CFRU 93.3fm’s Royal City Rag on July 3 will focus on two serious issues in relation to growth and development.
In the first hour (8-9 a.m.) we’ll be focusing on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation lawsuits or SLAPPs. According to Wikipedia, SLAPPs are “intended to censor, intimidate and silence critics’ by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.”
SLAPPs are often used to stifle community resistance to controversial development projects. This was recently seen in Guelph when the City of Guelph and their development partner, Belmont Equity Partners brought a $5 million lawsuit against five individuals involved in the peaceful occupation of the environmentally sensitive Hanlon Creek for 17 days last summer.
Louisette Lanteigne, an environmental activist from Waterloo, has experienced a SLAPP suit first hand. Louisette, who specializes in issues related to planning and groundwater protection, will speak to her personal experience as a $2 million SLAPP suit defendant, talk about what you can do to protect yourself from being SLAPPed and what you should do and not do when you are SLAPPED.
Using the Environmental Bill of Rights, Louisette secured a review of the Waterloo Moraine in an effort to secure a Waterloo Moraine Protection Act. More recently she completed an Ontario Municipal Board process that secured new studies to protect groundwater and surface water features in regards to three subdivision proposals. Her work has been reviewed by various ministry officials and is now being used to help establish new provincial and federal water policy initiatives.
Louisette never planned on being an activist but became one after witnessing numerous environmental and labour law infringements in her own subdivision over 10 years ago. She tried to go to provincial government ministries for help but ended up getting sued for 2 million dollars! That is when she learned what a SLAPP lawsuit is all about.
According to environmental protection organization Environmental Defence, SLAPPs are a growing threat to meaningful participation in issues of public interest in Ontario and significantly affect the ability of communities to protest development in environmentally sensitive areas.
Although SLAPP suits are not uncommon in Ontario, 50 per cent of American States, and most recently Quebec have passed anti-SLAPP legislation.
Environmental Defence is working with partners Ecojustice and Canadian Environmental Law Association to finally put a stop to SLAPPs in Ontario.
As well as pushing for new legislation, their campaign has encouraged more than 70 community groups to write to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty requesting an end to SLAPP suits.
They have also produced a petition to stop SLAPPs that you can sign HERE.
Interestingly, Environmental Defence have managed to get approximately 70 municipalities to pass a resolution asking the Province to pass anti-SLAPP legislation. Unfortunately green Guelph has not yet joined that group!
Downtown’s Big Dreams… 16 Floor Condos on the WC Woods Site
In the second hour of the show (9-10 a.m.) we’ll be following up on the proposed high-rise condo development planned for the WC Woods site 1 at the corner of Arthur Street South and Elizabeth St.
In February 2010, Kilmer Brownfield Equity Fund acquired the 9-acre site and is planning to redevelop the site with a mix of high-rise, mid-rise and townhouse residential units.
The site is important to the City of Guelph as it supports its plan to revitalize the downtown area while still meeting the objectives of Ontario’s Places To Grow Smart Growth intensification initiatives. The site (in Ward 1) but now also included within Guelph’s Community Improvement Plan (CIP) area is eligible for various financial incentives to assist in its redevelopment.
Kilmer’s plans for the site will include brownfield remediation and site-planning before selling the site to one or more developers.
The local community only caught wind of the extent of the residential development proposal when the city started to move forward with the Downtown Secondary Plan in March this year.
Since then several community meetings have taken place including a community workshop at the Sacred Heart Gym, 98 Alice St. this past Tuesday June 29.
Although the city indicated that they were willing to listen to the community regarding plans for the site, the Guelph Mercury, in an article bluntly titled “Get Ready For High-Rise Developments, Consultant Tells Weary Neighbours”, reported that Tim Smith from city consultants Urban Strategies told the community at the end of the last meeting… that the Arthur Street site is zoned for approximately 500 to 550 units.
“While the final number remains unknown”, the consultant said, “that’s the ballpark.”
Smith told those gathered for the session at Sacred Heart School that is the number required to meet provincially-mandated growth targets “but also to make the project feasible” for the landowner.
The Guelph Mercury also reported… it is zoned for high-density residential, but currently has a restriction capping buildings on the site to six storeys. Residents became alarmed earlier this year when a draft of the Downtown Secondary Plan contained a conceptual drawing depicting a series of high-rise buildings on the site.
David de Groot, an urban designer and manager of the Downtown Secondary Plan project, noted if buildings are built higher it allows more green space to be created at street level.
De Groot said the Downtown Secondary Plan should be completed by the end of July, but another public session will be organized in late August or early September to discuss the “built form” to be located on the site.
Scotty Hertz of CFRU 93.3fm’s The Working Week has been following the development proposal and will be joining us in the studio to give us his personal perspective. Scotty doesn’t pull his punches. Should be a great discussion!
As usual we’ll wrap it all up with a great mix of cool music. A great way to start your Saturday. You won’t want to miss it!
Royal City Rag, Saturdays 8-10 a.m. on CFRU93.3fm in Guelph. Remember if you don’t catch Royal City Rag live, you can always pick it up later that day via the CFRU archive or here, on the blog, a day or so later.
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We’ll be continuing our municipal election coverage during the second hour of Royal City Rag (9-10 a.m.) on October 16.
CFRU 93.3fm’s
CFRU93.3fm’s
Formerly Royal City Rag 
