No aerotropolis decision till 2011
Airport boss calls it 'sitting on our hands'
Emma Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 16, 2010)
The road to aerotropolis just got longer.
Yesterday, the economic development and planning committee voted to shelve any decisions on the future of the airport employment lands until 2011.
The move was intended to give the public more time to digest the complex planning documents.
But the delay to the controversial airport development -- which puts off any decisions until after October's election -- is already drawing fire from the business community.
Richard Koroscil, the CEO and president of the airport and the chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce, said, "We're a community looking desperately for jobs, and here we are saying let's just park it for six months. For half a year, we'll just sit on our hands. Why would we do that?
"There should be a sense of urgency here. What kind of leadership is that?"
The delay came out of a presentation to the planning committee yesterday on the draft secondary plan for the airport employment growth district. The plan, which outlines the future development plans for the airport district, needs to be endorsed by council before it's officially released for public feedback.
Staff originally recommended that public consultation take place over July and August, leaving enough time for staff to report back for a council decision in September. However, councillors argued the timing would catch residents during their vacations.
Council would be "accused of trying to sneak something through over the summer," said Councillor Brian McHattie.
Environment Hamilton also urged council to allow the public more time, arguing the project's scope merits giving community members extra time to fully understand the plan.
Without hearings before the election, the committee had no choice but to push the consultation to January 2011 because regular city meetings stop in early October for the election and don't resume until after the new council is sworn in.
Committee's decision still needs to be ratified by council next week.
The timing of the public consultation wasn't the only contentious issue at yesterday's meeting.
Kieran Dickson of Hamiltonians for Progressive Development argued the plans shouldn't be going out for public consultation when they don't include any financial information.
"You are approving a secondary plan today which does not include the financial implications," he said. "It's our position that this is absurd."
But Guy Paparella, the city's director of industrial land and airport development, said that's city practice.
"We don't have financial information in any secondary plan process that we've ever done."
A report outlining the potential costs will be ready next week, Paparella said. It will be presented to the planning committee July 5.
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