Mississauga city council is set to vote next week on recommendations by city staff that would limit and reduce certain restaurant space at the popular Ridgeway Plaza.
The city’s planning and development committee on Monday unanimously approved sending the report to council on Jan. 14 for a ratification vote.
At issue was a report first presented last year that found parking at Ridgeway Plaza faces “constrained conditions” during weekend and evening periods and that the space was operating “close to capacity.”
It focused on parking across Erin Mills Centre in the north and Platinum Centre to the south, which make up the overall Ridgeway Plaza found at Ridgeway Drive and Eglinton Avenue West.
Included in staff recommendations is a zoning bylaw change to the size of restaurants at Ridgeway, reducing it by 15 per cent of its current levels.
Staff said that the proposal would only impact new and expanded businesses, not those currently in place, and the change would be temporary, with plans for adjustments as the months pass.
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Ward 8 Coun. Matt Mahoney, alongside city staff, spoke during the committee meeting in an effort to alleviate the concerns of restaurant owners.
“We don’t want to hurt the businesses that are currently there. What we’re trying to do is get back to a spot where we have sufficient parking, where we’re able to keep safety within the plaza, and those are the areas I think are going to be addressed through this,” Mahoney said.
Ridgeway contains 115 restaurants, which the report notes is the majority of land use at the plaza. In total, there are 63 at Erin Mills out of 151 units and 52 of 126 units at Platinum.
Due to the number of restaurants at the plaza, and the parking and pedestrian traffic that comes with it, the City of Mississauga says it has received 112 complaints since 2022.
Those complaints have ranged from congestion, unauthorized uses, waste storage and noise.
In response to the issues, council put in place an interim control bylaw (ICBL) on Sept. 11, 2024, that would temporarily prohibit new restaurants, entertainment and other “parking-intensive uses” for the plaza and surrounding lands for a year, though it was extended until Jan. 16, 2026, amid the study.
Members of the community also spoke at Monday’s meeting, in addition to the Ridgeway Business Association, and raised concerns about how the proposed 15 per cent reduction could impact businesses on the site.
The association said it acknowledged the reduction would only apply to new and expanded businesses, but it’s heard from owners who say they’ve been told it’s their responsibility to control traffic and crowds in the area, despite not all of those people being customers.
The Ridgeway Business Association added it would work with the city to address issues and is asking for the proposal to be paused so as to engage with owners who would be directly affected to find the best way forward.
Monday’s vote by the committee sends the proposal to council, but also requires city staff to continue monitoring parking activity, land use composition and operational conditions in the “Ridgeway Special Area” and report back to council should further changes be needed.
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