The Blue Mountains council has voted against a request from Coun. Andrea Matrosovs to intensify the key elements in the proposed Campus of Care project on Peel Street in Thornbury.
At its meeting on May 24, council voted against a request for reconsideration brought forward by Matrosovs that would have beefed up the town’s “mandatory” requirements for the Peel Street project.
The resolution from Matrosovs read:
“Elements of Design of Dementia Care” be changed to “Design for Dementia Care Using International Guidelines for a Minimum of 32 beds”, continuing to be “Mandatory by Town” “Features of WELL Building Standard for Human Well-Being” be changed to “Meets or Exceeds the International WELL Building Institute Silver Certification” and is changed to “Mandatory by Town.”
The changes requested by Matrosovs meant that potential operators seeking to pre-qualify with the town for the Campus of Care project would be required to include those elements in their proposals. A staff report on the matter had the WELL standards as “preferred”, but not mandatory and the Elements of Design for Dementia Care as mandatory, without mentioning the 32-bed guideline.
“This is an achievable standard,” said Matrosovs. “This gives us an opportunity to declare a benchmark.”
The request for council to reconsider an earlier decision generated considerable discussion around the council table.
“If we put so many stipulations on this and somebody can’t hit it, we jeopardize the whole project,” said Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon.
CAO Shawn Everitt confirmed if a potential developer could not meet the mandatory requirements approved by council, they would not be considered.
“Mandatory (items) are non-starters,” said Everitt.
Councillor Rob Sampson said the town should not be changing the elements of the project without a discussion with the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
“I’m a bit uneasy with the wording of this, which will make it do or die. I’d like to see more partnership-style discussions with the Ministry,” he said.
Councillor Paula Hope said the town should set the parameters and expectations for the project that include the changes proposed by Matrosovs.
“It’s important for the town to show leadership and set a bar. We have an opportunity to get it right with these two standards,” said Hope.
Councillor Bill Abbotts said he did not want to see the town miss out on good operators because too many elements had been made mandatory by council.
“I’ve been uncomfortable with the “mandatory” designation all along,” said Abbotts. “If it’s on the list and is 'preferred' it’s something they know we’re looking for,” he said.
The Campus of Care facility is a proposed 160-bed long-term care home that will also include attainable housing for staff, commercial space, multi-residential space, and senior’s housing.
The request for reconsideration motion brought forward by Matrosovs was defeated in a 3-3 vote (reconsider resolutions require the support of five members of council to proceed).
Subsequently, council unanimously passed a resolution directing staff to consult with the ministry on how to best attract a long-term care operator for the project who will include the WELL and Dementia Care standards as critical components in their proposal.
