Apartment and townhouse units pitched for former public school site
April 15, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Town and city councillors throughout Ontario, including Fort Erie, are accustomed to having developers come with building requests that don’t meet municipal policy. But usually they’re seeking permission to do more or go higher.
In a rare twist, the developers of the former Crystal Beach Public School site are actually seeking relief from minimum density numbers that currently exist in town policy for the area. They presented their plan to council at the April 13 meeting.
“We don’t believe it’s appropriate for this development,” said consultant Greg Taras, of the density numbers outlined in the secondary plan.
The Crystal Beach Secondary Plan sets minimum density requirements at 50 units per hectare and a minimum of 32 apartment units. The development proposal would instead see those numbers at 38 and 24, respectively.
Additionally, Taras said the fact the owners lost roughly five metres along both Rebstock and Derby to allow for road widening made it a challenge to come up with a design that met the minimums.
“That’s had an impact on the ability to actually meet the secondary plan requirements,” he said. “It’s a lot of land that had to be given up.”
All told, the proposal includes a four-storey apartment facing Rebstock, with the remainder of the property including the internal roads and common elements, along with 36 block townhouse units.
Architect Peter Lesdow described the lengths they went to develop a plan that fit in with the surrounding neighbourhood. The townhouse units are being designed to have a varied look instead of 36 identical units. Other design elements are being incorporated to have it fit in as much as possible with the existing homes.
“This development, like all others, cannot help but be something unto itself. However…it is a design that’s sensitive and integrates with its surroundings,” he said.
Taras and Lesdow said they went through several iterations of the development. Staffing changes at the town in recent years meant they worked with different planners, who offered varying opinions and suggestions.
There were some questions about the location of the apartment building. Given the road network and lot layout, Lesdow said moving the apartment further to the north away from Rebstock would create some “geometry problems.”
Additionally, Taras said an earlier design did have the apartment at the northwest corner away from Rebstock and Derby, but town staff at the time said they didn’t like it back there.
Local resident Robert Puhl would have preferred it in its original location.
“I would like to see the high-rise put in the back of the property, away from the road, because when I look out it’d be nice to see a step, or steps from lower buildings to higher buildings,” he said.
Saying they already have a plethora of townhouse units, Mayor Wayne Redekop also wondered if it’d be possible to simply build two apartment buildings on the site. Lesdow said it would be possible, but it’s up to the owners.
Residents also expressed some concern about flooding in the area, which they say is already an issue.
No decisions were made at the meeting. Staff will now prepare a recommendation report for councillors to consider at a future meeting.
‘An exception to the rule’: Town loans Ridgeway BIA $25K
Councillors received just over $300K in pay and expenses last year
Town honours local volunteer group for $100K in donated funds
About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
Stay Informed