‘No point’ fighting controversial high-rise development in Brampton after city loses challenge, council says

There’s no use continuing the fight against a proposed 10-storey high-rise tower in Brampton’s east end after the city lost a challenge to the project and changes were made to the development plan, councillors say.

Originally billed as a seven-storey residential building with three-storey stacked townhomes, the City of Brampton refused an application for the development by G-Force Urban Planners and Jindal Developments Ltd. in 2021.

But developers appealed that decision at the Ontario Land Tribunal and won. And now that the proposal has changed to be “less intrusive” to the surrounding community, Coun. Michael Palleschi says another challenge would be a waste of time and money.

“The city didn’t think it was the right density, opposed it, and lost,” Palleschi said of the proposed development at 1955 Cottrelle Boulevard in Brampton during a council meeting on Wednesday.

The latest proposal removed the townhouses and added three floors to the tower, making it a 10-storey building. The developers have also added two parks to the design after local residents were concerned about a population boom.

With a new plan that’s “less intrusive” to locals, Palleschi said any further challenges at the tribunal are likely to fail, adding there’s “no point in having the city waste taxpayer dollars on an OLT appeal that we’ve already lost once.”

Area Councillors Rod Power and Pat Fortini agreed with Palleschi, and city staff said they will work to communicate with residents on why the city isn’t looking to again challenge the development.

The project called Valley Creek Condominiums includes plans for 11 studio apartments, 95 one-bedroom units, another 59 two-bedroom units and nine three-bedroom units.

The proposal includes parking for 209 vehicles with 174 resident spaces (one for each unit) and 35 visitor spaces in an underground garage. There will also be room for 34 bicycle parking spaces and rooftop amenities.

Mayor Patrick Brown said there has been “a lot of feedback” on the project from the public, and council heard concerns range from parking and traffic congestion to community safety, overcrowding in parks, and neighbourhood compatibility.

The 174-unit condo apartment building is planned to go up south of Cottrelle Boulevard and west of McVean Drive.