We really don’t want to spend a lot of energy at this time discussing process as we want to focus on saving the park. There are many residents upset about being given only five days to respond to declaring the Community Centre Surplus and selling off four acres of park. We don’t know why a report that had significant impact on the community was not presented as “Information to Council” with Council direction and community input to follow at a later date. It would appear that we are working to a Developer’s timeline instead of the Community’s.

After this proposal is turned down, we will go back to Council with many suggestions on how to improve the process. If you have one send it to KomokaSTP@gmail.com. The following list is just a start:

·        Staff reports requiring public input should be received for information first followed by Council direction as to next steps.

·        The action taken by staff after the Investors presentation should have been directed by Council. Motions like directing staff to pursue possible Municipal land and to discuss partnership should have been done publicly and by Council motion.

·        Sale of Municipal land needs more bylaws and processes to be put in place. There are obviously not enough checks and balances in place now that would prevent the Municipality from declaring property surplus at the same time as declaring who they are selling to. Most Municipalities have very stringent rules around what needs to be done to sell off Municipal property. Middlesex Centre needs that too.

·        More respect for Zoning bylaws in place. Changing Open Space Zoning to Commercial is a big deal and even more so when it is in a residential zone. That’s bad planning. Specifically on this proposal the declaration of the Community Centre being surplus should be made contingent on the zoning change to Commercial.