than it is conviction.
Add to this the fact that his only public acknowledgement of the “Mostacci Doctrine” which advocates private residential/commercial development along the entire Abino Bay shoreline, came late in his statements shortly before the Monday night vote.
He also insists that those of us in opposition of the proposed project were engaged in a program of misinformation yet when I personally invited him to speak before hundreds of people attending the public rally held on Bay Beach, last June, he simply ignored the offer.
So much for open discussion on the far reaching effects of this issue.
Now he’s quoted as saying “It is about Crystal Beach. It is about rejuvenation. It is about laying the foundation for our children to built on.”
That’s interesting.
All the while he’s implied that this was ALL about Fort Erie as a whole, not exclusive to Crystal Beach.
He has yet to address any plan or program to address the last attempt at rejuvenation in Crystal Beach. I refer to the deteriorating sub-division that sits abandoned and rotting just behind the collapsing “Ontario Hotel and flop house”.
As for “It is about laying the foundation for our children to built on.” ?
I’m sorry Your Worship, I have yet to meet a single “kid” that’s willing to buy that one. Even my own daughter (age 24) made a presentation against the Bay Beach proposal.
Mr. Mayor, with all do respect Sir, I understand a man, a leader, needs to hold to his convictions but I can’t understand any man that goes so far as to infer that those of us whom have shown nothing but RESPECTFUL opposition are just a bunch of liars.
Sticking to your convictions is admirable.
Having it stuck up my “nose” is something completely different.
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Something I would like everyone to know is the fact that when this heads to the OMB (Ontario Municipal Board) that the Town of Fort Erie will be using your hard earned tax dollars to fight YOU the tax payers in gaining a favourable motion. Is this not somewhat a conflict of interest….
JJ
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The irony is that Tom Richardson was, as noted, the lawyer representing PDVC in St. Catharines.
To be fair to Tom, lawyers take whatever cases they can, I gather, and represent their clients interests, not their own personal interests.
Gail B
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Point well taken Gail.
Thanks.
John
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Shame (defined)
Bus full of attorneys going over cliff with one empty seat. lol
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I hope Mr. Martin has made plans for a new career after “staking his political future” on supporting the proprosed condo.
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Well Ann, I think his future plan is to become the PR agent for the NHS. “Those of us in opposition to the project were engaged in a programme of misinformation” Sounds like a line take from the NHS book of fairy tales.
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Indeed Linda. I found it amazing that virtually every transgression made by the NHS in dealing with Fort Erie was followed with remarkably similar treatment, of residents, by members of “Team Condolaro”.
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There is nothing good or beneficial about high rise development anywhere. The buildings themselves are expensive to build and maintain. The only good thing is the potentially large profits to be enjoyed by the landowners.
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