The man behind a leisure development in Glenburnie says science doesn’t lie.
Ben Pilon, president of BPE Development, which is behind the Unity Farm, Inn and Spa, says more than two years of studies show the hotel and spa development won’t impact the area’s wellwater supply, as many residents fear.
Pilon took Global News on a tour of the site on Wednesday, one day before the city’s planning committee is set to take a crucial vote on the project.
“We’ve followed everything the city has asked us to do to a T,” Pilon said.
“It’s been three years we’ve been doing this, from the design to the engineering to the studies. We’re done every single report needed.”
The proposed development is on land near the corner of Unity and Battersea roads and would include a 27-suite boutique inn, 40 rental cabins, spa, gift shop as well as a restaurant and a craft brewery.
But not everyone is in favour of the development. And that includes the chair of the Glenburnie Residents’ Association, David Pentney.
“The concept is fine, it’s simply the wrong place,” Pentney said, “for those two reasons that I mentioned — where it’s situated or proposed to be situated in a rural residential neighbourhood and the long-term water issue.”
That water issue is what Pilon addressed.
“It’s not what I think, it comes down to what the testing is. What the science is behind it,” Pilon said.
“It was what we were as concerned about as any of the neighbours. We needed to know that if we are making this investment that we’ve got good water and that we never hurt anyone else’s water.
“And that’s why we’ve been two years now through our hydrology testing and monitoring and all the tests and reports have come back saying that we have good water and all the neighbours have good water and there’s no interference.”
The development proposal heads to the Kingston planning committee for a important vote on Thursday.