- by Elizabeth Wilmott

I am happy with the thought that the Owen Sound courthouse and associated properties have been sold and that a very special use for them is being proposed. I heard Mayor Boddy and the developer on CBC this morning. It sounds great, but some very serious unanswered anomolies remain.

1. The buyer was introduced on the CBC as a named person. Yet the purchase agreement names him as holding the conditional ownership "in trust." Who is the actual conditional buyer?

2. Is there any financial advantage to this buyer even if the property is not developed --- say a tax writeoff --- and the property is returned to the City of Owen Sound?

3. What is the financial cost to the City of Owen Sound for repossessing the property beyond returning the purchase price?

4. Mayor Boddy spoke very positively about the rise in residential property values in the area as a result of the development of the court-house properties. He did not mention that the adjacent areas are designated as "institutional." It is hard to imagine the town houses that he specifically mentioned rising in value with further commercialization of the street.

There is a 24-hour lit up soft drink dispensing machine, for example, directly across from my own home. This detracts from the value of my house. Would not a restaurant and wedding venue create noise, traffic, parking and other disadvantages that would actually deter from the value of my and nearby residential property?

My neighbor has lived directly adjacent to the purchased property for 32 years. She and her husband were led to believe that good things would happen next door. When the jail was there her family suffered from noise pollution at all hours, including that from residents, delivery trucks, and inhouse activities. Parties and activities associated with weddings would occur into early morning directly adjacent to her house and garden. At least the vandalism she now witnesses would stop, but she and her husband would prefer that to what seems to be proposed.

5. Where would guests park? There is no street parking nor should there be. The area in front is not big enough for a restaurant and big-wedding parking. Access from the back? Has that been studied? As far as I know it is a residential street.

6. Is this location as ideal as presented? The very large firehall and ambulance quay are directly adjacent to the Courthouse. Fire engines and ambulances come and go on a regular basis. A neighborhood corner store sits opposite the firehall. I assume the soft-drink machine would remain as it fits within current bylaws. The mayor assumes that run-down houses would miraculously be restored. Is this realistic enough to have confidence that the bid is for a genuine development?

7. I am not an expert on the history of attempting to sell the courthouse and associated properties. However, I understand that the long-term care  developers, who walked away from a purchase price considerably less than has currently been accepted, were told that well over a million dollars would be required to eliminate environmentally unacceptable conditions, such as mold.

I hope that more knowledgeable persons than myself can answer these questions in a way that support the current development proposals. At the very least I suggest that the City of Owen Sound, and Mayor Boddy, need to provide information and an outline of the proposal that makes economic sense and does not negatively impact nearby citizens.