Haldi Residents Raise Questions of Conflict
Friday, April 19, 2013 @ 7:35 AM
Prince George,B.C.- The spokesman for the Haldi Road Residents Association , the group that has been trying to stop the development of a Women’s Recovery Centre in the old Haldi Rd school at 5877 Leslie Road, has written Mayor and Council, attaching a legal opinion letter that deals with their concerns Mayor Green has acted in conflict.
Specifically, they are concerned about her deliberations with the re zoning and OCP change at the 5877 Leslie Rd location and her support on a proposal by Brian Fehr of the Bid Group that would have CANFOR and Bid Group develop a training centre at the old Rustad Mill site.
In the letter to Mayor and Council, Tore Petterson asks that the current application for the official community plan change, and the rezoning by law be declared invalid because of the Mayor’s personal relationship with Brian Fehr.
Attached to Petterson’s letter to Council is a letter of legal opinion from John Alexander, a lawyer in Victoria who is highly respected in matters of municipal law in B.C.
In his letter of opinion Alexander writes:
“In my respectful view, if the facts as set out above are correct, Mayor Green improperly participated in virtually all aspects of the Leslie Rd Property matter in front of council , and the only realistic way to restore confidence that council is acting only in the public interest , would be to commence the process afresh, once Mayor Green properly declared a conflict and carefully complied with the requirements of section 101(2) of the Community Charter to refrain from any involvement in the proposal.”
Alexander says if Council fails to act on the issue that has been raised by the Haldi Rd Association and passes the OCP change and the re-zoning application making the changes law, it then could be challenged in court. Tore Pettersen says the Haldi residents are prepared to see the matter through.
The Women’s Recovery Centre has been before Prince George City Council since September 2011 when a numbered company, of which Fehr was one of the principals, applied for a re- zoning of the property. Then Councillor Green participated in discussions in regard to the re zoning and voted on the re zoning.
That re zoning application fell at the hands of the court and a new proposal was put forward which required an OCP change. In their application the principals, (including the Bid Group) said the facility would be used for a women’s treatment centre on a pay as you go basis. Women who attended the facility would be charged about $6500.00 a month for treatment. They estimate about 30 women would be able to use the facility on an ongoing basis.
In the matter of the proposal to create a new Trades Training facility in the City of Prince George, the Haldi Rd residents point to the fact that Mayor Green supports a proposal being put forth by CANFOR and Bid Group that would see BCIT take over the location on part of the old Rustad Mill. The Province was being asked to provide $10 million dollars towards the project.
In a campaign promise, NDP leader Adrian Dix says the NDP pledges to spend $80 million over 3 years to improve BC skills and training apprenticeship systems for students and employers.
The Liberals have said they did not want to entertain the idea of the Rustad site development because any expansion for trades training should take place at local colleges if funds become available.
Don Wright recently resigned as head of BCIT to, as he said, take a chance at becoming a senior bureaucrat in the NDP government. Adrian Dix is quoted as saying,"Wright was my first choice".
When CANFOR and Bid made a presentation to Prince George City Council, seeking endorsement for the project, the presenters said their contribution would be about $10 million dollars and they were seeking another $10 million from government.
NDP leader Dix says he has visited the site several times and Dix said he wouldn’t discount that kind of participation if his team forms the next government.
In a letter to Mayor Shari Green on February 20th, 2012, CANFOR spokesperson Christine Kennedy seeks support from the City of Prince George. A copy of that letter is sent to Brian Fehr, of Bid Construction and to Marshall Smith.
In 2011 Mayor Green, then a councillor, excused herself from voting in the final reading of the Haldi Rd School matter after she agreed that she was in conflict on the matter because one of the principals in the re-zoning application was Marshall Smith who was actively involved in her Mayoral election campaign.
Just a few months later, in March of 2012, Mayor Green chaired the meeting at which the proposal for the training center received endorsement from Council.
Bid ‘s Brian Fehr, in a recent interview with the National Post described Mayor Shari Green as an "old friend" . That followed on the heels of a hand written note from Mayor Green to Brian Fehr in which she wrote, in part "I just want to send you a quick note to give you my support over the outrageous comments Pat Bell made about you when I met with him a few weeks ago in Victoria" It goes on further to say ,"I don’t know if he thought that would intimidate me or was an attempt to sway me against you, but it failed miserably".
Fourth and final reading of the two by laws that would see the OCP and zoning change for the Leslie Rd property are set to be dealt with at City Council Monday night.
