Rezoning process leads to Haldi Road suit
Haldi and Leslie road neighbours have gone forward with a suit against the city for rezoning the former Haldi Road Elementary school so that a women’s recovery centre can occupy the building instead.
Derek Bates, city manager, said he can confirm the city was served Dec. 13.
“But beyond that we are not commenting as the matter is before the courts,” he said.
Tracy Kettles, a spokesperson for the neighbourhood, explained the suit was pursued because many in the area feel the city did not follow the proper process.
The city’s official community plan (OCP), she explained, is a key element of the suit.
“They didn’t follow the guide of the OCP and are trying to apply urban standards to a rural neighbourhood,” she said.
The suit is filed in Jan Sevin’s name, Kettles said, because the law requires a single name on the document.
“She did that after consulting with many neighbours and after many, many meetings leading up to that,” Kettles said.
She added 40 households contributed to the legal fund to put the suit forward.
“This is not a small select group of people, like the proponent is trying to portray,” she added.
A letter was also sent on behalf of the neighbourhood to the city, however it has nothing to do with the suit. Instead it was about the way the fourth and final reading of the rezoning bylaw was handled.
The agenda item was added late, which did not give the neighbourhood time to rally people to come out and witness the event.
“The letter was completely separate. It was just to say we were not happy about the fourth reading. We felt under the circumstances it was sort of snuck in at the last minute. Once again we feel their concerns, their issues are the ones being considered, not the neighbourhood’s.
“We would have been there, fully supporting one another,” she said.
Marshall Smith with the Northern Recovery Centre for Women said they will have no further comment on the issue.
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