The meeting was chaired by Councilor and Chair of the Planning and Development Committee, Denis Hickey, who did an excellent job of balancing the discussion to ensure all parties who wished to speak were able to put forward their thoughts. Twenty-three (23) people participated in the Zoom meeting, of which, we estimate that 14 were residents of the Community. Concerns of vandalism, garbage dumping, trespassing, and illicit consumption of narcotics and alcohol at the site, were put forward by some residents of the community as reasons for favoring a rezoning to Rural Low Density.

Our Association drove home the message that more recreation facilities, walking trails, and green spaces are needed in the Community. We noted that our Community is growing rapidly, and the Justina Centre and Kelly Park (summer) recreation facilities are overburdened. We also stressed that for 8 months, there is no outdoor (winter) recreation program because there are no facilities, i.e., no ski or snowshoeing trails, no sliding, or snowboarding hills, no outdoor skating rink for family gatherings, etc. In the Town’s Recreation Master Plan, residents repeatedly identified the potential to utilize the ski hill as a year-round amenity satisfying both summer and winter needs of residents of all ages.  We also noted that there is a recent precedent for the Town buying private property to preserve green space, e.g., Stack’s Point, and the Kelly Park Extension.  We suggested that the Town should consider buying the ski hill property to also preserve it for the use of the public. Money from the sale of Green Space/Town Assets building lots in new subdivisions, a requirement put in place by the Town for the very reason of preserving green space, could be used to purchase the property as was done for Stack’s Point.

 As of Thursday, we had 88 confirmed residents in our Community sign the petition “saying no” to rezoning.

Stay tuned for more updates and Residents of LBMCOC please share the petition link (https://www.change.org/SaveTheLump with other residents in the community. A thriving community is an inclusive one that needs among other things a diversity of recreational facilities. We need more recreation facilities, more outdoor programs, keep more green spaces, and maintain the Town’s rural character.

Many thanks for moral support to all online supporters.