Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall is utilizing his robust mayor powers for the primary time in relation to probably the most contentious points he is confronted throughout his almost two years in workplace.
On Thursday, the mayor issued a directive on the Metropolis’s web site noting he’s directing Metropolis employees to right away pause work on the multi-purpose area alongside the waterfront close to the Common John Hayter Southshore Centre.
Nuttall’s use of his robust mayor powers – which have triggered controversy in different municipalities over the previous 12 months – comes in the future after a third-party report into the sector supplied the council with numerous new avenues to think about.
The robust mayor powers give mayors of huge municipalities the flexibility to suggest and cross bylaws with simply one-third of councillors supporting them, veto bylaws altogether, and rent and fireplace division heads.
Multi-purpose Subject Investigation
In June, Nuttall tasked long-time lawyer and neighborhood chief Marshall Inexperienced to analyze the just lately authorised multi-purpose area alongside Barrie’s waterfront close to the Common John Hayter Southshore Neighborhood Centre. The proposal animated the neighborhood, with 1000’s each for and in opposition to it.
The sphere’s major function is to function the brand new parading grounds for the Sea Cadets, who’re at the moment going through security and house issues at their present location on Bayfield St. close to the Barrie marina. It is usually for use by different minor sports activities groups within the Metropolis, with many advocates saying extra sports activities fields are wanted.
Inexperienced launched his public report on Wednesday after consulting with numerous stakeholders all through the neighborhood.
“I believe individuals had been deciphering that it was farther down the street than it was,” Inexperienced mentioned on Wednesday. “However I do not suppose anyone’s opposed now to pausing and having to take a look at it once more.”
Suggestions
Inexperienced submitted seven totally different suggestions for council to think about:
The Sea Cadets get a small parading floor location within the proposed space with a tough floor as per their request.
The Metropolis not approve the multi-purpose sports activities area.
Metropolis employees work with sports activities teams to kind a gaggle to find out finest makes use of of current sports activities fields that town plan correctly in future subdivisions for parkland, and that metropolis employees work with college boards to make sure entry to their places is supplied.
The Metropolis develop present proposed location as a passive park with an academic element, zoning the lands as environmentally protected.
The Barrie Baycats transfer from Midhurst Stadium to Queen’s Park in downtown Barrie.
The present Sea Cadets web site turn into the longer term web site of the deliberate performing arts centre.
The outdated Barrie Central Collegiate property, at the moment deliberate for a performing arts heart, be freed up for a soccer stadium for the Simcoe County Rovers.
Simcoe County Rovers
Inexperienced additionally writes that the Simcoe County Rovers are set to make what he calls a ‘game-changing announcement’ concerning the workforce’s future in the neighborhood. Nevertheless, he says the membership will want a soccer stadium with upwards of two,500 seats within the coming years.
Inexperienced’s report was confirmed by Nuttall in his memo Thursday, saying the chance introduced itself to the Metropolis in early July.
“The Metropolis is actively working with a world entity on a promising enterprise that would considerably improve the way forward for sport tourism in Barrie,” Nuttall wrote.
Nevertheless, the precise purchaser of the Rovers has not been launched, with no agency date for when that announcement will likely be made.
Improvement Paused
As a part of his unilateral path, Nuttall mentioned that work on the multi-purpose area is being paused to permit for additional public session in gentle of Inexperienced’s report, with that coming again to council in a employees report later this 12 months.
As a part of his report, Marshall consulted with numerous native sports activities groups. Whereas he heard from a lot of a necessity for extra sports activities fields, he mentioned many appeared to bitter on the present authorised plan alongside the waterfront. He mentioned one group he didn’t identify mentioned taking part in by the waterfront would enhance its publicity. Nevertheless, he concluded that’s not a powerful sufficient justification for a venture going through widespread opposition from the neighborhood.
After his conversations, he writes he hopes that these sports activities teams can come collectively to leverage current property.
“It’s my advice that these teams meet cooperatively and decide how these fields could be tailored for a couple of sport,” Inexperienced said.
“The mayor indicated to me that in some instances, the college boards, who’ve massive and infrequently unused (after college hours) fields, have in some instances made it considerably tough for the assorted sports activities teams to make use of these fields. I discover that each unlucky and unacceptable,” Inexperienced’s report continued.
Neighborhood Consultations
Inexperienced additionally consulted with members of the humanities neighborhood for his report.
For years, the Metropolis has been engaged on bringing a brand new performing arts centre (PAC) to Barrie, with Inexperienced writing that the 5 Factors Theatre ‘doesn’t match the wants of the neighborhood.’
One among his options is to scale down plans for a brand new performing arts centre, at the moment plotted on the grounds of the previous Barrie Central Collegiate, and as a substitute construct that on the present location of the Sea Cadets, close to the marina on the backside of Bayfield Road. That will liberate the outdated collegiate grounds for a sports activities area that the Simcoe County Rovers may use.
“The Rovers and their new associate had been searching for a web site the place followers may seize a meal earlier than or a snack and beverage after,” the report reads. “With the brand new condos, the PAC, a renewed Queen’s Park and an expert soccer workforce within the neighborhood, downtown Barrie ought to have simply the shot within the arm that it has wanted for years if not many years.”
Whereas contemplating all of this downtown revitalization, Inexperienced spoke with management of the Barrie Baycats. The workforce at the moment performs at Classic Throne Stadium in Springwater Township. Inexperienced writes that the Metropolis ought to prioritize security issues at Queen’s Park downtown and says transferring the Baycats there may assist handle these worries.
“Their video games can be accessible by public transit,” Inexperienced writes. “They’d be inside strolling distance of eating places to get pleasure from earlier than the video games and pubs to have fun at after the video games.”
Inexperienced says he has discovered so much in regards to the native arts and sports activities scene over the past two and a half months.
“Now the downtown has the potential to turn into an enormous sports activities/performing arts magnet,” Inexperienced famous in direction of the top of his report.
Nuttall’s use of the robust mayor powers is a primary for him. The powers have been used sparingly by the 46 mayors who’ve entry to them.
