MANITOWANING—Assiginack Township council has now given its approval for phase two of the Sandy Point subdivision proposal, as all requirements have been satisfied.
“It’s going to bring development to the township. I’m pleased that all of this has come to a conclusion,” stated Brenda Reid, Assiginack mayor after a committee of the whole meeting last week. “Development is certainly good for the township.”
At the committee of council meeting last week, council considered a Sandy Point subdivision confirmation. Assiginack Alton Hobbs told council that the municipality township had received a directive from its legal counsel to pass a resolution as all draft conditions have been met and to provide notice to the developers and the Manitoulin Planning Board (MPB) that the draft conditions have been satisfied.
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“I don’t understand why this couldn’t have been decided months ago and why this has come back to council,” said Councillor Janice Bowerman.
“We received the directive from our legal counsel, that all draft conditions have been satisfied and that notice needs to be given to the developers and the planning board,” said Mr. Hobbs.
Council passed the resolution unanimously, and after the meeting Mr. Hobbs told The Expositor, “All the conditions have now been met. There wasn’t a stumbling block,” he said indicating it is all part of the planning process, where discussions are back and forth between all parties involved (in this case the developer, the township and the MPB). “It’s a planning process and it takes time. On behalf of council, we are happy to see it go ahead.”
Jordan Chandler, authorized agent for the developer of the Sandy Point subdivision in Assiginack, (Sunsite Estates) did not want to comment at this time.
A March 20, 2024 Expositor story titled “Island real estate developer frustrated by Assiginack’s response to expand subdivision” noted that in February of that year the MPB had given its approval to the developer of the Sandy Point Subdivision in Assiginack township (Sunsite Estates) on a request for a three year extension to the previous planning approvals provided in 2021. However, the developer said the corporation didn’t really need the expansion but due to delays from Assiginack township the approval was received.
“We really don’t need more time,” stated Jordan Chandler, authorized agent for the corporation in the previous story. “The development was completed last year (2023). We have been waiting for months for Assiginack to notify the (planning) board that they are satisfied. They have refused to approve the second portion (phase) of the development on the same terms as the first portion, so we were forced to ask for an extension to keep our planning board approval from expiring. A three-year extension will get us through the next municipal election and should provide adequate time for legal options to play out.”
The Sandy Point Subdivision would have a total of 48 waterfront lots, and a marina. Ten lots have been developed and home construction has taken place. There are 38 remaining lots requiring approval, the article explained.
Mr. Chandler explained previously no changes had been made from the first and second portion of the development so he was mystified why a positive response was not provided by the township. “It feels like a personal grudge. We signed a subdivision agreement in April 2022. The township sent a letter to the planning board in July 2022 stating that they were satisfied with the first phase of the development. Now that the first part of the project is complete, they (township) refuse to move forward on the same terms as the first phase.” He pointed out, “we have had zero complaints brought to us about the first phase that they took ownership of, so it is baffling, to say the least.”
