Sifton land deal sign of shift in power?
Wed, August 15, 2007
By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA
Winds of change, people power or simply good business?
Call it what you want, but London city staff, Sifton Properties and city council have cut a deal to keep a piece of perceived parkland in the public domain instead of being redeveloped for an office tower.
Sifton agreed to take parkland credits and hand over the 0.8-hectare property at Riverside Drive and Wonderland Road to the city, which will make it part of the Thames River park system, something Oakridge residents argued the city should have done years ago.
The parkland credits mean Sifton won't have to give cash-in-lieu for parkland on a future development, as required in the Planning Act.
The company gets credit for 1.6 hectares of parkland because it also handed over an environmentally significant area just north of Sunningdale Road East.
All sides have called it a win-win resolution.
But there's a sense out there that change is afoot when it comes to clashes between developers and neighbourhoods.
"The community expressed a desire and we've always listened to what those around us have to say," said Sifton president Richard Sifton.
"Even more importantly, they made their concerns known.
"In reality, what we did was make a business decision. The fact is, we were able to find a solution that met our business goals and the city's.
"City council has been told by residents they want them to do a good job protecting certain things, whether it's a park, a woodland, a wetland and they say there has to be give-and-take.
"The politicians are hearing that message.
"The general public has said these are things we want to invest in."
Sifton conceded it's possible his company is on the front edge of a movement in the development industry to listen more carefully to community concerns.
Several developers have opted to try to cut deals with the city, rather than ignore community concerns and see issues resolve by the Ontario Municipal Board.
Drewlo Holdings recently agreed to restore and not demolish Locust Mount, the 147-year-old former home of a London mayor and senator that was run down and damaged by fire.
In exchange, the company was given a variety of tax incentives and bonus zoning to offset additional costs.
The city still is negotiating with Southside Construction to exchange land or make some other concession to protect a woodlot on Adelaide Street just north of Windermere Road.
London's chief adminstrator Jeff Fielding credits the community for keeping the pressure on to preserve "amenities" such as woodlots or heritage buildings and "they're asking us to be innovative and creative."
Ward 8 Coun. Paul Hubert said he senses a "spirit of collaboration rather than an adversarial spirit" between developers and the community.
"That collaborative, innovative spirit is what I think our community needs," he said.
"Companies have business interests to deal with, but I do sense a willingness to work with the community and listen."
Coun. Joni Baechler said developers will listen to the public, but the onus is on the public to let their concerns known.
"If the (Oakridge community) hadn't rose up the way they did to oppose this, nothing would have been done," said Baechler.
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