Urban Growth Boundaries

15 Aug 2007

• letter sent to Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco Best & Councilors

Once again the City finds itself embroiled in the divisive debate over urban growth boundaries and once again this Council will have an opportunity to demonstrate decisive leadership to bring the matter to a logical and practical resolution.

The London Chamber of Commerce is mindful and respectful of the roles played by both the City's administration and that of municipal politicians in sorting through this complex yet critically important issue. Unquestionably, the stakes are high for all involved including landowners, developers, taxpayers and quite directly the reputation of our City as a quality place to grow ones life, family, career, and business.

And, while we greatly appreciate the impact your decisions will have on those same landowners, developers and taxpayers, we are increasingly concerned about the City's reputation component of this debate.

You will know that the City has invested considerable time and taxpayer dollars to bolster our reputation as a “leading community” and one that is open and ready for business. Investments in the downtown core (the JLC, the Market, the Library to name a few) our “Industrial Lands Strategy”, the re-engineered LEDC (and its new partnership with the TechAlliance, the Stillar Centre and the London Small Business Centre) and our recent contributions to the South West Economic Assembly (SWEA) are seemingly all indications that we want to be at the centre of economic activity in this part of the province and indeed all of Canada.

More recently, efforts such as the CAO's “Bright Sky” initiative, the soon-to-be-launched “London Ambassador Program”, and the “Emerging Leaders OnBoard! initiative provide even further evidence of a community that is not only willing to work together, but a community that inherently understands that it must work together.

Such is not the case when we see the kind of division that exists between members of Council, and other stakeholders in this emotionally draining debate over urban boundaries that threatens our reputation as an intelligent, practical, leading-edge community that can progressively resolve issues of this magnitude with relative ease and civility.

What appears to be lacking is the requirement of a more fulsome and frank consultation process with all key stakeholders that embraces the need for compromise, strategic decision making, an accurate accounting of the true ROI on infrastructure investments and an immediate “cease fire” on name calling, personal attacks and insinuations that will further divide this community in ways that lessen our reputation not improve it.

We have invested far too much to suddenly turn a blind eye to intelligent development opportunities that require only a modicum of compromise to achieve all that we seek as a community – fair, balanced, affordable and responsible development that returns the proper dividends back to its citizens.

We therefore respectfully submit the following as a way getting past this current impasse.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Within reasonable timelines (by Fall of 2007) and with well drafted guidelines ask for the written and publishable responses to the issue of Urban Growth Boundaries from the following organizations: The London Economic Development Corporation, The London St. Thomas Real Estate Board, The Urban League of London, The London Chamber of Commerce, The London Home Builders Association, The London Development Institute, The London and District Labour Council and others where there exists an identifiable interest
2. Collect these response into a compendium for review by City Administration and Council.
3. Secure the services of an outside, third-party, agreed-to professional facilitator who is disconnected from the issue and whose purpose would be to lead the parties through a consultative process aimed at finding a compromised resolution to the impasse. Such facilitators can be found at the Ivey, Schulich or Rotman Schools, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs or other professionally designated facilitation experts.
4. Measure the resolution responses from the above mentioned consultation process not just against the Official Plan of the City of London but as well, against the City's Strategic Financial Plan, the overall Strategic Plan of the City, and the Mission, Aims, Goals and Objectives of the LEDC.
5. Once you can determine how best to proceed, then publish the action plan that results no later than November 30th 2007.

“All mankind is divided into three classes: those who are immovable; those who are moveable; and those who move.” Benjamin Franklin (1706-90)

Respectfully submitted by Gerry Macartney, CEO, London Chamber of Commerce, On behalf of the board of Directors

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