By Pepper Parr
April 12, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
City Council voted to sell small portions of land it owned that bordered on the edge of Lake Ontario to the three property owners whose homes abutted the city property.
Along with the city property there was a strip of land owned by the province.
The portion of the property marked as “parkette” is being old to the owners of the three properties that abut the land. Some of the land belongs to the city – the rest belongs to the province. The Market and St.Paul street properties belong to the city and are to be made into fully accessible Windows to the Lake.
The province said it would also sell its portion of the land but only once the city portion had been sold.
At the time, for reasons which were not all clear, council also said the price paid for the property would not be released until the part of the strip of land that was owned by the province had also been sold.
This is a scene to die for. Prime location with a view that can’t be excelled. It used to belong to the citizens of the city.
The sale was contentious – many did not agree with the decision and even more did not agree with the way the city had informed the public. Those people who lived in the immediate area knew about the sale – those who were a kilometre away had no idea the sale was taking place.
The city seemed to almost go out of its way to not inform the public.
The sale of the city owned portion of the land sold for close to peanuts given the location and the value that the strip of land adds the property they already hold.
The city council decision came out of a Staff report that set out three options: Do nothing with the property, lease it to the property owners whose homes abutted the land or sell it.
Staff recommended against selling the property.
Whatever vision city council had for a Waterfront Trail got lost when they voted to sell the land.
The sale of the city portion of the land was sold February 10th to Michael Swartz, who paid $81,994 for his portion of the city land; Ray Khanna who paid $46,004 for his portion and Ralph Williams who paid $85,988 for his portion.
The information comes from the Registry office where anyone can access it. Quite why the city decided that it was not going to release the information is curious. Why no transparency on a file that a lot of people scratching their heads?
With the city portion sold the provincial government now does its due diligence and when they are satisfied that everything is in order the sale of their land will close – and the idea of a Waterfront Trail in that part of the city is lost for a long long time.
This is the view from the southern end of the St. Paul Window on the Lake. It could become an incredible location – providing those who are lobbying against it don’t prevail.
The plan is for two Windows on the Lake to be kept – even though there is apparently some lobbying going on to change that decision.
I am absolutely disgusted. Council basically gave away our waterfront land. That pittance received will do little for the city at the expense of the citizens rightful heritage. Compare this to what the region is paying for beachfront homes that are little more than cottages with little land. Those properties are being bought for over market value. The region and council are so badly mismanaging our money that I am seriously considering refusing to pay my taxes until they start proving they can manage money.
Excuse my language, but what a ******* joke.
I live in the area and never heard a thing about this sale – plus the people who live on the lanes act as if the Windows to the Lake are their property – Market street has a sign saying private drive – this area should be accessible to everyone who lives in the area – waterfront is not for free and not just because you happen to live there!
I am speechless. Completely speechless at how little city council sold out our waterfront for.
Has there been any sensible explanation from any city councilor or the mayor on why they decided to sell this property? It boggles my mind that this has happened.
Geez…I believe the citizens of this city would have contributed more through a kickstarter than what these folks paid for the land. Heck…I might have even come up with the cash had the opportunity been opened up. If the goal was to maximize value from the sale, the city completely failed in its due diligence. Those 3 properties are easily worth over a million.
10,000 sq. ft. on the waterfront goes for just over $200,000? I realize that the Natural Resources sale proceeds have to be added but this still seems awfully light. I wonder if there are any appraisers out there that could or would comment on the sale price.
WOW,
Im sure that doesn’t even cover the cost of the city lawyer’s fee and the Staff report on keeping this land in the hands of the public!!
This cost the home owners pittance to buy, and now the city has indirectly raised the value of their homes by what………..100-200K???? Tell us, will their property taxes increase significantly now that they have water front homes or was their a deal here too???
Well, I back onto city ravine property……….how about I give the city 20K for an extra 50ft??? Come on, let’s make a deal!!!! Watcha say?????