Growing opposition could sink proposed Navan wetland project

Explanations by conservationists, a city councillor and a scientist at a meeting Wednesday night were not enough to assuagethe fears ofsome 100 Navanresidents about a $300,000 wetland project.

It's being proposed as a "community enhancement" andhasalready been given the green light by Ottawa city council, but Coun. Stephen Blaiswill make a final decision after parsing throughfeedback on whether to continue the project.

In an interview at the Navan Memorial Arena, where the meeting was held, Blaissaid the projectcould be in jeopardy if it causes too much division in the community.

The project involves a small parcel of parkland owned by the cityat 999 Smith Rd., north of the Prescott-Russell Trail Link. The South Nation Conservation Authoritydeveloped a plan to create a wetland there by building a shallow pond andaboardwalk.

The idea originated with the Navan Community Associationas a wayto make the land more accessible to the publicwhile preserving it as a wetland space.

Tweaks made after initial objections

The project presented Wednesday night featureda few tweaks, which were made after Birchtree Crescent residents adjacent to the project objected whenworkers began assessing the land last year.

The walkway, for instance, wouldno longer have an entrance on Birchtree Crescent, and the space wouldhave only a single shallow pond instead ofthree.

But despite the changes, most of the question period Wednesday night involved accusations of poor communication, distrust about the long-term implications of the project, and fears the site will attract predators, mosquitos and beavers.

Birchtree Crescent residents have created the NavanLandowners Committee to fight the project.They havecirculatedonline petitions, one of which calls for the project's termination.It says they're concernedthe project is the first step "in a steady 'creep' in the rezoning or re-designation" of the parkland into a provincially significant wetland.

They're concerned thatwould bog homeowners down in red tape, and cause "a drastic decrease in property value and restrictions to landowners' rightswithin the wetland areas and surrounding buffer zones."

Peter Friske, who lives on Birchtree Crescent next to a path leading down to the proposed site, said he fears aspecial designation will mean homeowners would have to apply for special permits and perhaps require environmental assessments in order to build on their own land.

Not everyone against project

But not everyone in the room Wednesday night was against the project.

At one point, about a quarter of the attendees stood up when Birchtree Crescent resident Daniel Charronasked those in favour to "be recognized" and not"be ashamed." Two thirds stood up when heasked to hear from those opposed.

Resident KellySirvinsaid she's sad to see so much misinformationcirculating about the project.

She almost signed the petition, she said,but decided to look into it a little deeper and found that "a lot of the claims were just false."

"Iknow a lot of people that are for [the project], and they are afraid to speak up," Sirvinsaid, adding there have been concerns about the pace of development in nearby Orlansand that theproject would help ensureNavan'srural character.

"I just don't like the fact that the wronginformation issnowballing and causing all this sillyness."

No rezoning from park to wetland

John Mesman, a spokesperson forthe South Nation Conservation Authority, moderated much of the meeting,

He, at times with Blais andNickStow,a scientist and senior planner forthe city, took turns attempting to allay the key fears, saying:

• There would be no rezoning of the land from a park to a provincially significant wetland.
• The land did not meet any of the criteria including havingspecies at risk, for exampleto designate it now or in the future as a protected wetland by the city or the province.
• Studies suggest theproject would likely enhance housing valuesrather than lower them.
• Predators would not be introduced to the land.
• There is no evidence that similar projects have created new mosquito problems.

Still, on more than one occasion, Mesman was told he wasn't trusted, Stowwas told to sit down, and Blais was told he could be in trouble over the issue in the next municipal election.

CheryleHoule,who helped create theNavanLandowners Committee to fight the project, asked Blais for a guarantee that the area willnot be designated a protected wetland in the future, and thatpeople willbe compensated if it is.

"While I'm a city councillor this will not become a provincially significant wetland," Blais responded, adding that scientists, including Stow,have said it wouldn't qualify.

"I can't guarantee anything beyond that, just like I can't guarantee an asteroid is not going to hit Earth tomorrow," said Blais. "I can tell you there is no plan, I would not support it, the mayor would not support it, there's no support on council to doit, the experts and scientists wouldn't recommend it, and even if they did, the project does not meet the criteria for the province to go ahead."

'There's actually no guarantee'

But the questions and the skepticism continuedthroughout the meeting.

Houlesaid in an interview afterward that Blais can't make guarantees because he may not be around much longer:

"There's an election next year with his position. We don't know what the future is going to hold," she said. "There is actually no guarantee that this land would not beredesignatedas a wetland in the future."

Regarding the tone of the meeting, Houle said she thinks it showsBlaisand the South Nation Conservation Authority "that there is a large majority of people against this project."