Mississauga Residents Outraged by Condo That Could Shut Down Iconic Restaurant

Insauga previously reported that the popular Piatto restaurant, an iconic staple of fine dining in Mississauga, was slated to close because the owners of the property had submitted an application to revise the official plan and zoning to construct a new luxury condominium.

This is what Piatto looks like now at 1646 Dundas Street West:

And below is an illustration of the proposed redevelopment, which you can find on the website EV Royale, which advertises boutique condo living along the historic Mississauga Road next to the majestic waters of the Credit River.

While it has not been confirmed as of yet, the owners of Piatto told Insauga that there was an opportunity for the restaurant to reopen at the new building. So at least there is the option to stay in the area and continue to provide the fine dining experience.

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But while the restaurant owners could perhaps be open to working with the company (although it’s important to point out that nothing is certain), the residents in surrounding Erindale Village are not happy with the proposed condo. They sent two representatives, a Mr. Aaron Wouters and Mr. Terry Murphy, to speak to Mississauga City Council on February 8 to voice the community’s opposition to the development.

We wanted to get some comments from these two gentlemen, so Insauga met with Wouters and Murphy at Erindale Community Hall just next door to Piatto. The two men actually represented the Land Use committee within the Erindale Village Association, the residents group for the area. According to Murphy, the Association’s position is to simply ask council to not approve changing the zoning by-law on the Piatto land, effectively stopping the development. The area is currently zoned for a three-storey commercial occupancy (which Piatto is now), and the application asks for at least a seven-storey building.

There is some historic significance in the fight to keep this area the way it is now. Erindale Village is around 200 years old, and therefore older than Canada itself. Some of the surrounding homes have been standing for just as long, as well as the Erindale Community Hall where we had our meeting. I asked if there is a Heritage designation from the city, and while the Community Hall does have such a designation, Piatto itself does not.

Another grievance that Murphy and Wouters brought up was that the proposed redevelopment would disrupt the natural environment, since the Credit River is on a shale bed. Finally, there was the issue of traffic, as Murphy and Wouters estimated that there would be an increase of parking spaces required due to the additional residency. That would increase the level of traffic pulling in and out of that area, as if traffic along that stretch of Dundas isn’t heavy enough already.

Ward 7 Councillor Nando Iannicca represents Erindale Village, and in past public statements he has mentioned maintaining the area’s traditional character as a highlight of his time in office. We asked Murphy and Wouters how they thought the councillor has handled this situation thus far, and they indicated that the councillor’s office has been communicating with them on this matter. Insauga received an email response from the councillor’s office stating that a public meeting on the Piatto proposal is still a few months away.

Murphy and Wouters believe that with the Ontario Municipal Board reforms being introduced, there is a chance they’ll get what they want, even if the matter goes before the OMB. But if the development does go through over the objections of the residents if council votes to approve this development, then there’s going to be some angry people who will remember the situation during next year’s election.

While I personally have criticized those whom I believe have adopted a very NIMBY approach when it comes to city building, there are exceptions to that rule. In the case of the Piatto redevelopment proposal, I would have to side with the residents of Erindale Village. Looking at the proposed building and the surrounding environment, the proposed redevelopment does not fit the area.

Mississauga needs development, but not all cities need to look the same. One of our advantages is we have some heritage areas that are worth preserving. Erindale Village is one of those areas, and hopefully this luxury condominium can find another home.

Follow me on Twitter at @thekantastic