Comments
I just don’t understand this whole situation. At first I was on the side of the Haldi Road Residents. I assumed that this was a visible school built right in the middle of a bustling neighbourhood.
Just last week I went to go check it out for myself. At first, I couldn’t even find the school. I eventually found that the school is on an isolated back road. From what I saw, there is only one house that can even see the school grounds. Anything that happens at that school will literally have ZERO impact on the greater neighbourhood.
Looking at the homes in the area it seems to be an awkward mix of backwoods/redneck style homes and large upper-middle class homes. Haldi road seemed less like a traditional neighbourhood and more like any other rural place with homes placed along a winding road.
After actually checking out the area, I find it sad that the Haldi Road residents have made such an issue out of this. There are people in our society that need help with their recovery. While recovering, people need a good facility to attend. The vacant, isolated, Haldi Road Elementary school is the ideal location for this. The Haldi Road residents need to realize that they are writing a textbook definition of NIMBYism and are acting like fools.
Even if there is a perceved conflict the Mayor should remove herself from the file.
Does Alison Redford case ring any bells?
Summit. With all the land around Prince George, why is it necessary to locate this facility on Haldi Road.?? Especially if the residents of the area do not want it there.???
Once you open up the zoning then you also open up the possibility of other facilities locating in the area.
People have a right to oppose these types of things, and business and the City have a responsibility to take into consideration the concerns of citizens before they do what ever the hell they wish.
The citizens of Haldi Road are opposed to having this facility located in their area. They are entitled to some representation from their elected members of Council (Which is seriously lacking). Most of the representation from Council is for the business interests.
Don’t confuse the need for a facility with the need to locate this facility in this particular area. It can be located anywhere, and if there is such a huge need, then the Provincial Government should be involved, because at the end of the day, this is a medical, social, issue, and is really the responsibility of the Provincial Government.
Have a nice day.
“There are people in our society that need help with their recovery”…….
True but can they afford the $6500/month price tag?
The roads to the Haldi school could not stand up to to heavy truck use on a daily basis. If the city thinks this is such a perfect place then they should extend sewer and water to that location.
“The roads to the Haldi school could not stand up to to heavy truck use on a daily basis. If the city thinks this is such a perfect place then they should extend sewer and water to that location.”
Not trying to start a fight, but why would a recovery centre necessitate heavy truck use along Haldi road? How is it any different than when the facility was a functioning elementary school?
Summit doesn’t live in the area but thinks those that do, have no business not wanting the institution in their neighborhood.
People with that type of attitude are usually found to lead countries like Iran and North Korea!
Summit chastizing the Haldi Rd people when Summit doesn’t know squat about the issues surrounding this institution.
Where do you live Summit? Can we build it in your neighborhood?
Daily water trucks. The last year the school was open, the water couldn’t be used other than for toilets. Bottled water was provided due to the water quality.
Not only that, but the dirt portion of Leslie Road connecting to the Blackwater is supposed to be the route used for excess traffic (visitors, deliveries, employees) but is impassable unless you have 4WD. I have pictures of the mud holes there last year.
There is more than “NIMBYism” here. City didn’t listen, didn’t even pretend to listen – the last council meeting it was obvious they had their minds made up and just put on a show – and now there is obviously conflict of interest. Concerns weren’t listened to or even addressed.
When the lagoon overflows (and it will) no one will be held responsible. When the roads fall apart even more the city won’t fix them. Not only that, but they want to run a home-based business which is in direct conflict with the OCP – homebased businesses cannot be ran in conjuction with a therapeutic center/institution which city council ignored as apparently the OCP is just an expensive ‘guideline.’
Gitterdun: Yes, and don’t forget upgrading Leslie Road from Sabrina to Blackwater Road to take care of the heavy water hauling traffic – oh, they will need to purchase this roadway first, then spend about a quarter million bucks to bring it to standard —- all for the $2750 the city received for the application fee. Now fellow taxpayers: How do you feel about that? Dig deeper, folks!
I’m right in the middle of town and would have no issue with something like this built in my neighbourhood. There is a facility for abused women/children near me, and it is as normal a place as any other home on the area.
“People with that type of attitude are usually found to lead countries like Iran and North Korea!” Dragonmaster, did you forget to take your pills this morning?
Excellent info, thanks peegee.
But is it a facility that houses 30 people plus employees near you?
I don’t live there and I don’t agree with the location proposed. This facility would easily fit in with my neighbourhood – I wouldn’t notice high density housing as I live in town and the extra traffic and people would have minimal impact on myself. But having high density housing in the middle of a rural residential neighbourhood of primarily single family residences (might be a couple basement suites in the area) just doesn’t fit.
