A Mississauga plaza that has become a gathering place for residents is the focus of recent recommendations by city staff to limit restaurant spaces further than they already are.
The recommendations were made as part of a report presented to the city’s planning and development committee on Monday, with members of the public also suggesting changes to the area, as a way to reduce congestion.
The report, as outlined by city planner Trista James, found that parking faces “constrained conditions” during weekend and evening peak periods, with people flocking to restaurants both dine-in and take-out, leaving a “limited ability to absorb” any added demand for restaurants.
It focused on parking across Erin Mills Centre in the north and Platinum Centre to the south, that make up the overall Ridgeway Plaza found at Ridgeway Drive and Eglinton Avenue West.
“The study found that parking across the Ridgeway Plaza lands is operating close to capacity, with heavy congesstion and full occupancy near restaurant clusters during busy evening and weekend periods,” the report notes.
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, though legally existing restaurants and take-outs will continue to operate but cannot expand further.
Ridgeway contains 115 restaurants, which the report says is the majority of land use in the plaza. In total, there are 63 at Erin Mills out of 151 units with 52 of 126 units at Platinum.
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But with the sheer number of restaurants and the parking and pedestrian traffic that comes with it, the City of Mississauga says it has received 112 complaints since 2022.
The complaints have ranged from parking congestion, unauthorized uses, waste storage and noise.
According to the report, multiple inspections and enforcement actions were made to address the concerns, with evening and weekend peak periods a focus, but the efforts were “reactive.”
“(It) could not resolve the underlying zoning and parking constraints contributing to recurring violations,” the report says.
In response to the issues, council put in place an interim control by-law (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 Ward 8, where the plaza is located, were also able to contribute their ideas, with some raising concerns the size bylaw may not be effective.
Among the suggestions were establishing delivery pick-up stops and restricting them to a 15-minute window, building a two-level parking structure, having a paid parking system that would see validation by restaurants and businesses, and having centres with digital signage that advise how full the lots are.
Coun. Matt Mahoney noted during the meeting that he and Mayor Carolyn Parrish had previously spoken about a parking structure, but as it is private property the city doesn’t necessarily have control on “what happens on the internal side of the site,” but added the city, residents, business owners and condo corporation work together to find solutions.
The validated parking was suggested by a resident who told staff and city councillors that sometimes parking is taken up by people just gathering as opposed to visiting a business.
That issue was the cause of a court-ordered injunction earlier this year.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted a city request for a court order against the owners of Ridgeway Plaza to crack down on “nuisance gatherings” beginning on Aug. 13.
City officials said for two years it has received several complaints, including large gatherings of more than 3,000 people, loud music and other noises, racing in the parking lot and street, fighting, and the use of illegal fireworks.
In an update on Aug. 28, the city told Global News that the court injunction allowed for enhanced enforcement measures, calling it “extremely effective.”
During the injunction, several tickets were handed out including five fines for an owner failing to display a licence and two penalties for an owner operating an unlicenced eatery.
The proposed recommendations, according to the report, with return to council on Jan. 5, 2026 but public consultations and more staff input will take place prior to this date.
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