Questions still awash around city’s harbour project
Speaking at the city’s development services committee, resident Larry Ladd says there are still a lot of outstanding questions about what is going on at the harbour lands, inclouding the future of a proposed ethanol plant and what would happen to plant life on the property.
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
For the first time since reacquiring the harbour lands in 2013, the city seems to be gaining considerable momentum toward the lands’ redevelopment. However, residents are still looking for answers.
At the committee level, the city has approved a terms of reference to be sent out with its request for proposals to develop a marina at the harbour. The terms essentially lay out what the city is looking for in a private operator of any future marina at Lakeview Park.
A boat launch, fuel docks, washrooms, pump-outs, food and beverage availability and winter boat storage are only a few of the possible additions. The terms also note the red flags for any future developer.
The site may need further clean-up due to contamination – the city is still trying to meet the provincial standards for environmental cleanliness – and any potential development will have to be cleared by the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) as the land is an environmentally sensitive wetland.
While the terms of reference are a start, Oshawa resident Larry Ladd had many questions for councillors which he spelled out at the most recent meeting of the development services committee.
The largest of them being the status of the ethanol plant, approved in 2012, but still awash in mystery.
“I don’t have an update,” said Paul Ralph, the city’s commissioner of development services, adding he would need to contact the Port Authority for any information on the facility.
Ladd also questioned what would happen to many of the healthy trees on the lands, how the city would deal with climate change issues and boaters who wished to live on the harbour year-round.
“They do need to be addressed,” he said of the issues.
While Ralph was able to say the trees at the harbour are being considered for movement to other city-owned lands, several questions went unanswered and councillors referred them back to staff for follow-up.
While councillors acknowledged there were many unknowns in the process, moving forward with the RFP was ruled the best option.
“We’re long overdue,” said Councillor Nester Pidwerbecki. “This takes us down that road that we should have taken years ago regardless of the ethanol plant.”
No timeline was provided for when proposals would be accepted by the city. However, it was noted that once the terms were approved by councillors at their next meeting (March 21) a deadline would be set.