I work for a living, I pay my taxes, one of the few decisions I get to make in my life is – were to live. My home is my castle…it may not be big and fancy…BUT IT IS MINE. It is all I have. Comments made by some of the posts highlight the cultural differences between urbanites and rural area residents.
1. We want to be here.
2. It is more expensive to live here, we accept that.
3. We are self-sufficient.
4. We care for our neighbours.
5. I can feed my family and I do not need a can opener to do it.
While I understand how some people may be confused on why we will not stop pursuing our right to say no to this endeavour. My question to everyone one is WHEN DID THIS COUNTRY BECOME COMMUNIST…WHERE WE HAVE NO SAY…ARE SHOT DOWN AND DEMORIALISHED FOR OBJECTING TO A CHANGE IN OUR WAY OF LIFE. We did not ask business to come to us…they came to us thinking we know nothing, can be easily intimidated and where they have the potential of making big bucks exploiting our way of like.
Remember one thing: Given a natural disaster who would you rather gather with? Who would you trust with your family’s wellbeing?
1. A farmer
2. A hunter
3. A naturalist
4. A banker
5. A politician
1, 2, 3 have my votes but I would never turn my back on 4 & 5.
The people of this city should be aware that just like BBK and the Haldi Fiascoes there will be more than one precedence set. This will affect the WHOLE CITY. The next one will be the Golf course. – By the way I saw employees of the car dealership parking there this morning. I would rather pay for that golf course than the one that we are paying for now that is suppose to be run by membership money and not with the help of our tax dollars.
Summit – are you aware all people are not treated equally by this city? The planning department apparently shut down more than one rezoning attempt at the old Nechako School and apparently told the owner no zoning would go through unless he paid to hook up to city sewer – Huh? So can someone tell us the difference? The Haldi people were promised water and sewer from this city over 30 years ago when they amalgamated?
Its not stainable the road bans are on and the water truck traffic will be every hour⦠The Green Blob needs to go⦠this is a pay back for her buddy Brian nothing more⦠they donât care where it goes just sell it back to the government for a nice profit in a few years
Not at all Summit, just pointing out character types.
Why did we only hear that the facility would target clients at $6500 a month only after the zoning was all but passed. IMO it was deception to get city residents on side thinking that local women would be the primary beneficiaries of the center. If this business model does not succeed will the perimeter fences be topped with barbed wire and in custody addicts accepted? Entirely possible once the zoning is in place.
When the Haldi area joined the city one of the things that they were promised was city services such as water and sewer. They are still waiting after some 30 odd years.
One thing that caught my attention at the public hearing was the amount of water required for the sprinkler systems, and that the pickup for domestic water must be situated so it does not draw on this reserve. This would mean even more frequent water deliveries or getting bigger cisterns.
I hope the residents obtain a court injunction Tuesday morning and can drag this out till next civic election.
Well said workingstiff. Unfortunately we are surrounded by those that don’t care about others at all when it comes to their own personal wealth.
Anything for a buck right? Walk over anyone for a buck right?
City website at 3rd reading – Mr Wilbur did not want to vote that night stating he wanted to read the section of the OCP. – Huh? So why did you not do your homework Mr Wilbur? You had 2 years to familiarize yourself with the OCP since becoming Councillor yet you voted anyways.
This council and mayor should take head. They were forewarned by the Haldi Road lawyer more than once in the past two years and were even given the material to read by the Lawyer Roy Stewart and the information from the Supreme court judge. Are they now going to bash another lawyer this time as Mr Wilbur did the first go around?
The problem is like Green stated – An applicant can reapply over and over. We need to have this council and especially the planning department held more accountable. Some should be fired over this in my opinion as all in the city work for us the taxpayers not special interest groups.
City website on agenda April 22/13 – This will affect the WHOLE CITY not just one area.
H1. 8474 – City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 8474, 2012 (Final Reading and Adoption)
APPLICANT: L&M Engineering Ltd. for 0911408 B.C. Ltd.
LOCATION: 5877 Leslie Road
H2. 8475 – City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 8475, 2012 (Final Reading and Adoption)
APPLICANT: L&M Engineering Ltd. for 0911408 B.C. Ltd.
LOCATION: 5877 Leslie Road (Text Amendment)
Well said Summit. Gosh, I wish this would just end. It’s cost us taxpayers a ton of money and for what. It’s happening no matter what anyone says…so move on.
