A developer lambasted town councillors and staff on Tuesday night for “11th hour” delays and stonewalling that he said are preventing doctors from moving in to the town’s new medical centre.
“I cannot believe what I see and hear, here,” said Shane Baghai, of the Shane Baghai Group of Companies. “This is the most amazing experience I’ve had in 37 years as a developer.”
Baghai was reacting to several reports from town planner Sally Stull, which proposed a new site plan process for the town, a revised site plan approval for the medical centre and also an interim control bylaw that would effectively prohibit a proposed new Tim Hortons restaurant next to the medical centre, on land also owned by Baghai.
Baghai, whose company built the medical centre – for over $4-million when the original estimate was around $1.7-million – as a “gift” to the community, said perhaps he has overstayed his welcome in the town.
“I do not need the town of Erin to make a living,” he said. “Enough; I’ve seen enough here.”
Given the town’s delays and what he feels are unreasonable requests – including that he pay to build a 560-metre long sidewalk along Thompson Crescent expected to cost a total of about $310,000 – Baghai said perhaps he will close the access from Thompson onto Wellington Road 124. He hinted council’s talk of making the town more open to businesses seems to be a joke.
“You’re not open to anyone,” he said sternly. “You haven’t changed.”
Adjacent property owner Ed Robson said the leasing of space in the industrial area in northern Erin had stagnated for 17 years. Since Baghai came to town with his proposals, there has been renewed interest from prospective businesses, Robson explained, but all that may be for naught if the town continues to make things difficult for businesses.
“I can’t believe it,” he said, particularly of the sidewalks. “What do I tell my friends that want to come here?”
Baghai’s lawyer Caterina Facciolo said the issues brought up Tuesday night by Stull “could have been discussed months ago,” and his planning consultant Jim Kennedy called the town’s requests “unreasonable.”
Kennedy questioned the need for a sidewalk along Thompson Crescent. However, he said Baghai is willing to pay for his share of the sidewalk, but not “to urbanize” the entire 560-metre stretch for “a sidewalk to nowhere,” just to appease the town planner.
“This is bureaucracy gone mad,” Kennedy said. “It’s in the public interest … to get this [medical] building occupied and running.”
Stull explained the new entrance from County Road 124, has changed the “functionality” of Thompson Crescent and has necessitated a “pedestrian link” in order to ensure public safety, especially considering the large trucks that use nearby roads.
She said town officials were never offered an opportunity for input on the new intersection at 124 and Thompson.
“Until that construction commenced, we were unaware of what was going forward,” she said.
Thompson Crescent is already in disrepair Stull added, referring to a report from Triton Engineering, and the development of a Tim Hortons will increase local traffic and may expedite the need for road repairs. She also took issue with the developer using “drop curbs” at the medical centre, which would provide access to the proposed Tim Hortons site, although at least two councillor said they had no problem with them.
Stull said a traffic study should be completed to determine the intersection’s impact on local traffic, but Baghai said that work was already done.
Mayor Rod Finnie said he understands Baghai’s concerns, but council must listen to comments from staff.
“I think it would be desirable for the town to have sidewalks,” Finnie said, noting there is already a “well-defined path” in the area running from Ross Street. He noted a Tim Hortons would attract more people than an empty lot and stressed the need to encourage “active transportation” in the community.
But councillor Ken Chapman said he finds the proposed requirements “rather distasteful,” noting the town’s recently-passed anti-iddling bylaw permitted drive through restaurants and the land is already zoned for them.
Chapman said the county roads committee passed a resolution regarding the new intersection at Thompson and 124 in June, so he has a problem with anyone saying the town wasn’t aware of the work going on there. He also named several other similar commercial developments with no sidewalk access.
“Everything’s hinging on the sidewalks here … it just doesn’t gel,” he said. “The medical centre is going to be held up so they don’t get an occupancy permit.”
Councillors Barb Tocher and John Brennan agreed Baghai should not have to pay for any more of the sidewalk other than what runs along his properties.
“I really have difficulty envisioning a lot of people using that,” Brennan said of the sidewalk.
Stull said whether it is now or in the future, at some point the town will need a pedestrian walkway along the road.
After a long period, during which all sides argued about specifics, Tocher finally proposed council separate the medical centre and Tim Hortons issues and take steps to ensure a timely occupancy of the medical centre.
Her motion to reconsider a previous deferral of a new site plan process was unanimously approved, as was a motion to approve the new process, with several amendments. Council also unanimously approved a revised site plan for the new medical centre, subject to conditions in a revised report.
Stull argued the proposed interim control bylaw, which would prohibit for at least one year drive through restaurants that have no access to arterial roads, was council’s only means of control on the issue, but Facciolo countered it was “inappropriate and unnecessary.”
Councillors seemed to agree with Facciolo, although there was some disagreement on the wording.
A resolution to “reject” Stull’s report on the interim control bylaw was defeated 3-2, with Chapman and Brennan in favour. A subsequent resolution to accept the report but take no action was approved 4-1, with only Chapman opposed.
