After a very passionate and deep debate between Members of Council on “The Woolverton” proposal, Council approved the project in a 5-4 vote on Monday night. Here is a quick wrap-up of what happened.
Delegations
Three delegations asked to speak to the development, but required the consent of Council due to the rules around delegations. With the exception of Councillors Davoli, Freake and Vardy, the remainder of Council voted in favour of allowing the delegations, which required a two-thirds majority to approve. The vote was 6-3.
The first delegate was Kevin Luttjehuizen, who stated he was not opposed to growth or intensification, but stated the Town should have proper policies such as parking, heritage and escarpment protections in place before allowing a precedent-setting development. He urged Council to consider using an Interim Control By-law (ICBL) to allow time for the broader policy framework to be in place before approving a development.
The second delegate was Harley Valentine, a partner in the project, who emphasized collaboration with Town Staff, the NEC and community engagement and the need to deliver 150 rental units, including 15 affordable units. He further offered to participate in an urban design “charrette” at the site plan stage to allow public input on materials, colour and final design details.
The third delegate was Anne Turcic, who opined that 7 storeys in the downtown is overreach and would harm Grimsby’s character and relationship with the escarpment. She spoke extensively about the parking strategy and gave examples from Grimsby-on-the-Lake where parking arrangements have become problematic.
Members of Council
Councillor Charrois – Initially brought forward a motion to reject the proposal in its present form and only support the original OLT proposal, which was defeated. Her comments focused on the expansion of the site from 2 lots to 3 lots and, finally, to 4 lots, while the unit count increased and public benefits were lost. She also questioned whether the development envelope would keep expanding.
Councillor DiFlavio – Accepted that the 7-storey permission already exists because of the OLT approval and this was not starting from the ground up. DiFlavio acknowledged the value of rental housing and the need for affordable housing. He felt it was premature to move ahead because the downtown parking strategy and “cash-in-lieu” framework were not complete. He felt the Town’s $25,000 “ask” per deficient parking space was not sufficient and emphasized that this was Council’s last chance to materially shape the approval.
Councillor Howe – Asked questions about whether massing, materials and color could still be addressed at the Site Plan stage, and whether Council could give Town Staff “marching orders” on how that should be carried out.
Councillor Korstanje – Stated she personally did not want 7-storeys downtown, but viewed it as the reality because of the prior OLT approval. She stressed the need for rental and affordable rental housing, and warned that refusing the proposal could risk an OLT outcome with greater height and less control.
Councillor Vardy – Her position was that the project brings needed rental housing, 15 affordable units and funding towards parking. She emphasized seniors, young people and provincial growth pressures and that an OLT appeal could produce a worse outcome. She saw that working with the developer through Site Plan could get a better-looking building.
Councillor Freake – Supported the project from an economic development standpoint, citing that new business in Grimsby will attract new jobs and those workers will need places to live, as do seniors. He further opined that new downtown residents will support, not harm, downtown businesses. He said the Town needs affordable units and needs to grow.
Mayor Jordan – While the Chair is to largely stay out of debate, they can offer their opinion. The Mayor agreed with Councillor Charrois that the current proposal is not the same as the earlier approved version. Jordan said he would prefer a more stepped-back building like examples at Grimsby-on-the-Lake, and criticized the current massing as a straight wall that does not blend into the Escarpment.
Councillor Davoli – The Councillor did not speak to the matter.
Councillor Baradziej – The Councillor was participating electronically and did not speak to the matter.
So How Did They Vote?
The Staff Recommendation to approve the development was CARRIED with a vote of 5-4.
| RECOMMENDED APPROVAL | ||
|---|---|---|
![](https://grimsbycitizens.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DD.jpg") Councillor Davoli Ward 1 |  Councillor Freake Ward 1 |  Councillor Howe Ward 2 |
 Councillor Vardy Ward 2 |  Councillor Korstanje Ward 3 | |
| DID NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL | ||
|---|---|---|
![](https://grimsbycitizens.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JJ.jpg") Mayor Jordan |  Councillor Charrois Ward 3 |  Councillor Baradziej Ward 4 |
 Councillor DiFlavio Ward 4 | ||
What’s Next?
The development will now proceed to the “Site Plan” stage, where the developer, along with Town staff, will work on the finer details of the building and site, including materials, colours, landscaping, access and lighting. As the developer has committed to community consultation during this phase through a “charrette,” watch for future posts with details about how to participate.