Dear Mayor and Council:   Tuesday, July 18 at 8:15 AM

On behalf of the community associations of Sandy Hook and East Porpoise Bay, I am requesting standing as a delegation to the meeting of Council on Wednesday July 19, to address the request for decision on the Silverback application.  In attendance will be Peter Harvey, president, and Sue Jackel, vice-president of SHCA, and Lorraine Gallant, president of EPBRA.

We realize that requests for hearing as a delegation should reach you before the agenda is set.  However, the agenda item on Silverback arose out of a planning committee meeting only last Tuesday, and our respective boards needed time to meet and authorize this request to be heard.

We will summarize our remarks and have them available in writing at or before the meeting.  In essence, we expect to ask Council to approve the first of the planner's recommendations, the one concerning public consultation, with some specifics attached concerning purpose, participants and format.  However, to assure that this takes place in a constructive and effective manner, we will ask that Council delay consideration of the second motion until a September meeting of Council--in effect, to table it.

As a precedent for this action, we draw Council's attention to its own recent practice concerning the request for a supporting letter for a liquor licence from the owners of the Lighthouse Pub, pending resolution of concerns from the public.  The developer's request was tabled, then lifted from the table when there was evidence of good-faith communication and compromise.

As an alternative, we will recommend that Council direct Porpoise Bay Development Ltd. to revise their proposal.  However, this alternative is not particularly effective unless accompanied by some specific directions for revision.  We believe it will save time for everyone if the development team can hear directly from affected communities before the application goes to first reading, and so have an opportunity to incorporate improvements into their proposal sooner rather than later.

We would very much like to have confirmation that we will be permitted to speak at the beginning of the meeting.  Please have Connie convey your decision by tomorrow morning, if possible.  But in any event, we will be at the meeting, with our written requests and the rationale behind them, for the consideration of Council.

The Community Associations

Wednesday, July 19 at 9:33 AM

I'm not sure Sue understands the process, First reading will put this issue to a public hearing which is when all concerned citizens can make presentations regarding the proposal. I think that would be a better place for her to address her concerns. Can you contact her with this info so she doesn't waste her time this evening. I would be inclined to refuse her as a delegation tonight.

C. Barry Poole

Wednesday, July 19 at 4:01 PM

 I do understand the process,

and it is our intention to arrive at 7:15 with a request to be heard as a

delegation, to address agenda item 10.1.  The speakers would be Lorraine

Gallant (3 minutes), Peter Harvey (3 minutes) and me (5 minutes).   We will

have written versions of our comments for all Council members and staff, and

for the press and public.  We wish to make the case for Council to table the

motion from the planning committee around Silverback, pending resolution of

the gaps in the public consultations to date.

If you rule that we may not be heard as a delegation, our written materials

will nevertheless be there, and we will instead ask questions on the agenda

item based on those materials, as the process permits.

Connie, could you please forward this to all Councillors?  It's late, but

they may get it before the meeting.  Thanks.