City of Hamilton Design Review Panel Reviews Hess Street Hotel Proposal

The City of Hamilton Design Review Panel reviewed plans for a six-storey, 50-unit boutique hotel and restaurant at 33 and 35 Hess Street South, near George Street. The proposal includes a street-facing patio, rooftop terrace, four Hess Street layby spaces and off-site hotel parking at 20 George Street.

Discussion focused on requested variances for zero building stepbacks, the project's fit with Hess Village's heritage character, pedestrian and sidewalk changes, noise and late-night uses, and the treatment of the building's corner and blank walls. The meeting ended with an adjournment; no formal approval of the development was recorded.

Topics Discussed

HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND ROOFTOP USES

Edward Winter said the applicant is proposing "a six-story mixed use commercial building with 50 hotel units and a restaurant on the first floor with patio space fronting Hess Street."

The ground-floor restaurant would include large doors opening onto the patio. A sixth-floor rooftop terrace could be used for events, wedding functions and casual dining at night.

Architect Bonnie Chan said the project would replace the site's previous nightclub use with "more of a boutique hotel or something a bit more elegant and neighborhood oriented type of boutique hotel." No exterior balconies are proposed for hotel rooms above the second floor.

STEPBACK VARIANCES AND BUILDING DESIGN

The design was reduced from eight storeys to six during earlier consultations. City guidelines call for upper-level stepbacks of 11 metres on George Street and 16 metres on Hess Street. The applicant said the current design provides neither and will require a variance, adding that the team would explain why "no step back is appropriate here in our opinion."

The proposal includes a two-storey stone and pre-cast base, brick finishes and a rounded corner intended to frame the existing gateway pillar. Panel members asked for changes to the faceted glass corner, blank walls, window treatments and the height of the stone base.

Panel member Jen Sison said the site is "a very prominent corner of Hess Village" and that the design was moving in the right direction.

PARKING, LAYBYS AND SIDEWALKS

The hotel will have no standard on-site parking structure. Its parking requirement is proposed to be met at an existing garage at 20 George Street, within 300 metres of the site.

The plans also include four curbside layby spaces on Hess Street. The sidewalk would "jog around to the south" to accommodate the laybys.

The developer said patio areas, landscaping, soil cells, the layby and sidewalk improvements would occupy or affect the public right of way. The applicant will seek an encroachment agreement and an external works agreement with the city. The developer's representative said those agreements would make the company responsible for constructing and maintaining the public-realm work.

HERITAGE AND PUBLIC-REALM IMPACTS

The site previously contained buildings listed on the city's heritage inventory but not formally designated. Heritage consultant Megan Hobson said the Heritage Impact Assessment did not require historical references to the demolished buildings, but suggested that their history could be commemorated inside the new building or in the patio area.

Panel members discussed preserving Hess Village's archways as a visual focus, using murals on the blank south and east walls, improving materials on a raised patio wall and adding landscaping and mature trees.

They also raised concerns that the curved design could create areas where wind collects garbage or other debris.

NOISE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD CONDITIONS

Panel members discussed the relationship between hotel rooms and Hess Village's existing nighttime entertainment activity. Eric emphasized the importance of the site and intersection, noting that the hotel would be located in a "very noisy area" and recommending that the applicant consider the amount of window glazing to address street noise.

The ground-floor patio and rooftop terrace would add outdoor commercial and event activity. The panel discussed maintaining the area's pedestrian character while accommodating the proposed hotel and restaurant uses.

Motions

• No formal motions or vote outcomes were identified in the provided transcript.
• The meeting was adjourned after panel members indicated they had no further questions or comments.

Attendees

Other participants identified

• Edward Winter, city urban designer
• Eric Heinbecker, city planner and lead planner on the file
• Ryan Ferrari, senior planner, AJ Clark Associates
• Bonnie Chan, project architect
• Megan Hobson, heritage consultant
• Olga, design review panel member
• Eric, design review panel member
• Jen Sison, design review panel member