Sudbury city council approves scaled-back Ramsey Lake development

Morning North6:39Controversial lakefront development in Sudbury approved

Greater Sudbury city councillors gave the green light to a contentious lakeside development. The project proposed for the shores of Ramsey Lake will be scaled down from 171 units to 147. We have audio from city councillors and the developer.A massive waterfront development on Lake Ramsey that's been on the drawing board for more thanfive years has taken a big step towards being built.

At its Monday night meeting, Sudbury's planning committee voted 5-0 for the University Park project off Keast Drive. But instead of 115 condos and 56 houses, it was scaled back to 93 condos and 54 houses. Thecondo buildings will also be five storeys instead of seven.

The opposition to the project expressed concern for the quality of the water in Lake Ramsey, one of thecity's main sources of drinking water.

Councillor Joscelyne Landry-Altmann warned against further damage to the city's lakes, many of which are already plagued by blue-green algae.

"Imagine sitting on your dock and the water is undrinkable and unswimmable.Well, we're there," she said.

"We act as if the bank of nature has unlimited assets and we keep making withdrawals as if there is no tomorrow."

McIntosh and Landry-Altmanntabled a last-minute condition on the development, bringing the total to 42. It calls for the sewer lift station infrastructure to be built out of the flood plain on the property, which had been a concern expressed by some citizens two weeks ago.

Developer not pleased

All councillors who spoke saidthe additional conditionsmade them feel much more comfortable voting for the development.

"If this developer can meet all of these conditions ...then I'd be loathe to say no," said Coun.Fern Cormier.

The decision was made final at a Sudbury city council meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

It's still possible there will be an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board, whichwould then make the ultimate decision.

It's typical for upset citizens to appeal developments they fought against. But this time, the successful developer might appeal as well.

Norm Eady, who calls his project University Park, isn't happy with how the city treated him.

"They came at the eleventh hour with a couple of takeaways. We didn't get enough, quite frankly."