Prince George, B.C.- Residents of the Haldi Road area have filed court action against the City of Prince George over the changes made to allow the development of a women’s recovery centre at the old Haldi Road School.

 

The action is based on three issues. 

1.      that the amendment to the Official Community Plan is not valid because it allows an institutional use in a residential neighbourhood, 

2.      that if that Court finds the OCP amendment invalid it must also strike down the rezoning of the property and

3.      the action asks the Court to determine if Mayor Shari Green was in conflict when she participated in discussions and votes on  this matter.

 

On the question of conflict, the action focuses on the Mayor’s relationship with a co-owner of the property, Brian Fehr. Fehr was quoted in a National Post article saying the Mayor was “an old friend”. He had been asked about his relationship with Mayor Green after a note, said to have been written by Green , surfaced.

 

The Mayor has stated “The only relationship I have to any of the applicants in this matter, is that of community acquaintance. Like I have with hundreds of people I’ve met throughout our City in my time in local government.” She says she is not in conflict and participated in the final vote on the matter.

 

Council gave final approval to the OCP amendment and rezoning on April 22^nd.

 

This is not the first time the Haldi residents have launched action against the City on this matter. They challenged the rezoning  saying the  City had not acted within reason in approving the re-zoning by-law outside of what the Official Community Plan stipulates is a rural residential area.

 

The court ruled in their favour in August of last year, and the City then came back with amendments to the OCP.

 

 

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