Doesn’t sound like “it’s happening” at all mythoughts. This thing will be tied up in court for a long long time. The grounds for overturning council just keeps growing and growing. So no need to despair, mythoughts. The money is actually for a good cause this time…JUSTICE.
Green should run as a Lieberal candidate. After her shenanigans in the position of mayor of PG she would fit in real well. The old native saying “speaks with a fork tongue” applies quite readily.
A few years back a pub was built on O’Grady Road against the wishes of the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Thankfully, it did not thrive as the area was already saturated with similar type businesses.
It is now occupied by more appropriate establishments that fit in with the existing neighborhood scheme.
We saw, first hand, how difficult it is to go up against city council and how the citizen’s opinions are not always valued.
I wish the residents of Haldi Road all the best in their struggle to have their voices heard; it is not an easy battle.
Posted by: mythoughts on April 19 2013 2:15 PM
Well said Summit. Gosh, I wish this would just end. It’s cost us taxpayers a ton of money and for what. It’s happening no matter what anyone says…so move on.
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You belong in council first chair left of the Mayor. They need one more puppet.
This council is used to the bend over types but what this council needs, is lesson on laws and the community charter.
$6500. per month for treatment That is a lot of money that only the rich can afford, or are they hoping that the government will pick up the tab. If this goes through (I hope it doesn’t) why would anyone that can afford this go to a treatmet centre that has no trac record of their successes or failures. I would shop around.
Haldie Road residence stick to your guns, I think in the end you wll suceed. Good luck.
Don’t forget to donate to Haldi road cause!
Forget the Rustad site! It will take more that 10 million to clean it up! Properly fund the schools we have now. Trades budget slashed again, welding upgrade classes cancelled because ITA doesn’t want to fund the classes while 50 people are on the wait list. Another school is going to help this how?
Marshall Smith made his pitch to council it would cost $750.00 per bed then it went to $4500 then now to $6500.00.
The L&M engineering group made up a phoney water report and got busted in the act.
Mayor Green was forced to admit by Meisner on his radio talk show that she was in conflict of interest with Marshall Smith; Smith was on Mayor Greenâs campaign on her bid for the Mayors chair in 2011. Marshall Smith is employed by Brian Fehr and to add insult to injury the public finds out Mayor Green being an old friend to Fehr.
Mayor Green had no business from the beginning of the first go around to take part in the discussion of the Haldi road rezoning or any other project Brian Fehr has before council.
So now the recovery centre admin, would like Haldi residence to trust this recovery centre organization?
I think this will not happen!
This City council has made no effort in righting this wrong.
This Mayor is just making it more wrong with each passing day.
A resignation is not enough justice.
this continues to be a battle that is paid by both the taxpayers and haldi road residents in both instances… if you haven’t made the connection,they happen to be taxpayers too!..they are paying twice…this facility is doomed to fail as the $6500, although too rich for most drug addicted people, is still not enough to make it viable for the long haul…ask crossroad in Kelowna!! govt funding is a must if you aren’t running a celebrity rehab that costs $20,000 plus a month…this is nothing more than a money making venture by the owners of the property and a lost cause for the well meaning service providers..check out what has transpired at baldy hughes and the conflict of interest is just icing on the cake
Good information Meisner! Why is the Prince George Citizen not reporting on any of Green’s shenanigans….guess they are only interested in nailing Skakun…her only opponent on council.
Haldi residents deserve a lot of credit for unfortunately having to use the courts to get the city to act legally in regards to the OCP. Also unfortunatley, some label them as NIMBY’s. Is it a crime to want to defend one’s neighborhood? I think reverse NIMBYISM is worse when those who DO NOT LIVE IN THE AREA want to push such a facility into the Haldi area…..something they would not want in their own back yard and that is a perfect definition of BULLYING. Bullying vs. Nimby…I say GO HALDI GO. I admire you for taking on City Hall and hope justice will be served. I recognize your fight is not just for Haldi but for all of the City of Prince George because if the OCP amendment is passed…..City Council will have the power to put whatever they want wherever they want and all the good work that went into developing the OCP will be a waste of time and taxpayers money.
I hope the whole of the City of Prince George gets behind the Haldi fight to defend citizens’ rights.
The 4th reading will be held on Monday, April 22nd and anyone concerned about their neighborhood should attend and show council we want fair treatment….not rubber stamping investors’ schemes for profit at the expense of taxpaying citizens.
Good information Meisner! Why is the Prince George Citizen not reporting on any of Green’s shenanigans….guess they are only interested in nailing Skakun…her only opponent on council.
