Development, Heritage & the Reality Behind the Work Being Done in NOTL

One thing residents may not always realize is that the development activity we are seeing today did not happen overnight.

During the last term of Council, Niagara-on-the-Lake was operating under an Interim Control By-law (ICBL), which temporarily restricted certain development and building applications while planning policies and studies were being reviewed. Shortly after, the world was hit with COVID-19.

For several years, many projects were effectively paused, delayed, or slowed significantly. Property owners, developers, businesses, builders, architects, and residents spent years waiting for approvals, studies, revised policies, supply chain recovery, and economic certainty.

So when this term of Council began, there was already a significant amount of pent-up demand.

Applications that had been sitting on hold were suddenly ready to move forward.

And the numbers clearly reflect that reality.

The Importance of Development in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Development is often discussed emotionally or politically, but the reality is that development is also what helps fund and sustain municipal services, infrastructure, heritage preservation, parks, recreation, roads, and community amenities.

A healthy economy requires responsible development and growth in order to remain sustainable.

Without investment, construction, redevelopment, and economic activity, municipalities struggle to maintain aging infrastructure, expand services, and keep up with rising costs.

Looking at the Town’s own statistics:

Estimated Value of Construction

• 2025: $95.7 million

• 2024: $213.4 million

• 2023: $167.6 million

• 2022: $97.9 million

Even with fluctuations year to year, these are massive levels of investment flowing into our community.

That means:

• jobs for local trades

• work for local suppliers

• economic activity for businesses

• increased assessment growth

• permit revenue

• infrastructure contributions

• investment into existing buildings and heritage properties

Development Charges Help Build Infrastructure

Another important piece residents may not realize is that when construction begins, the Town collects Development Charges (DCs).

Those development charges help fund infrastructure needed to support growth, including:

• sidewalks

• roads

• culverts

• stormwater infrastructure

• parks

• recreation infrastructure

• servicing upgrades

• municipal growth-related capital projects

Growth does not simply create pressure on infrastructure — when managed properly, it also helps fund infrastructure improvements.

That is one of the reasons why sustainable and well-managed development is important to the long-term financial health of a municipality.

Building Permit Activity

The Building Department processed:

• 303 building permits in 2025

• 363 in 2024

• 430 in 2023

• 412 in 2022

And permit fees generated:

• $829,215 in 2025

• $834,025 in 2024

• $1,068,207 in 2023

These are not small numbers.

Every permit represents:

• reviews

• inspections

• engineering considerations

• code compliance

• zoning compliance

• safety reviews

• staff coordination

• applicant meetings

• documentation processing

Behind every permit is a significant amount of staff work that residents never see.

Planning Department Workload

The Planning Department has also been carrying an enormous workload.

Planning Applications in 2025

• 9 Official Plan Amendments

• 28 Zoning By-law Amendments

• 9 Draft Plans of Subdivision

• 7 Draft Plans of Condominium

• 11 Site Plan / Site Plan Amendments

• 5 NEC Development Permit Applications

For a total of:

69 Planning Applications

That is actually an increase over previous years.

At the same time:

• 63 pre-consultation meetings were held

• 38 Committee of Adjustment applications were processed

These applications involve:

• staff reports

• technical circulation

• engineering review

• environmental review

• legal review

• heritage review

• public consultation

• agency coordination

• Council reports

• Ontario Land Tribunal considerations

This is highly technical work requiring significant staff expertise and time.

Heritage Preservation Is Also Active Development

One of the biggest misconceptions is that development and heritage are somehow opposites.

In reality, much of the work happening in Niagara-on-the-Lake involves preserving and restoring heritage assets.

According to the Municipal Heritage Committee Year-End Report:

In 2025 the Municipal Heritage Committee:

• Met 11 times

• Reviewed 50 applications and reports

• Approved 30 Heritage Permits

• Reviewed and approved 8 Heritage Grants

• Reviewed 8 cultural heritage evaluation reports

• Reviewed Heritage Impact Assessments

• Reviewed multiple demolition requests

• Continued work on the Queen-Picton Heritage Conservation District expansion

Heritage Grants & Restoration Investment

The Heritage Grant Program alone supported projects such as:

• window replacements

• roof restorations

• repainting

• façade repairs

• foundation restoration

• door restoration

Examples include:

• 43 Queen Street

• 80 Queen Street

• 214 Four Mile Creek Road

• 240 Gate Street

• 93 Queenston Street

These are not examples of “overdevelopment.”

These are examples of property owners investing substantial private dollars into preserving the character of our town.

The Reality Behind the Headlines

It is easy to look at a single application and react emotionally.

But the reality is that Niagara-on-the-Lake is balancing:

• heritage preservation

• tourism

• housing

• infrastructure

• agriculture

• economic development

• environmental protections

• intensification policies from higher levels of government

• resident concerns

• business investment

All while staff process hundreds of permits, dozens of planning applications, heritage files, inspections, reports, public meetings, and Council directions.

The Bigger Picture

This term of Council inherited:

• delayed applications from the ICBL period

• post-COVID recovery pressures

• housing pressures

• infrastructure backlogs

• increasing provincial mandates

• escalating construction costs

• increasing resident expectations

Despite that, staff and committees have continued processing applications, protecting heritage assets, modernizing policies, and keeping investment moving in the community.

Development does not simply mean “new buildings.”

In Niagara-on-the-Lake, development also means:

• restoring historic homes

• preserving cultural heritage

• improving infrastructure

• supporting jobs

• maintaining tax stability

• improving properties

• upgrading aging buildings

• funding municipal operations

• and ensuring the town continues to evolve responsibly rather than stagnate.

Whether someone supports or opposes a specific project, it is important to recognize the sheer amount of work being undertaken behind the scenes by the Building, Planning, and Heritage Departments every single year.

And the numbers show just how significant that work truly is.