COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

That Council review the disposition of purported funds ($200,000), referred to in a document of the former City of Kanata, dated September 1988, regarding a proposed Kanata Lakes community centre.

Recommandation du Comité

Que le Conseil examine la disposition de soi-disant fonds (200 000 $), auxquels il est fait référence dans un document de l’ancienne Ville de Kanata en date de septembre 1988, concernant le projet de centre communautaire de Kanata Lakes.

DOCUMENTATION

1. Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee report dated 21 March 2006 (ACS2006-CCV-PRA-0002).

Report to/Rapport au :

Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee

Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux

and Council / et au Conseil

21 March 2006 / le 21 mars 2006

Submitted by/Soumis par : Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee/Comité consultatif sur les parcs et les loisirs

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Stephanie Brown Bellefeuille, Advisory Commitee Coordinator/Coordinatrice de comités consultatifs

(613) 580-2424 x16760, stephanie.brown@ottawa.ca

Ref N°: ACS2006-CCV-PRA-0002

SUBJECT:	disposition of kanata lakes community centre deposit

OBJET :	DISPOSITION DU DÉPÔT DU CENTRE COMMUNAUTAIRE DE KANATA LAKES

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee recommend that the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee recommend that Council review the disposition of purported funds ($200,000), referred to in a document of the former City of Kanata, dated September 1988, regarding a proposed Kanata Lakes community centre.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité consultatif sur les parcs et les loisirs recommande au Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux de recommander à son tour au Conseil d’examiner la disposition de soi-disant fonds (200 000 $), auxquels il est fait référence dans un document de l’ancienne Ville de Kanata en date de septembre 1988, concernant le projet de centre communautaire de Kanata Lakes.

BACKGROUND

Over the last year, discussion at Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meetings have occasionally focused on the need for community centres in certain areas across the City, as well as funds previously belonging to, and targeted for, community centres, that since amalgamation have been redirected into a collective ‘cache’.

In particular, during a staff presentation on development charges in April 2005, PRAC Member Jim Malone inquired into the whereabouts of a $200,000 deposit, referred to in a letter (attached as Document 1), written by the former City of Kanata’s Planning and Engineering Department to Campeau Corporation, discussing a proposed sale of undeveloped lands, and references a “…commitment by Campeau Corporation to building a community building with parking, and services…Security in the amount of $200,000 is required to ensure its completion.” Staff from the Parks and Recreation department responded that these funds were likely part of legacy funds that were re-invested into the City’s cache, following amalgamation, and that until such time that Council deems it a departmental priority, the department does not have the resources to research the disposition of these funds.

On March 15, 2006, the PRAC Coordinator responded to an emailed request from Mr. Malone (on behalf of the Kanata Lakes Community Association), for a written response to his enquiry (Document 2).

DISCUSSION

At their March meeting, when the matter was raised again and staff provided the same response, the PRAC agreed to bring forward a Motion that would advise Council of the issue and request an update. Accordingly, the following was unanimously approved:

WHEREAS there was a commitment from the Campeau Corporation to the former City of Kanata to build a community centre with parking and services in Kanata Lakes (Marchwood/Lakeside, as documented in correspondence dated September 13, 1988); and,

WHEREAS a security deposit of $200,000 was made to ensure its completion;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee request that the Health, Recreation, and Social Services Committee investigate the disposition of these funds, in order that the funds may be released and the project may move forward.

CONSULTATION

No public consultation was carried out with regards to this Motion.

Staff in Community and Protective Services, Parks and Recreation Branch reviewed the limited archival files available and discussed the matter with former City of Kanata staff familiar with the project in order to retrieve the lost corporate memory. Neither Planning and Growth Management nor Legal staff have had an opportunity to initiate the exhaustive search of records required to track the disposition of the item and, therefore, the following is being provided as an initial response.

During the period that Campeau Corporation was the owner of the lands and through the selling of these lands to Genstar, conceptual plans were prepared showing a network of trails, a boardwalk on the northern edge of the Beaver Pond and a “structure” linked to the boardwalk.

Although the attached letter (1988) confirms the former City of Kanata’s intent to transfer the legal obligation of $200,000 for a community building, we cannot confirm at this date that the former obligations from Campeau to Genstar and finally to KNL were not included as conditions imposed at the time of subdivision approvals.

Staff can take away this direction for further research.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 – City of Kanata letter to Burke-Robertson, Chadwick and Ritchie, September 13, 1988

Document 2 – Email from PRAC Member Jim Malone to Committee Coordinator

DISPOSITION

CPS staff will act on the direction of Committee and Council.

Document 2

-----Original Message-----
From: Brown, Stephanie
Sent: March 16,2006 3:00 PM
To: 'DJ Malone'
Cc: 'Richard.Fleming@redcross.ca'
Subject: RE: 2006 Workplan

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your email. Where you have already recieved a response (as you note), to your own enquiry, during the Planning and Growth Management presentation at PRAC, April 2005, I would then suggest that Kanata Lakes Community Association could put forward its own formal request to the City on the matter, in order to ensure the formal response/follow-up desired.

I think your workplan suggestion is a good starter; if this is something the committee as a whole would like to add, perhaps the wording could be broadened to encompass all such ventures by the department, throughout the City, such as "To work closely with the department in support of the development of recreational (programs?) and facilities, with particular focus on those areas experiencing sufficent growth and demand..." that could probably tightened up a bit, but just a suggestion.

Stephanie

-----Original Message-----
From: DJ Malone [mailto:djmalone@sympatico.ca]
Sent: March 15,2006 1:16 AM
To: Brown, Stephanie; Richard Fleming
Cc: DJ Malone
Subject: 2006 Workplan

Hello ,

Last year you will recall,I tabled correspondence dated September 13,1988 from the City of Kanata's Director of Planning(D. Krajaefski) and City Engineer and Director of Operations(J. Harkness) to the law firm Burke-Robertson,Chadwick and Ritchie in response to a proposal by Campeau Corporation with respect to the sale of the undeveloped land in Marchwood/Lakeside (Kanata Lakes).The letter was in reference to: Campeau/City Negotiations - Kanata Lakes File: PDE 0207

Contained in this letter under condition #5 is the following statement: "In addition,Kanata Parks & Recreation have a commitment by Campeau to building a community building with parking,and services which it wants to pass on to the purchaser.Security in the amount of $200,000.00 is required to ensure its completion."

The lands were subsequently sold to Genstar Development with all the City of Kanata's conditions.

The response I received from the City last year was unacceptable(too busy,requires research).The Kanata Lakes Community Association is requesting a written response to our enquiry on the status of this commitment and the disposition of the secured funds.

With further regard to the Workplan,the following should be added under objective #6: "To work closely with P&R Branch in support of the development of new Recreation Complexes e.g Kanata North".

Note: If the KNcomplex was located in Kanata Lakes with accommodation for the KLCA,it would resolve this issue. Just a thought....

Cheers,Jim