TOWN DECLARES BEACHFRONT LANDS SURPLUS

COUN. JOE BELANGER SAYS HE STILL HAS QUESTIONS THAT AREN'T BEING ANSWERED ABOUT DEAL TO SELL

Wasaga Beach will declare its beachfront commercial properties surplus, a first step in the process to sell the land to a company that will potentially redevelop the site.

Council's co-ordinated committee accepted a recommendation from chief administrative officer George Vadeboncoeur to declare the 8.4 acres overlooking Beach Area 1 surplus. A bylaw to declare the property surplus will come to council's May 26 meeting.

The lands could be sold 14 days following the passing of that bylaw.

In an email to Simcoe.com, Vadeboncoeur said that declaring the property surplus is one of the matters that needs to be done prior to selling the property.

The town is currently in negotiations with Bayloc for the sale of the property.

"Staff want to make sure all requirements are met," Vadeboncoeur stated, adding that negotiations with Bayloc are ongoing, and at this point there is no timing for a potential announcement of a sale.

During the May 12 meeting, however, Coun. Joe Belanger said he was still waiting on answers to questions he had asked, both behind closed doors and in public, and could not vote in favour as a result.

He also pointed out that public opinion was in favour of council hosting an open meeting on the project prior to any decision on a sale being made.

"At the recent coffee with council, every single resident who spoke with me raised concern about the level of information and public input related to this very significant Beach 1 development occurring on lands owned by the taxpayer," Belanger said.

His own "unresolved concerns" with the development, Belanger said, included the plan for amenities, the project's architectural design, parking, and the timing of the development of festival square.

Belanger also said he wanted to see an independent third party provide a financial analysis of the preferred developer's ability to complete the development.

"As a member of council, I do not feel I have had adequate input as to what will be built," he said. "I want ... to have some level of assurance that these concerns are being effectively addressed before we would sell our beachfront lands to a developer. We greatly reduce our leverage if we were to sell the lands and then go into this level of negotiation."

Vadeboncoeur said he was aware of Belanger's concerns, and that they had "not been lost on the (town's) negotiating team."

Noting many of Belanger's concerns were related to site-planning issues, he said there is still much negotiation that will take place after the sale, based on the official plan and zoning policies, and urban design guidelines, in place for the beachfront.

"This is a formality of seeking council's approval to dispose (and) we're getting things ready in the event that we're able to successfully negotiate a transaction and finalize it," he said.

Belanger was the lone vote against the recommendation.