By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. August 3, 2013.  That was a bit of a surprise to the Roseland Community.  They had been expecting the Ontario Municipal Board hearing that was to determine just what Councillor Dennison could do with his property to take place late in August.

A designated home, bought under a power of sale which the owner,  Councillor Jack Dennison wants to have severed into two lots.

Dennison had decided to appeal the Committee of Adjustment decision that did not approve his request to sever his 3083 Lakeshore property.  That put many noses on the Roseland community out of joint and meant that the Roseland Community Association now had to prepare for yet another OMB hearing.  They had done this in the past with other owners who wanted to sever property and had won at those hearings and were apparently confident they will win at the OMB on the Dennison application.

Then – out of the blue they learn that the hearing has been moved back to May 29, 2014. That gets the hearing into the lead into the next municipal election.  Don’t expect to see Dennison on the ballot that year

Chair Michael Ramsay, on the left, voted  with two of his fellow Committee of Adjustment members in denying Councillor Jack Dennison a request to be allowed to severe his 3083 Lakeshore Road property. Members who took part in this CoA hearing included Robert Bailey, Grant Newberry, Dave Kumar and Sam Sarraf

What brought that about?  People who have appearances can ask for changes in the date and as long as that process is not abused – changes in hearing dates are given.

Roseland residents are  wondering aloud why this might have happened.

Among the possible reasons for a delay going the rounds are:

– his lawyer could not do the early date, and that was the next one that worked for him?

– they knew which Member of the Ontario Municipal Board was being assigned to the hearing and wanted to do some cherry-picking?

– he can’t afford to pay the legal fees in the near term

– he is going to resign as Councillor before then

– there is going to be a favourable change in the Official Plan or some other law (but this should not matter, as current law would apply)

– the deal to sell the lot fell through and he needs another buyer.

Lots of speculation going on in Roseland – and while that is fine for those summer evenings when the chilled Chardonnay flows easily as people sit out on the patio or beside the pool chit chatting away – it isn’t good for the process of conducting civic business.  It puts what goes on at city hall in a poor light.