Former Mayor Larry Di Ianni and Mr. Ecklund's daughter Erika

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LARRY'S CORNER- Hamilton's Former Mayor Speaks

former Mayor of Hamilton, Larry Di Ianni Transformers in Winona: Revenge of the Changelings

By Larry Di Ianni
(posted July 10, 2009)

As we head into the dog-days of summer, Council is dealing with some important issues. What I learned in the Mayor’s chair during my tenure is that the ebb and flow of municipal politics never stops and doesn’t really respect seasons or holidays. Every day is an important day.

Because of some changed votes, the expected cliff-hanger on the Penady proposal for commercial development along 50 Road and the Service road in Winona was actually a 10-6 solid victory for the proposed land use. Had Council turned this development down, it would have had to face an anti-business criticism. The criticism would have been deserved. In supporting the proposal, Council avoided that nasty label. This was only made possible because a couple of key members of Council (the Mayor and Councillor Whitehead notably) changed their votes. They did the right thing. Even though it was done awkwardly, Mayor Fred landed on the right side of the issue. Whether he damaged himself politically by seeming indecisive is another story; but kudos must to go to someone who, even belatedly, does the right thing.

As a whole, Council also did the right thing in supporting the contentious Winona commercial development. Those who didn’t support the development because of the change in zoning from employment industrial lands to commercial lands needed to face up to the reality that the change had occurred. Having lost that battle, which was a good one to fight at the time, the choice now was between leaving the lands empty and kissing goodbye to a multi million dollar investment with its concomitant jobs, or allowing a commercial use to follow a commercial zoning.

This issue may well end up at the OMB, but it will do so with Council being on the right side of the ledger. Staff can support Council’s actions at such a hearing on technical merits; and opponents will have a harder time supporting their stand without Council’s political support. In fact, the opposition should not waste their money and the city’s resources on a challenge that will likely be supported at the OMB. The only fly in the ointment at this stage might be a provincial intervention, but that isn’t likely given Council’s prerogative right on zoning issues, as well as the solid vote in support of the application.

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