Communications with the City of Ottawa
Our Steering Committee includes our City Councillor Jenna Sudds who participates in our meetings and supports our group in the fight to oppose any redevelopment of the Kanata Golf Club.
We have made the following points to the City:
- We have applauded the City for writing to ClubLink to get a clear statement of the company’s intentions. We also expressed concern about the growing record that already indicates ClubLink’s desire to stop operating the golf course.
- We have been clear that ClubLink needs to comply with paragraph 5 (4) of The 40 Percent Agreement, and we pledged support for the City so long as it stands behind the Agreement.
- We sought better cooperation, coordination and transparency by the City with the Kanata North community.
- We have also informed the City that the Kanata North community retains the right to act in its own best interests which may include legal proceedings as well as seeking compensation for damages suffered.
Legal opinions suggest that the 40 Percent Agreement is defensible and City legal notified ClubLink that it was prepared to do so
The 40 Percent Agreement is a unique land-use agreement crafted in 1981 to ensure that a minimum of 40% of the total land area in Kanata North remains open, accessible greenspace to enhance community livability. It respects the original, award-winning vision for Kanata created by Bill Teron.
It is not ironclad and ClubLink may have been counting on a perceived pro-development bias at City Hall or the need for community and other opposition groups to organize and accumulate huge pots of money for the legal fight to combat it.
In March 2019, City legal wrote ClubLink informing the company that should they begin the planning process for redevelopment, it would seek approval to defend the 40 Percent agreement in court.
A Kanata Golf Club member group is identifying third parties to run the golf course
The group has informed the City that they are prepared to facilitate third party management of the golf course operations if the City assumes the property under the 40 Percent Agreement. The planned outcome would reduce the risk to the City and could even lead to a potential financial dividend to the City from this historically profitable golf course.
The redevelopment threatens community prosperity and livability and may compromise the competitiveness of the Kanata North Hi-Tech companies as an employment hub
Home sales appear to have stalled in the Kanata Lakes and Beaverbrook communities given the uncertain future of this golf club as a greenspace and the direct impact to area homes. Further, an improvement is not expected if this seven year redevelopment associated with massive blasting and other construction disruption occurs. A 15% community wide devaluation of housing stock is feared. Current intensification plans already short on infrastructure (e.g.: transportation) coupled with reduced community livability (due to the loss of highly valued community assets such as greenspace) may stunt growth for Kanata North employers as they find it more difficult to compete world wide to attract prospective employees and their families