By Pepper Parr
May 9th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Chris Barnett, the lead lawyer the city hired to argue before the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing on the re-development of the Waterfront Hotel site said: “words matter” during the opening day of what is expected to be a 10 day event.
He was absolutely correct.
We are not sure just how broad that statement was meant to be – the words that are being used at the hearing start with policy decisions made at the provincial, Regional and municipal levels.
Members of Burlington’s seven member City Council produce documents that set out policy.
A number of those document are being used as evidence by both the developer and the lawyers representing the city.
During the hearings to date we have yet to see one member of Council sitting in virtually to hear what is being said and being able to see the visuals of what the development site could look like if it is approved.
We are told that one member of council said she/he was taking part by listening to the hearing on their cell phone. Possible, but to get any sense at all as to what is taking place – the visuals are critical.
The Parkland Dedication Criteria document was used in testimony over just how much parkland was being provided by the developer. Turns out it was nowhere near what was required.
There are consequences to the decisions made at the municipal level. One would like to think that members of Council would want to be aware of how the decisions they made were put to use. We will return to just how much parkland was being offered and where it was located.
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