Town council voted 4-3 on Monday night in favour of maintaining the Nelson Street park as “green space,” rather than rezoning it from “open space” to “residential type two (R2),” and local residents who opposed the move couldn’t be happier.
“I’m very pleased with the decision, obviously,” area resident Michelle George, who also was among opponents when the town was eyeing the property for development back in 2004, said after the decision.
“The mayor seemed to have a turn of opinion and listened to what was presented. It was a great decision. I’m very happy with it,” George added.
“Hopefully, this will be the last time, but I’m sure that it won’t be,” she continued, noting the Nelson Street Park Coalition may be doing something to secure the property’s status as a park.
That might involve inviting a community group or service club to consider adding facilities to it to enhance the use of the park for the entire community, or possibly undertaking fundraising to do that themselves.
“We have a group of people who are determined to do something to develop that park as part of the [La Verendrye] Parkway,” noted Erma Armit, adding they’ll pursue sponsorship to develop a place that is “safe, peaceful, attractive, and low maintenance.”
“I’m really, really pleased that town council saw to do the right thing. However, is this it?” wondered Bonnie Broman after Monday night’s meeting, questioning when the property issue will come back to the table again down the road.
“I’m glad to see town council has finally come to their senses and done the right thing,” echoed Dave Evans. “The other solution just didn’t make any sense.”
“We’re happy with the outcome. We’re glad it’s a step forward, and hopefully the council will start opening their eyes to streamlining the process because the process is very cumbersome and costly,” said Eric Rude.
“We put a lot of work into this, a lot of research,” he added. “Maybe we did more on it than the councillors? I don’t know. That’s not fair to say, but it could be.
“We’re not just protecting it for ourselves, it’s not a private park,” he stressed. “It’s open to all residents.
“Extend it to the walkway, put up some benches, go through the steps, and Grandma can come out of the condo and go down there while the kids play with a ball,” Rude remarked, noting a feature as simple as a bench would help change the perception of the park as simply an empty lot and encourage its use.
At Monday night’s meeting, Rude presented council with a petition bearing 760 signatures of people (the majority of them local residents, some not) against the rezoning of Nelson Street Park.
The petition called on the mayor and council to:
•maintain the zoning of the park as “open space”;
•reaffirm its status as a “park” and protect it from future development;
•invite a community group or service club to consider adding facilities to it, as deemed desirable, to enhance the use of the park for the entire community; and
•promote the park as part of the La Verendrye Parkway/trail system.
Also Monday night, numerous delegates—including Nelson Street area residents and members of the committee of adjustment who voted unanimously last week against the rezoning—spoke against the move.
Some of the many reasons offered up as to why council should not be rezoned included:
•the fact neighbourhood children continue to use it year-round;
•the short-term gain of profits from property sales and a small tax base increase is not worth the loss of valuable “green space”;
•the development of five housing lots does very little to address the overall lack of residential property in town;
•“green space” is a valuable commodity being recognized in new property developments in Canada and around the world (one example was the recent announcement by the B.C. government of the opening of several new parks to celebrate Earth Day);
•the elimination of “green space” should be reserved as the last possible alternative, not the first option;
•the public consultation process was too limited;
•the town has cited a lack of utilization of the park but did nothing to promote its use for recreation;
•the town has not looked hard enough at developing other properties for housing lots;
•the park is a “community hub” and the reason why some residents chose to move to that neighbourhood and choose to remain there;
•the other closest parks—the Royal Purple one on Butler Avenue and Lions Millennium Park on Second Street East—are six-seven blocks away, and accessible only via Scott Street and Front Street, both of which are very busy for children to cross;
•the park could be promoted more as a part of the La Verendrye Parkway, and be used as a space for tourists and other visitors to stop at and enjoy; and
•the committee of adjustment, acting in a planning advisory role, recommended it remain “open space.”
Mayor Roy Avis, along with Couns. John Albanese, Ken Perry, and Paul Ryan, voted against the rezoning while Couns. Andrew Hallikas, Sharon Tibbs, and Rick Wiedenhoeft voted for it.
Mayor Avis, who initially voted in favour of the rezoning at a March 24 meeting, said yesterday he changed his mind based mainly on the recommendation from the committee of adjustment.
“The unanimous recommendation was that it remain a park, and my philosophy has always been that if we have a recommendation come forward from a committee and it’s got a unanimous decision from that committee, we should respect that decision,” the mayor explained.
“If it did go on the [Ontario Municipal Board], I think there’s a good chance it would have been rezoned,” he added. “But I think we have to respect the people that volunteer their time in the community, and that’s one of the reasons I felt we should stay on the track that we did.”
Mayor Avis also said if the town is going to be doing more waterfront development for families and tourists alike, it should make sure it doesn’t use up local “green space,” such as the Nelson Street park, which could be incorporated into that development.
He also felt the town should work with the Nelson Street Park Coalition to see what they recommend, such as how to promote the park as part of the La Verendrye Parkway/trail system.
Coun. Albanese reiterated Monday night he stands by the residents opposing the rezoning, adding children need a play to play safely and that “green space” is valuable.
“I find it difficult to ignore 760 signatures . . . I also have a hard time ignoring the committee of adjustment’s unanimous decision,” Coun. Perry said Monday night.
“They unanimously don’t want to see this happen. The gallery means a lot to me, as well.
“We just can’t ignore what’s before us tonight. We’re going to satisfy five families and we’re going to dissatisfy 83,” he added.
Prior to the vote, Coun. Tibbs noted that perhaps it would be best to vote in favour of the rezoning so that those opposing it could file an appeal with the OMB and let it sort out—once and for all—whether or not the property should be rezoned.
Coun. Wiedenhoeft said the town does have a critical shortage of immediately available lots for residential development.
And while council is investigating town-owned property in the east, north, and west ends of town, as well as the possible acquisition of other properties for development, “it will take millions of dollars and many years to develop these lots,” he warned.
“But I still believe there is a critical shortage and I do believe these lots [on Nelson Street] will meet that critical shortage,” Coun. Wiedenhoeft added. “I will respect whatever decision council comes up with.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
