Once again at the invite of the City, representatives of the Stonebridge Community Association (SCA) met with Councillors and City planning staff (on Feb 28) to continue discussions regarding the golf course development facilitation process. Our intent during these meetings is always to keep the best interests of Stonebridge residents in mind, based in large part on our regular communications with residents as well as community survey research on this topic.
Meeting Attendees:
- Councillor Jan Harder
- Councillor Carol Anne-Meehan
- Councillor Scott Moffatt
- Steve Willis, General Manager, Planning, Infrastructure, and Economic Development
- Charmaine Forgie, Manager, Business Support Services
- Lee Ann Sneddon, Director, Planning Services
- Andy Reside, Strategic Program and Project Officer
- Amy Cairns (Assistant to Councillor Harder)
- Jay McLean, SCA
- Stephanie Newell, SCA
- Mike Kujawski, SCA
- Ron Reddick, SCA
Key Highlights:
- The City informed us that it is their intention, as provided for under the Planning Act, to seek full compensation from Mattamy to fund the facilitation process which we continue to understand will be run by Nicole Swerhun independent of the City and Mattamy.
- While it is absolutely on the table for Stonebridge residents to come together as a community and offer to pay out of pocket, at this stage in the process both the SCA and the City feel that asking Mattamy to pay is fair since they will be the ones benefiting financially from any potential development.
- The City is meeting with Nicole Swerhun next week to discuss the participant selection criteria for the small working group that is to be set up for the facilitated discussions with Mattamy.
- We have asked the City to share the selection criteria for this working group as soon as they are developed to ensure Stonebridge residents are fully aware of the selection process. We have repeatedly emphasized the importance of a properly balanced and representative working group.
- Once the working group is selected, we were told that it will meet on at least 3 separate occasions. We see this as being consistent with the phases of the Swerhun facilitation process.
- We requested that residents are provided another opportunity to put their names forward to potentially be on the working group (assuming you haven’t done so yet). Please email Charmaine Forgie at Stonebridge@ottawa.ca to be added to the list.
- We have also asked the City to obtain written commitment from Mattamy that they will not submit any new applications for the duration of the facilitation process.
- We received reassurance from the City that in short order they will be responding to our previously provided letter containing several requests for further details with the goal being a full and comprehensive understanding of the facilitation process before another meeting is conducted. As previously indicated, we will share this as soon as we receive it.
- We will report further after as soon as we receive the working group selection criteria from the City. Stay tuned.
If you are interested in learning more about the principles, techniques and tools used in Swerhun consultation processes an online book is available to view on Nicole Swerhun’s website.
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