Vaughan council rejects Sports Village expansion after 4-year debate

‘Thank you for voting in favour of our community’

Yorkregion.com
March 21, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Vaughan Council voted unanimously to reject the proposal of expanding Sports Village after almost four years pondering on whether to allow the “unprecedented” sale of publicly-owned parkland.

“This decision sends a very strong message to the citizens of Vaughan,” Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said in a statement, following the vote Tuesday, March 19.

“We listened. We appreciate your input,” he added.

Vaughan residents and specifically the 40-member South Maple Ratepayers Association (SMRPA) has long exerted pressure against the proposed expansion by Mentana Group, which owns and operates Sports Village, since it will directly affect neighbourhoods close by.

Their concerns included future noise since there was a proposed amphitheatre in vicinity of some of their homes, the lack of concrete plans on how to contain future traffic congestion, and the fear that their homes might “lose value.” Most importantly, they warned that the sale of public parkland will set the precedent for other private players to come forth with their “unsolicited” proposals to buy lush green land and make it private.

To protest the move, SMPRA not only collected 800 signatures to show the residents’ disapproval to the proposal but also filed an FOI questioning the City’s 40-year lease agreement with Mentana group, which was eying to buy a large swathe of 33 acres of parkland, which wasn’t even declared “surplus” by the City.

“We won,” Laura Rinaldo, president of the 40-member SMRPA, told York Region Media.

In an email to the mayor and the City councillors, Rinaldo told them how SMRPA is “very grateful” and “proud of your unanimous position to no longer consider the unsolicited proposal.”

“I am thrilled to be writing this email to you in sincere gratitude of your collective support against the sale of parkland and expansion to the Sports Village.”

She added: “Thank you for voting in favour of our community.”

Vaughan Council first received the proposal on June 16, 2015. The City staff then conducted a review and brought on external experts to do an evaluation and produce a business case analysis assessing the benefits and risks, which was presented to Council at Committee of the Whole on June 6, 2018.

“Let me be clear, no project gets approved in our city without it being in the public interest,” Bevilacqua said.

The decision was also made after public meetings on Jan. 20 and Feb. 17 with the latter witnessing over 400 “irate” residents calling for a stoppage over the proposal.

The City’s decision came earlier than expected as it was eying the month of April on whether to continue with Mentana’s proposal.