Haldi residents deserve a lot of credit for unfortunately having to use the courts to get the city to act legally in regards to the OCP. Also unfortunatley, some label them as NIMBY’s. Is it a crime to want to defend one’s neighborhood? I think reverse NIMBYISM is worse when those who DO NOT LIVE IN THE AREA want to push such a facility into the Haldi area…..something they would not want in their own back yard and that is a perfect definition of BULLYING. Bullying vs. Nimby…I say GO HALDI GO. I admire you for taking on City Hall and hope justice will be served. I recognize your fight is not just for Haldi but for all of the City of Prince George because if the OCP amendment is passed…..City Council will have the power to put whatever they want wherever they want and all the good work that went into developing the OCP will be a waste of time and taxpayers money.
I hope the whole of the City of Prince George gets behind the Haldi fight to defend citizens’ rights.
The 4th reading will be held on Monday, April 22nd and anyone concerned about their neighborhood should attend and show council we want fair treatment….not rubber stamping investors’ schemes for profit at the expense of taxpaying citizens.
If indeed the legal opinion the residents got is credible then this could get interesting.
The courts could consider the argument that the mayor was in conflict of interest because of her close personal relationship with not only Marshall Smith but also his boss and landowner Brian Fehr.
municipal and provincial jurisdictions lining up for the merge.
same big and big money backers have flip flopped.
appalling… it is BC “dirtatics” like never before.
if it looks and smells like corruption… it usually is.
City government acts like a third world kangaroo court and the Citizen paper seems to be their Pravda. Just a observation in similarities.
I agree with the kangaroo court comparison.
The Mayor seems to be the judge and jury, on a lot of the issues before Council.
She will try to ram through the sale of the Pine Valley Golf also. Seems most of what gets to Council is being pushed by the Mayor, and the financial committee, of which Stoltz is the Chair.
Little if any consideration to any of these issue’s are being given to tax paying citizens. The focus is on getting the business proponents what they want.
We need our Councilors to stand up and represent the issue’s from the viewpoint of the effected citizens as well as the business interests so that we have a balanced debate before any voting takes place.
This rarely if ever happens, and the local citizens usually get it in the ear.
We are poorly represented at City Hall and this has to change.
“more like any other rural place with homes placed along a winding road.” Exactly Summit. Emphasis on Rural. Low density, that is why we live here and that is how we would like to keep it.
“vacant, isolated, Haldi Road Elementary school” The school has been a residence since 2004. It is only vacant now because the present owners assumed that they could push in this facility and prematurely gutted it. Many homes in this community cannot see their neighbours. This doesn’t mean that they do not impact each other.
” textbook definition of NIMBYism and are acting like fools.” So does this mean that residents of PG are to sit back and continue to watch backdoor deals happen in our neighbourhoods. We were promised a fair process from the very beginning of this proposal. Transparency. Remember. We are still waiting.
Palopu…..speaking of getting it in the ear….
Awhile back I was given a letter that is from the PGRPAC (performing arts society) asking for donations and membership sales. The letter states “we have reached a critical point in bringing a Performing Arts Centre to Prince George”. Okay, that’s fine, except the letter came with a Initiatives Prince George letterhead. The name on the letter is Jill Mooney and the contact e-mail is Jill Mooney at IPG. So is this what we get for our money for IPG ? Fund raising for the PAC on company time using IPG stationary and e-mail ?
Middle Finger I believe that IPG gave a large amount of money to the PGRPAC to promote a PAC in Prince George. The City is also working with the group.
The City will tell you that the PAC is not on the table as a capital project, however it would probably be more accurate to say that it is not on the table as a project until after the Winter Games. Then look out.
They are building support for the PAC through memberships and donations, and will be looking to the Fed’s and Province to provide some money. In fact the recent changes to the Fed Gas Tax money to Municipalities will allow them to use the gas money for cultural events.
At the end of the day, the City will provide the land for the building, (probably where the old Police Station is presently located or adjacent to the Keg)
They will show the **interest** in the community through the members of the PAC Socitety, and then they will access the Ciotys portion of the **investment** by taking money out of the Capital Projects Fund. This will allow them to build the PAC without a borrowing any money (therefore no Alternate Approval Process, and no referendum, thus effectively bypassing the taxpayers to build a venue for the vested interest groups.
This should all take place within the next three or four years.
The City is always working in the background pushing its silent agenda.
Now is probably a bad time to ask the NDIT fund for a “pay you later when we can” type of loan.
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