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Fighting Island Boxing Club presents “Battle in the Burg II”... pg. 16
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Town OK’s environmental assessment for Duffy’s site By Ron Giofu Town council has approved the class environmental assessment (EA) for the former Duffy’s plaza, but not without considerable debate. The motion to move the process forward passed in a 6-0 recorded vote – Mayor Aldo DiCarlo was absent – but the consultants from Landmark Engineers Inc. and administration both emphasized that by approving the EA, it does not obligate the town to spend any money on the project. Dan Krutsch from Landmark Engineers Inc. noted there were two open houses as part of the process, which has now completed thanks to council’s motion. “It does not commit you to building anything at this time,” said Krutsch. The “preferred” option currently calls for a 24-berth marina with floating docks, two buildings, a festival plaza and a “modest-sized performance area” with a total cost of $7-8 million before HST. CAO John Miceli said a 2006 study on the Navy Yard Park did not factor in the Duffy’s lands and that $5 million plan was never acted upon. Miceli called it a “strategic decision” by the previous council to acquire the land to accommodate increased access to the
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The “preferred solution” for the Duffy’s site, also known as the Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina, is shown here. While that was debated Monday night, no money has been put towards the actual development of the Dalhousie St. property as of yet. waterfront and stated that while the town will have “skin in the game,” such moves are helping to attract economic development. He suggested that while the town has options from this point on, he added that “I strongly believe we can’t do nothing.” “Yes, it may be a bold move, but what are our alternatives?” he asked.
Kevin Sprague, a long-time advocate of a boat ramp, noted a portion of the Landmark report which stated that 70 per cent of comment sheets wanted a boat ramp. He added that most people he talked to don’t want an amphitheatre and questioned specific costs of elements of the “preferred solution.” Sprague also questioned parking,
stating that was a reason the boat ramp was not chosen. “We are the only municipality in Essex County and beyond that doesn’t have (a ramp),” he said. Believing a ramp would be an attraction for the town as well as a revenue generator, Sprague urged council members to “vote for what the people want.” He compared the process to that of the policing issue, saying that “administration decided what they wanted and their followers voted to complete the deal.” Krutsch said that of the 120 comment sheets filled out, 75 were delivered by Sprague and that there were many at the open houses in favour of the preferred option. He added that he was a boater and said that while he would likely use a public launch in Amherstburg, he did not support the idea of one there as he believed it was too small for parking and that truck and trailers were not comparable to regular vehicular traffic. Gary Wellman, who lives next to the property, had a different viewpoint. He said there is ample space to launch boats at Ranta Marina and that he doesn’t want to see Dalhousie St. packed with trucks and trailers. He believed the idea was being pushed by a “select few boaters.” Continued on Page 4
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