Leamington Council narrowly upholds holding designation on corner property

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — The Leamington Roma Club is attempting to sever and sell the corner lot at Erie Street South and Seacliff Drive and have applied for a severance to do so.

A prospective purchaser and developer is balking at one of the conditions applied by Leamington’s planning department. That condition requires a holding symbol be placed upon the property to make sure that any development on the property meets the municipality’s planning standards.

At a public meeting held via Zoom last Tuesday, May 25, Roma Club lawyers Frank Ricci and Simon Yared presented their objections to that specific condition.

There are 11 conditions to be met to get the severance through and Ricci says the Roma Club can comply with all but one.

“Our issue is the holding zone,” he said. “The application meets all zoning and municipal requirements.”

The Roma Club is selling the property to help with their current financial situation, which has been greatly affected due to the COVID pandemic.

“It will ensure the financial viability of the club,” said Ricci.

Yared says the situation is a unique one and each case should be judged on its own merit.

“This is an opportunity for you to provide the Roma Club with a lifeline,” he said. “There’s no need for the holding symbol.”

The prospective purchaser was not present at the meeting, nor at the previous meeting held on the issue.

Ricci said the purchaser doesn’t plan on developing the property right away.

They’ve also asked for a 40-foot chunk of the abutting property — the Roma Club soccer field — to be severed as part of the corner lot.

Administration had asked that the property be returned to its state that it was in prior to 2018. Tenants at the time had installed a light standard and laid gravel over the property, without consent of the town or the Roma Club. The Roma Club has agreed to have the property returned to its previous state at their cost.

Mayor Hilda MacDonald was not eager to allow the severance without the holding symbol.

The subject property is located at the corner of Erie Street South and Seacliff Drive. The site is currently owned by the Leamington Roma Club.

Sun photo

“We’re here for the betterment of the municipality,” she said. “We’ve been down that slope a couple of times and it was met with regret.” Councillor Tim Wilkinson, however, disagreed. “We’ve looked at other unique situations, such as the church on the Bevel Line,” he said. “We’ve come up with unique solutions to unique situations in the past.”

“This is a unique group that’s important to our community,” he added.

Councillor John Hammond wondered why the developer didn’t attend.

“I believe the purchaser has an intended use for this property,” he said. “That’s why he wants that additional 40 feet.”

Hammond said he thinks the holding symbol should remain a condition.

Councillor Paul Tiessen agreed, saying, “We don’t want this sitting in disrepair for 10 years.”

Councillor Bill Dunn said the purchaser not coming to the meeting to explain his plans made his decision easier. He had gone back and forth with his decision up until then.

“With the purchaser not coming forward to let us know what is going on, I’ve changed my mind on this.”

Despite that, Wilkinson made a motion to withdraw the holding symbol and allow the severance with all other conditions met. It was seconded by Councillor Trevor Jones.

In a 4-3 vote, Wilkinson’s motion was defeated. Deputy Mayor Larry Verbeke, Wilkinson and Jones voted for it, with Tiessen, Hammond, Dunn and Mayor MacDonald voting against.

To close the issue, Councillor Tiessen moved to accept the recommendation by administration to require the holding designation as part of the severance approval and it was seconded by Councillor Hammond.

The vote was once again 4-3, with Tiessen, Hammond, Dunn and Mayor MacDonald voting for, while Verbeke, Wilkinson and Jones voted against.