Initial public reaction to The Blue Mountains council’s decision to cease negotiations on the Campus of Care project has been mixed.
On Nov. 12, council held its first meeting since the town announced it had terminated discussions with developers over the Campus of Care proposal. The news sparked plenty of interest from local citizens, with a number of local residents speaking about the matter during the public comments section of the meeting.
Council heard both praise and criticism for the Campus of Care decision. Council itself did not discuss the issue during the meeting. A report on the matter from CAO Shawn Everitt was on the agenda, however, council had a lengthy closed session that started just after the lunch break and consumed the entire afternoon.
Everitt’s report will be considered at a future special meeting that must be scheduled to complete the agenda.
The town was negotiating the sale of a portion of the town-owned property located at 125 Peel Street to Skyline and peopleCare for the Campus of Care proposal. The developers would have purchased 18.7 acres of the property from the town for $15 million.
If successful, the project would have included 160 long-term care beds, another 160 beds available as attainable labour force housing, 300 multi-family units, 80 daycare spaces, community gardens, pickleball courts, a playground, and 250+ retirement living beds.
Former Mayor Alar Soever and former councillor Rob Sampson harshly criticized council’s approach on the matter and said the end of the Campus of Care project was a huge blow for the community.
Sampson pointed out that the decision to terminate the Campus of Care negotiations had been made by council behind closed doors in a closed session without a public debate/discussion or vote being held.
“That decision you made in closed session effectively negated that potential source of revenue for the town,” said Sampson, who challenged council to undo the closed-door decision and hold a vote in a public session. “Have the courage to discuss this in public.”
Soever was also critical of how the decision was made.
“The decision to terminate this vitally important project for our seniors and businesses, behind closed doors and without a vote in open session, represents a new low in accountability and transparency in The Blue Mountains,” he said.
Soever noted that the termination of the negotiations ended the sale of the land for $15 million to the developers and he wondered if the recently announced $25.3 million grant the town received through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund would be jeopardized without the housing units that would have been part of the Campus of Care.
“With the elimination of the housing related to the Campus of Care, one could assume that all or part of this funding is at risk,” said Soever. “How will council make up the up to $40 million in lost revenue?”
Other members of the public had a different reaction to the situation.
Local resident Cim Nunn praised council’s decision on the Campus of Care.
“Hopefully it brings to a close a bad decision,” said Nunn. “It’s a very positive step.”
John Milne called the entire project “ill-conceived” and said the public needed to know the full story behind the Campus of Care.
“Many in the community have questioned this undertaking from the get-go. It began and ended behind closed doors,” said Milne. “It’s time for a thorough and public review of this whole business. We deserve nothing less.”
