Massive parking lot planned for former GM plant site

Windsor city councillors have little sway over a plan to transform the former GM plant site into a transfer yard for nearly 6,000 vehicles, says Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.

"The use that's being proposed or contemplated here actually fits within the current zoning so there's nothing that city council can do," said Dilkens Monday. "There's no way to essentially block that project from happening because all of the uses comply with the existing zoning on that land."

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The 45-acre property onKildareRoad is zoned for manufacturing. It is owned by Orchard Heights Properties butEssexTerminal Railway is seeking to purchase the property for use as an rail-to-truck transfer station for vehicles, according to a site plan approval application filed with the city.

"We are trying to develop a use for that property," said TerryBerthiaume, President and CEO ofEssexTerminal Railway.

Representatives fromEssexTerminal Rail will be at Monday's council meeting to answer questions from council, saidBerthiaume.

Ward 4CouncillorChris Holt bemoaned the development in aFacebookpost referencing the proposed number of parking spaces.

"One step forward, 5,822 back," wrote Holt. "Some of the highest value land in the city, and the plan is to create almost 50 acres of parking."

Dilkensstruck a more positive note, pointing out it wasn't a parking lot per se but an inter-modal transfer yard for vehicles.

"This is another business that will be happening in the city of Windsor and it will employ other people that aren't currently working," saidDilkens. "It's atranferyard and it's vehicles coming from the United States to Canada and vice versa. It's an important part of what we do as a transportation city."