Three major reports are headed to the city's planning committee next week, each of which, if approved, are likely destined to be appealed.
Planning committee could meet three times next week to deal with an Official Planning amendment to allow the casino (March 26), and rezonings to allow a public arena and parking lot (March 28) on land on The Kingsway owned by Dario Zulich and partner Perry Dellecle.
The committee will meet again March 29 if they don't finish March 28.
Local businessman and strident casino opponent Tom Fortin (casinofreesudbury.com) has said publicly he plans a legal battle to prevent the Official Plan amendment allowing the casino.
The agendas for the meetings are online now (http://agendasonline.greatersudbury.ca/). Planning staff argue that the Official Plan amendment is in keeping with local and provincial policies.
“The location of the proposed development is appropriate,” the report says. “The site is situated within the community of Sudbury and will reinforce its role as the regional service centre for Greater Sudbury and Northeastern Ontario. The site is also located within the city’s settlement area and is adjacent to existing and planned development.
“The application would improve the mix of land uses in this area, consistent with the long term vision for this area to grow as a mixed residential and employment neighbourhood.”
The casino in this location is also appropriate, the report says, and the subject lands are situated within an employment area.
“Provincial and local planning policies recognize and encourage a mix of commercial, industrial and institutional uses in employment areas, subject to various considerations,” the report says. “This flexibility is key to promoting economic development and competitiveness.
“As described in this report, the site is or can be serviced by active transportation, public transit, vehicular traffic, municipal water and sanitary services and storm-water management facilities. Upgrades to the Levesque Street Lift Station will be required to accommodate development in the area, including this proposed use. It is anticipated that the lift station improvements will be complete in 2019.”
Because the area is within the protection zone for Ramsey Lake, a detailed plan of how the development will conform to guidelines in the Source Water Protection Plan must be filed to ensure steps are taken to mitigate the effect of salt. Until that plan is submitted and approved, any zoning amendments will be subject to a “hold” designation.
Read the full report here.
The second meeting March 28 deals with the arena. Unlike the Official Plan amendment, which is a big deal in the planning process, the arena application is relatively minor, adding a public arena to the permitted uses on the property. A privately owned arena would be allowed under the current zoning.
Read the full report on the arena rezoning here.
Finally, the planning committee is also being asked to rezone the property to allow for a parking lot to accommodate arena and casino visitors. Similar to the arena, the zoning change would add a parking lot to the permitted uses on the property.
Any approval of the parking lot would be on hold until the developer files a plan to mitigate the risk of salt from the parking lot from entering the Ramsey Lake watershed. Read the full report here.
The meetings all begin at 4:30 p.m. in council chambers at Tom Davies Square. They are public hearings and residents can offer input in person on any of the three applications. Each speaker is limited to five minutes each.
