(As discussed on SSP...)
This is quite a big deal. We have yet to see a project challenge the height limit
and submit to the OLT afterward. This is going to be a very significant precedent-setter- in fact, it is THE precedent-setter I and many others have been waiting for. A >30 tower going to the OLT determines the fate of Hamilton's height limit moreso than any action by the province, city or otherwise preceding it. I am
very curious to see how quickly this gets processed, and the subsequent effect on active proposals and RE activity.
For context, many proposals have come and gone at 30+. Many towers being built today were originally proposed at heights in +/- 40 storeys, but the city asks them to chop off the extra and they've almost always complied. I don't think any proposal (in an area where the height limit is enforced...) has ever gone to the OLT, perhaps merely because how streamlined development in the core is supposed to be. And yet, here we are.
For even MORE Context, the height limit exists as a weird piece of policy, because it has a variety of purported benefits but the planning backing seems limited. In short, it is closer to a placation of some wealthy neighbourhoods in the core that seemed to have gotten out of hand and is frequently retrospectively justified. Not to say the purported benefits don't exist, but either their time has come and gone or the evidence for it Isn't there. While reducing speculation is amicable, when compared to peer cities it Isn't overtly clear there's any tangible difference between cities that do/do not control height like this- KW, London, etc. have had no issue seeing volumes of proposals, and seeing many of those actually go on to construction. I think the height limit was good temporarily for actually encouraging larger assemblies downtown to occupy more space, but the ball is rolling now- I don't think there is an issue of finding developers to scoop up enough lots anymore.
