Council still has to vote, BUT: Staff recommends NO development

In a memo from Woolwich Township staff to the council this morning, they made the following recommendation:

"The consultation process for Victoria Glen clearly illustrated that the social, educational, spiritual, recreational, historical, ecological, and cultural value of the Township-owned parcels (Parcels 1, 2, and 3) cannot be outweighed by any funds that could be generated by the options described in this memorandum.

Therefore, Staff recommend that Council support Option 4, as follows:

• do not declare the Township-owned lands (Parcels 1, 2, and 3) surplus;
• do not proceed with residential development on Parcels 1, 2, and 3;
• review the land-use designation of the Subject Lands as part of the Official Plan Review Process; and,
• suspend negotiations for the Purchase of the Region-owned land (Parcels 2 and 4).

Staff would like Council to note that the existing sanitary sewer in the unopened road allowance shown on Map 1 will be upgraded in the next few years which will create some level of disturbance to the general area. Staff will communicate the timing of this project to Council and the public as soon as possible.

Through the 2010 budget process Staff will report back to Council with options for managing the funding implications of not proceeding with the deposition of the Victoria Glen lands."

There will need to be a vote by council tonight, of course - but things are looking brighter than they have for a long time. The five-page memo was careful, thoughtful, and as thorough as they could be given the constraints Council put on the process.

Still: do come out tonight to the meeting at 7!
If all goes as it looks like it might, we can applaud Council for their wisdom in accepting the Staff proposal!

(The 5-page memo with the complete staff recommendations will be posted to the Woolwich Township website - www.woolwich.ca - as soon as their "web person" can do it, according to staff. This should be sometime this afternoon yet.)