The Hamilton Spectator
sescott@thespec.com -
The next round of the Chedoke brow lands battle that was slated for Wednesday has been adjourned again.
It came as no surprise to many, as word spread the day before that Deanlee Management was going to ask to push the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing into the fall.
Deanlee’s lawyer Paul DeMelo said they had nothing to present because their latest alternative building plan was rejected by city council Tuesday morning. The specifics of that plan were kept secret in a closed-door meeting, in which council also voted to make a private counterproposal.
On Wednesday, DeMelo also asked to extend the OMB hearing from three to seven days. He would not speak to the media.
Nancy Smith, counsel for the City of Hamilton, had no objections. Due to scheduling conflicts, the new hearing will start on Dec. 5.
“Nothing is ever a surprise, it’s only a surprise if you are not prepared,” said Roy Wolker, a registered party spokesperson for brow lands community members fighting over-intensified development.
Deanlee’s initial proposal of up to 700 units along the brow lands was rejected by the city after they purchased the property from the Chedoke Health Corporation in 2007. The city’s first suggestion was 450 units. Deanlee’s latest public compromise offer was 529 units.
The OMB hearing will give the community members a chance to have their say.
The mood was calm on Wednesday and most of the community members who showed up for the hearing accepted the adjournment calmly. Some were upset that they had trekked through the rain, only to hear no new information.
Barry Colbert, who has lived on Scenic Drive for eight years, will speak at the OMB hearing as a witness. He supports the idea of intensification because, he says, the only alternative is paving the greenbelt.
“If we don’t want to do that, then we have to put more people in the city — so where do we put them?” said Colbert.
Active community members think 175 is a more appropriate number of units for the neighbourhood, and regardless of the delayed hearing, many of them are staying optimistic.
“As long as we are heard at the OMB, I think that will be the final test,” said Colbert. “People can listen to you all along but to show whether they were really listening, the outcome determines that.”
sescott@thespec.com
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Just like Hamilton to fight growth of the city. It took the Red Hill 10 years to be built because of all the tree huggers. They said it wasn’t needed. I take the Red Hill every day to work and it takes me 20 minutes. Before that 45 min. Stop haggling and get the project built. The people are no different than the rest of the people in Hamilton they just think they are.
As a taxpayer, what did this OMB hearing fiasco cost us..??.ten thosand ? a 100 thousand ?? more ??If people want to oppose developmnt and growth let them pay. Many of us in the silent majority are fed up with frivilous spending at City Hall. Votes arent everything in your ward . Do what is right for the city, the whole city needs additional taxes mr whithead. and now that it is over , do ypu think the builder will ever sell any land to the city? FAT chance No wonder we are stuck in the 70′s. als0 i see that some of the evedence given by one resident on scenic might be inaccurate maybe worse . take a lookat the on line comments.