Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 27/98) - City council has told the planning and lands department that either it is not listening or it is ignoring public concerns about an ambitious plan for the land around the airport.

"If the rulings are based on what was said -- none of these address that," said Ald. Dave Ramsay Monday night.

"This difference of opinion (expressed at by members of the public at a recent hearing) needs to be given a little more respect and consideration," said Ald. Robert Slaven.

Ald. Peggy Near said the department's rulings were "biased," "opinionated" and "somewhat inconsistent and almost contradictory."

The three aldermen were referring to responses from city hall to objections raised earlier this month at a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of the 566-hectare airport property.

The airport wants to open the land to more industrial and commercial development.

Of the four who spoke at the meeting, only airport manager Tom Cook gave unqualified support for the rezoning, which was requested by the airport.

The responses, known as "rulings," usually form the basis of council decisions on rezoning requests.

The ruling that rankled council most addressed the argument that the rezoning will create a more desirable alternative to the languishing Kam Lake industrial park, which would only suffer further if the airport is rezoned.

The department said that objection runs against a 1996 General Plan assertion that, "Growth is a societal goal of the city," adding that if council accepted the argument, "it is imperative and urgent to reexamine these growth policies and close the doors on progress."

Referring to the ruling as "an apparent worship of growth," Ald. Ben McDonald said it indicated to him "some panic on the part of administration and in other quarters."

During the public hearing, objectors said one of the reason lot prices in Kam Lake have suffered is the city's failure to build a road from the industrial area to Highway 3, something those who bought property there understood was in the works.

According to the rulings, the road is a long-term objective, and "not a factor that needs to be considered in the proposed rezoning."

Ramsay said those who bought property in the area and those who objected to the rezoning did not see it that way.

"It was almost as if we were dangling a carrot in front of the noses of the Kam Lake people," said Ramsay.

A special meeting of council was planned for Tuesday night to continue debate on the rulings.