Patry Inc. Developments is looking to develop a section of waterfront along the Inner Harbour in the City of Kingston, known as the former Davis Tannery lands just south of Belle Park. The proposed development lays out plans to 'humanize' the waterfront shoreline, which is currently a significant turtle basking habitat with more than 135 turtles known to use this shoreline area. Many interest and conservation groups within Kingston, including Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour and Turtles Kingston, are concerned with the environmental impacts of the proposed development. 

Why are we concerned? 

• All Ontario turtles are species at risk, and one of the most imperilled vertebrates on the planet, with the biggest threat to their survival being habitat loss. The proposed development, if not completed properly, will eliminate important turtle habitat.
• The Developers are requesting to change Environmental Protection Areas on the property to Residential and remove the Provincially Significant Wetland, Riparian Corridor, and significant Woodland designations that are currently on the lands.
• Part of the property contains a Provincially Significant Wetland, which the Developers are proposing to fill in. Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority has already expressed their concerns through written comments (2018.02.21) and we believe their concerns have not been adequately addressed.
• The proposed development suggests a 30 m buffer along the shoreline for a 'ribbon of life' is sufficient habitat replacement, but then suggest in conceptual designs that this 'ribbon of life' will include access to the rowing club and its infrastructure, manicured grass and a pathway which do not sufficiently reproduce ecological values and habitats that will be lost.

What do we want?

We request that the City of Kingston defer making any decisions about the status of this proposed development until adequate adjustments to the proposal have been made that ensure turtle habitat is being protected and/or enhanced. We also request the following: 

• that the City require a larger 'ribbon of life' to provide adequate space for the replacement and reproduction of lost habitats
• that the shoreline remain natural and any trail for pedestrian use be at least 30 m away
• that the waterfront be free of structures and buildings
• that all construction near the water and wetland occur outside the turtle season or that adequate protections (e.g. exclusion fencing) be placed to ensure no turtles are injured
• that alternatives to filling in the wetland be found

Additional documentation for this proposed development can be found here