St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen has responded to DewCor president Danny Williams on the recent dispute around land in the Galway development area — rejecting a call for mediation, but still allowing construction to go ahead this summer.
The city offered release of up to 65 residential permits, to be serviced by a temporary one-acre site prepared to city specifications for snow storage as required. With 27 permits issued, another 38 permits will be available.
Williams responded to the offer with a public statement, thanking the city, saying it was a welcome move.
However, the issue at the centre of the dispute remains.
It is about property — one to three acres. The city asserts DewCor has an obligation to convey the land upon request, so it can use it to service the area, while Williams says that’s not the case. He’s willing to allow use of the land for snowclearing, but not sign over ownership.
Williams went public with the issue last week, suggesting a mediation process. The city said then that Breen would take some time before issuing a response.
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The mayor read out that response from the city at the regular Monday night council meeting, repeating what had been sent to DewCor in a letter earlier in the day.
As for the proposal of mediation? That’s not in the cards, Breen told reporters.
There were two, main reasons, he said.
“First of all, mediation is not binding. So if we give (all) the permits and go to mediation, well, that’s not going to solve anything because the permits are already gone. There’s no impetus for the developer to agree to anything,” he said.
The second reason gets to the heart of the matter — the impasse.
Breen said the city isn’t prepared to budge on the conveyance of the land it needs for snowclearing, and will demand it as soon as it determines exactly how much land is needed.
“It’s a regulation, not a negotiation. The regulation is that we require the land to be conveyed. And that’s our position. So if we’re not prepared to negotiate off that, then there’s not much sense in going to mediation,” he said.
“On behalf of our builders, suppliers and all associated workers within the housing construction industry, I am so pleased that work can now resume,” Williams said in the statement.
“Our position was very clear, that future potential excess snow should not hold up construction this year on what is the most exciting project in the city today.”
It stated the hope is to proceed “in a spirit of co-operation and partnership,” and that further study of snowclearing requirements at this point is “right and appropriate.”
“We all look forward to getting back to work, and I thank city council for their attention to this issue,” Williams stated.
