Developer accuses city of ‘slow-walking’ contentious Lemay Forest project, threatens lawsuit

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This article was published 15/03/2024 (582 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A developer planning to construct an assisted-living facility in St. Norbert’s Lemay Forest says he’s threatening legal action against the city for “slow-walking” his application.

John Wintrup, a planner for Tochal Development Group, said he submitted his application to develop a proposed 2,500-unit complex and parking lot on the 22.5-acre privately owned property on Jan. 11.

While community members trying to preserve the forest have lobbied the city to purchase the site, Wintrup said there hasn’t been any interest from government at any level, and he recently received an offer from the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Manitoba Habitat Heritage for less than half of the land’s appraised value.

Now, he wants to move forward on the proposed development, but said the city is purposely stalling the project through superfluous requests, including studies he said he wasn’t told he would need to carry out during the pre-application process last year.

“They seem to keep manufacturing reasons why this thing can’t move forward,” he said.

“Over the last 60 days, they’ve continually sent out new lists of things — ‘OK, now you have to do that, OK, now you do this.’”

Tochal Development Group’s lawyer sent a letter to city planning, property and development director Hazel Borys Friday requesting the department “move it forward without further delay” and suggested legal proceedings could be initiated.

“We would like it to be sent to a public hearing and have our right to be heard,” Wintrup said. “We will go to the court, if necessary, to get that to happen.”

On the same day Tochal’s application was filed, a motion filed by Coun. Markus Chambers calling on the city to purchase Lemay Forest failed to pass, but the property committee passed a different motion allowing the city’s chief administrator to buy the land, directing the public service to report back in 180 days.

Wintrup said he won’t wait any longer.

“They are slow-walking this, and this is not the first time I’ve seen them slow-walk something to death… considering there’s a housing crisis and there’s been announcements and talk about trying to get housing going and moving. That’s not the reality,” he said.

Chambers, who represents the St. Norbert-Seine River ward and sits on the Riel community committee, said he has yet to see Wintrup’s application and doesn’t know why he would threaten legal action.

“Nothing has come before the Riel community committee, which is the starting ground for any of these types of applications… we’re not slow-walking anything” he said.

Last year, a court ruled that two city planning officials slowed down the progress of a residential development project in Fort Garry and awarded the developer $5 million. The city is appealing that decision.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca