Despite recent activity at a long-vacant and contaminated Woolwich Street site, there are no “immediate plans” for development, says a director for the company that owns it.
The property in question is 288 and 290 Woolwich St., on the southwest corner of the intersection with London Road, across from Park Eatery.
“The recent cleanup work was to address some overgrown of weeds and scrub bushes and while we had equipment on site, we pulled some old curbs and removed some random patches of pavement that were on site,” explained Tom Lammer, a director with Well Developments Inc., via email. “This will allow us to maintain the property more efficiently moving forward.”
Land registry documents show Well Developments bought the property from Suncor Energy Inc. for $775,000 in 2020, less than a month after the Ministry of the Environment issued a certificate of property use for the site allowing it to be developed.
As a result of historic contamination, there are several requirements that must be met in order for development to occur, as outlined in the certificate of use. Among them is that any new building must block “vapour intrusion.”
Also, any development requires implementation of a groundwater monitoring program and comes with a prohibition on the use of groundwater on or under the property. Planting fruit and vegetables in the ground for consumption is also prohibited.
That certificate also notes the “intended future residential use of the property.”
The site is zoned for up to 10 townhouses, though having a “home occupation” or accessory use is prohibited. Alternatively, the site is also allowed to have a standalone residence with a commercial component.
Prior to being decommissioned in the early 1990s, the site was home to a garage and gas station. It has remained vacant since.
