Cornwall Ontario – Ever watch a bunch of unqualified people, some of whom are dumber than David Murphy debate an issue that is way out of their depth?
Council is talking about kicking back property taxes for 10 years to a real estate developer.
The property, to be used for student residences right across the street from St. Lawrence College is pretty much guaranteed to be a cash machine as there’s a shortage of student housing.
I can’t blame the developer for dipping into the trough as that’s been business as usual for far too long in this city which is why taxes are so high. Why are we subsidizing projects like this when we abandon small business and the arts which have been proven to earn more than these type of giveaways.
They do of course have less kick back opportunities or gratuities, not that this writer is suggesting an occurrence would happen with this group of council and management.
Cornwall has given too many of these deals all while having no development charges.
While some might argue without brownfield support some of these properties would not be developed, that argument just doesn’t wash evenly. This example of this corner being one of them.
Likewise, if a property needs clean up it should be reflected in its selling price. What the city is essentially doing is subsidizing land speculation for in many cases supporters and friends of those making some of those decisions.
That’s some shady murky funky smelling do dah!
Frankly if this vote goes against Gary Soules I have a hunch he’ll find a solution. It’s time that this council walk the walk and just say no to spending cash on items that simply do not pay off for the community.
Council essentially writing a cheque to Mr. Soules for $900K on the installment plan will be depriving this community of services and infrastructure cost. If you only have “X” and you spend it. You can’t buy candy, or all those friggin flowers hovering around downtown killing the aromas coming from Riley’s Bakery.
You know when Elaine Macdonald is concerned about spending public dollars an election must be getting closer.
Flipper Clement supported it, but not before whining about those supporting it that pledged to cut taxes.
At the end of the day it was an hot ugly mess that bent the taxpayer over the bedrail again.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? Is it time to stop subsidizing land speculators and developers over those that pay the bills in this community? You can post your comments below.
What else is new in Cornwall and its wacky council of DUMB AND DUMBER. Every time I look at their faces I roar with laughter and better than crying because crying wont do any good. Cornwall has been in a cesspoll of problems for a mighty long time with no development. Well that property used to be a gas station so folks hang on to your shorts – it will cost a pretty penny to clean up.
I ask where are peoples brains of having 11 counsellors for such a tiny town that never grew. You are not amalgamated and most of the area are farms and Cornwall is a farm town and nothing else. All the so called counsellors around that horseshoe are there for their own benefit and not for you. They are there for a pay cheque as well as to pull in family members like that Hebert girl.
I always thought that the previous owners of brownfields were responsible for cleaning up their left behind messes? We should not be subsidizing any developers. That
s whats wrong in Cornwall. A developer puts out his hand and the city, usually, just hands the money over through HOTC or other taxpayer bilking options. Once again the taxpayers get screwed, glued and tattooed.Hugger, good comments, regarding who is responsible for clean-up. Example, Domtar is still ultimately responsible for their hideous looking property, aren’t they, even though they flipped it ? If, I build a brand new home, can I apply for such a hand-out ? lol
When Domtar left there were contracts made and many hands out getting paid under the table so as to let Domtar go without the clean up. In order for the company to build that housing unit for students they have to clean up the land. Instead of forking out millions of dollars to clean it you the taxpayers will be responsible for that cleanup and that is the deal that they made.
Here in Ottawa our deceased friends wifes brothers own a great deal of land here in Ottawa and some on Kilborn Avenue. There are gas stations that they own as you come off Highway 31 where it becomes Bank St. and they wanted to sell the land but couldn’t unless they clean up the land themselves. To clean up the land themselves would cost a great deal of money and they are stuck with the land.
Jules,
Your friends really shouldn’t have bought the old Gas Station Land , no doubt
they bought it cheap intending to make a big profit . Fact is the Oil Companies
Should be responsibl for the clean up . We have the same contamination problem
here in Corn . Re a Gas Station / whereby our City Council is giving away 900 thousand to a developer on Mtl Road at the taxpayers expense .
Believe Me I agree with you and I think that Roberts in laws bought that gas station cheap and till today it still stands and no sale. It costs a great deal of money to clean up the area and very few people have that kind of money or just don’t want to do it and let others do the work at their expense. That gas station in Cornwall is on Montreal Rd and St. Felix St.? I remember that gas station
About bovine projectarols there are others like Caroline Hebert for one and there are others as well and they are there for themselves and not for the people. Not many make any sense at all. Speaking about not making any sense who in their right frame of mind goes and has 11 counsellors for such a tiny town that has nothing down there – this is insanity at best. No wonder I cant stop laughing.