In the three-legged race to get the Bayport Village Phase 2 subdivision built and homebuyers settled into the community, it seems that the town of Midland and developer Kaitlin Corp. have stopped struggling against one another and are looking to reach the finish line together.
A verbal update was brought to Midland council during the recent regular meeting, with acting CAO Andy Campbell keeping the discussion brief.
“We have been working with Kaitlin… on this subdivision for a number of years,” Campbell explained, “and we have had a settlement at the Ontario Land Tribunal and there were certain requirements that were to come to council tonight for ratification.
“I want to inform you that both parties are not prepared to fulfill those requirements for council tonight, but we are planning to schedule an extra agenda item on (the) special council meeting next Thursday (March 30) where we will have everything prepared for council, as per the Ontario Land Tribunal.”
Throughout the previous term of council, conflict and accusations between the town and the developers had homebuyers to the Georgian Bay waterfront locations left in the cold. With the new term of council, a planning services development application and project overview report was presented in early February and made publicly available, showing the status of every development project in town, including Bayport Village Phase 2.
Mayor Bill Gordon shared that town staff and Kaitlin Corp. had been diligent in finding a solution to patch up those previous woes.
“This negotiated settlement,” said Gordon, “it’s through the mutually good work of both the proponent – in this case the developer – and our town planning staff, making these settlement options rather than having to go through full appeals and all the costs and delays that go along with that.
“This is a recurring theme; we’re seeing some of the backlog that’s been happening in our planning department being resolved through compromise in these appeals.
“So without ascribing any blame, both sides are working really well together and I love nothing more than to see these settlements come before council where we can review them and give them a check mark, and keep the process moving,” Gordon said.
A 20-page Bayport Village Phase 2 conditional holding removal report for Block 27 is available within the September 2022 council agenda page on the Town of Midland website, as well as the planning services development application and project overview report from the February 8 meeting agenda.
Council meetings are held every third Wednesday, and can be attended in person or virtually through Zoom by contacting the clerk’s department of Midland town hall for a link to the meeting.
Council meetings can also be viewed on Rogers TV cable channel 53, or through the livestream on the Rogers TV website. Archives of council meetings are available through Rogers TV and on the Town of Midland’s YouTube channel.
