A message from the board members of the Stonebridge Community Association (SCA):
The SCA board endorses the Stonebridge Working Group (SWG)’s proposal and the levy to fund it.
As you may be aware, the SCA has been fighting to stop development of the Stonebridge golf course since Mattamy submitted its application in June of 2018. Earlier this year the city initiated facilitated discussions between Mattamy and the community. To represent the community the facilitator selected 11 Stonebridge residents – 5 of which were SCA members – to form the Stonebridge Working Group (SWG). The purpose of these discussions was to try to negotiate a compromise both the community and Mattamy could live with. Over the past six months, the SCA has acted as the official communications vehicle for the SWG.
The SCA exists “to help to advance the interests of the Stonebridge community and the quality of life of its residents.” Everything we do through our volunteering efforts, we do in good faith and with the best interest of the community in mind. While it is an impossible task to satisfy every resident all of the time, we do try our best to satisfy the views of the majority based on regular community input. In the fall of 2018, we sent a comprehensive survey to over 2000 Stonebridge households on our mailing list and we received 1027 completed surveys. The community response was loud and clear:
- 99% of households indicated they were opposed to any development that would change the stature of the Stonebridge community and the 18-hole championship golf course.
- The top concerns of Stonebridge residents in terms of impact of development on the community were: loss of greenspace, lower home property value and the potential for the total demise of the golf course.
The message to the SCA was clear. We’ve worked tirelessly to that end. Based on all the information provided to date, the board of the SCA unanimously feels that while not perfect, the proposed SWG solution addresses these top concerns and is the only viable option to protect the future of the golf course/green space in the Stonebridge Community. We also believe a NO vote to the Special Levy would seriously threaten the future of the Stonebridge golf course/green space by putting it back in the hands of a developer. We therefore fully endorse a YES vote.
Official Documentation and Details
Links to all official Stonebridge Working Group (SWG) – Proposed Golf Course Solution documents published to date have been provided for you below. Please ensure you read through these carefully so that you are well informed before voting on the Special Levy. This is the only source of official information on this file.
- Original SWG Proposal Presentation – July 30th, 2019
- SWG’s Official Report to Councillors – September 4th,2019
- FAQ # 1, 2, 3 and 4– August 8th, August 19th, September 23rd, October 8th, 2019
- Mattamy’s Letter of Intent (LOI) – September 30th, 2019
- SWG Community Update Presentation– September 30th, 2019
In summary, based on all the information we have gathered while working on this file, and the information that has been provided to us by the SWG, and operating under the guidance of 1027 households that responded to our survey in the fall of last year we believe a YES vote to the Special Levy and the successful execution of the SWG’s proposal is the only viable option to achieve the outcome that is in the best interests of the Stonebridge community. Furthermore, we also believe that a NO vote would put the future of the Stonebridge Golf Course and our green space at serious risk.
At the same time, we respect that our community is diverse and everyone’s individual situation is different. We encourage you to get informed and vote for what’s best for you.
Sincerely,
The Board of the SCA,
Josie Barraco, Ivola Johnson, Mike Kujawski, Jay McLean, Ron Reddick, Niraj Singhal