FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 1, 2021
On January 13, 2021 Stratford’s city solicitor in speaking with David Donnelly, lawyer representing Get Concerned Stratford, committed that Stratford Council would not vote on the Xinyi glass plant proposal without proper public consultation.
“A proper public consultation process requires that the Xinyi proposal be subject to a full Planning Act review, and not simply be limited to discussion of the cost-sharing and site plan agreements”
said Get Concerned Stratford’s lawyer David Donnelly lawyer,
“and I have therefore asked Mayor Mathieson and Council to write to Minister Steve Clark and request that the Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) be rescinded”.
“The community is concerned about the environmental, economic and social impacts of this proposal”
said Melissa Verspeeten of Get Concerned Stratford
“as well as the secret manner in which the Mayor and Council behaved in the last two years. Removing the MZO is necessary to ensure full public scrutiny. Whatever people think of MZOs, they should never be used when the public doesn’t want one. The public never asked for an MZO in Stratford for Xinyi, and we never will,”
added Verspeeten.
Get Concerned Stratford’s letter to Mayor Mathieson
sets out minimum requirements for the public consultation including a 30 day notice period before any vote at Council, and mandating a Citizens Advisory Committee with full participation by Get Concerned Stratford and other interested community groups.
“I welcome the opportunity to shine a light on this proposal”
said Mike Sullivan, of Get Concerned Stratford “
a project like this should never have been planned in secret.”
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Get Concerned Stratford
is a citizens group who oppose the Minister’s Zoning Order which has been issued by the Ontario provincial government to convert prime agricultural land into industrial land for the proposed Xinyi glass plant.
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