Resident frustrated by LSAMI OMB hearing

Dear editor,

The success or failure of a community can almost always be traced back to the way a town or city plans for new development. The government of Ontario has set out directions for future planning in the Places to Grow Act which became law in 2006. Over the next 30 years, the number of people living in Ontario is expected to grow by approximately four million. Simcoe County including Barrie and Orillia are slated for 240,000 of that population increase. Through the Places to Grow initiative, the McGuinty government is committed to ensuring that this growth contributes to prosperous, healthy and diverse communities in all parts of the province. Development projects, like Big Bay Point and LSAMI, who brought their applications forward prior to 2006, do not have to comply. You would think that a reputable developer, in order to win public support, would take the higher ground and comply with any new policies that may be in place.

The Places to Grow Act specifies that the public must be kept informed and given an opportunity to participate in the development process. This has clearly not happened in the LSAMI (Lefroy Settlement Area) development where the final hurdle (Ontario Municipal Board Hearings) has just wrapped up.

The only reason the Town called the information meeting last spring was because the OMB instructed them to do so.

Once a developer appeals to the OMB, the public or residents are at the mercy of the Developer, the Town and the OMB. If your own Town decides that a long OMB hearing is too costly, the existing residents are sold down the river because of the compromises to shorten the length of the hearing in order to save money.

And, to make matters worse, in the LSAMI appeal, the Town of Innisfil has made zero effort to involve the residents of Lefroy.

Even the OMB Hearing participants who signed up at the start had no real input in the end because the Town and LSAMI, in closed door meetings, have decided what is best for the people and community of Lefroy.

I attended the first day of the OMB hearing. I soon realized that the statement I was about to present no longer held any weight because the Town and developer had pretty much agreed on all of the issues. I chose to focus on one issue on behalf of the existing community which was parkland.

I suggested to the Town lawyer and LSAMI's lawyer that one community size 10 acre park would serve all the residents of Lefroy very well. The Town's position is that two smaller 5 acre neighborhood parks within the new development is the best way to serve the community.

The developer doesn't seem to have a particular issue with parkland, because they are obliged to supply 10 acres of parkland in total. The problem seems to be with our own Town suggesting the amenities that come with a 10 acre community park can be found at the new Innisfil Recreation Centre.

I suggested to the Town's lawyer that Lefroy's anticipated population of approximately 5,000 warrants a community size park in accordance with the Town's Master Plan for Parks and Recreation. Unfortunately their minds were made up and the existing residents will see no benefit in this respect.

The current population of Lefroy will watch from the sidelines as the LSAMI development rises (as do their taxes) complete with town water and sewage.

The most frustrating aspect of this entire process is that at no time has our Town, or its representatives, either sought the public's input, or kept the public informed on any progress that has been made.

My Councillor and Town staff have certainly not made it easy to obtain any information with regards to the proposed development in Lefroy.

When the announcement is made that the Town and LSAMI have agreed on all their issues, I expect many residents will wonder "how did this all come about and why wasn't I given a chance to have some input in the decision making process?"

It is unfortunate that a quaint and unique lakeside town like Lefroy will have to surrender its lifestyle to a new reality of townhouses, apartments, and small city sized lots.

John Hurd, Lefroy