A Kingston citizens’ group is raising questions about the deal made between the city and Homestead Landholdings over its two proposed apartment buildings in the downtown area.
The Coalition of Kingston Communities says it wants to know about financial and ethical questions over the partnership, and believes details have been kept hidden from the public.
Christine Sypnowich is the chair of the coalition.
“When we got in touch with the city to ask what exactly was the Homestead deal, the city was committed to releasing that information. This is what we kept getting,” Sypnowich said, showing a blank page.
Sypnowich says they received all 103 pages of the document, but maybe the most important page was blank — the one spelling out the financial details.
Alan McLeod is the acting city solicitor.
“A member of the public asked for the minutes of settlement last September, and it was scanned and sent to them,” said Alan McLeod, acting city solicitor.
When the citizen’s group received the full document, it says the city has committed to pay Homestead nearly $280,000 plus utilities over 10 years for the unstaffed and unfinished art gallery space as part of the two-building development.
Sypnowich, however, says there is another problem with the deal, which was approved close to the 2018 election.
“There is a provision in the Municipal Act that city councils can not make significant financial decisions when they’re in a lame duck position, which means when they’re coming down to the end of term,” she said.
“In the minutes of settlement, council is able to make a future decision if it chooses to lease a part of the project once it’s approved and developed,” McLeod responded.
“But that’s a future decision of council which has not been made at this time.”
As for the high-rise project, it was rejected by LPAT, but the tribunal has ordered a second hearing.
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