With a city council vote set for April 10 on the rezoning required for the Kingsway Entertainment District, opponents are seeking public support online for an expected legal battle.
Last week, members of the planning committee voted to rezone the land to allow the arena and parking lot to be built, and passed an Official Plan amendment to permit a casino.
Those decisions must be confirmed by the full city council April 10.
A gofundme.com page has been created to support appeals of those decisions, should they be confirmed by councillors. The KED could become one of the first major cases handled by the new Local Planning Appeals Tribunals (LPATs), which is taking over for the Ontario Municipal board. The LPATs officially came into effect Monday.
A separate fund for businesses to donate has already raised $160,000 of its $250,000 goal. As of Monday afternoon, the appeal for funds from residents had netted closed to $6,000 from 27 donors, including a $2,000 anonymously that was the first donation. The fundraising goal is $100,000.
“There are many in our community opposed to the establishment of a full casino in Sudbury,” the fundraising page says. “Whether your concerns are economic, cultural, social or environmental, it is only by combing our efforts into one, that we have a real chance of preventing this project from moving forward.”
The page was created by Tom Fortin, who has been the main public face of the fight against the casino, and who has a website (casinofreesudbury.com) that details why he and others are opposed to the KED and the casino.
Last month, Fortin released an urbanMetrics report, a consulting firm that has a long history in Sudbury. It concluded that the KED would seriously harm downtown businesses and is contrary to good planning policies.
Fortin has made no secret that the group plans a legal battle to try and stop the development. Any money left over will be given to the Fabio Belli Foundation, or if councillors vote against the rezoning, the funds will be returned to the donors.
“Lets all work together to get our city back on track towards sustainable economic development where we embrace all that makes our city a great place to live, work and play!” the fundraising page says. “After making your donation please take the time to write, or call, your member of Greater Sudbury Council. Let them know why you feel they should not approve this project on April 10.”
