Aerotropolis gets off the ground
By Daniel Nolan – 13 October 2010: The controversial aerotropolis project is now airborne.
Council voted 13-2 Wednesday night to approve the plan to create more industrial and commercial land on agricultural land around the Hamilton airport.
There was a last minute move by councillors Bob Bratina and Brian McHattie to refer the issue back to the economic development and planning committee and have it dealt with by the new council to be elected Oct. 25, but it was not successful.
“This is the largest urban boundary expansion in our history,” McHattie said. “This is no small decision … I think this is a wrong-headed move in so many ways … It’s a huge gamble and once you make an urban boundary expansion you don’t go back.”
Bratina and McHattie argued council does not have all the information it needs to make a proper decision on what is formally known as the Airport Employment Growth District, but the majority supported the view that the development is needed to attract businesses, create jobs, lower taxes and help rebalance the assessment pie of 70 per cent residential and 30 per cent commercial industrial.
Council first approved the concept of aerotropolis five years ago and had to make a decision on it Wednesday night or face having it start at square one for the new council and hearing from public delegations again. The planning committee recently heard from 30 delegations on the issue over the course of two days.
It was an emotional meeting. Deputy mayor and councillor Scott Duvall threatened to clear the council chamber at one point because audience members kept interrupting Councillor Terry Whitehead with catcalls. Whitehead was in support of the development.
“Food is not a business,” hollered one man. “Food is sovereignty.”
“Please let the people be heard,” said Duvall, referring to his council colleagues.
City staff say the project will bring in annual tax revenue of $52 million, and cost an estimated $353 million in infrastructure, when fully developed by 2031. A consultant has said 45 per cent of the jobs will be wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing.
It will involve about 700 hectares around the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. Council voted to add lands from a church and a farm near the airport to the original aerotropolis envelope.
Council also supported a proposal from Mayor Fred Eisenberger that after phase 1, or 33 per cent of the project is developed, the city undertake a review to assess Hamilton’s needs for additional employment lands.
Councillor Bernie Morelli said he was supporting the project because it would help create jobs. Whitehead said he didn’t understand why there was such an outcry when the project was about creating jobs and tax assessment.
Eisenberger said he realizes the importance of agricultural land, but the city needs to have employment land to attract businesses. Staff told him that without aerotropolis it only has about 1,500 acres of employment lands in Ancaster, Glanbrook and Stoney Creek.
“It’s a mixed emotion for me, but I think it’s been a long process,” the mayor said.
Councillor Chad Collins acknowledged the opposition to the project and said he respected that view. But he said the theme he hears from residents while he is out campaigning is that people want more jobs in the community.
“If you don’t have lands for employment it is hard to attract businesses,” he said, noting that there is already a complement of businesses looking for land to be developed around the airport.
McHattie said one other reason he was opposed to it was because the city was developing employable lands in Glanbrook and he believed the two sites would compete against each other.
Voting for the project were Eisenberger, Morelli, Sam Merulla, Collins, Robert Pasuta, Whitehead, Duvall, Tom Jackson, Russ Powers, Lloyd Ferguson, David Mitchell, Maria Pearson and Brad Clark. Opposed were Bratina and McHattie. Councillor Margaret McCarthy, who is not seeking re-election, was absent.
THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/267101–aerotropolis-gets-off-the-ground
