Bridge extends olive branch to mayor
Sandwich now ‘open for business’
The Ambassador Bridge company has reached out to the city in an attempt to resolve a long-standing dispute over derelict buildings in the west end, Mayor Eddie Francis said Tuesday.
Francis said he was recently invited by Dan Stamper, president of the Canadian Transit Company, to discuss the issue.
“He indicated to me the Ambassador Bridge company wanted to reach out ... in a spirit of co-operation,” Francis said of their meeting, which included a bridge company lawyer. He said Stamper was “surprised it got this far” and that he wanted to work with the city to resolve the long-festering issue of the more than 100 boardedup homes owned by the bridge company in Sandwich.
But given the bitter recent history between the city and the bridge owners, Francis said it will be a few more weeks — and a big cheque — before there’s any chance of more talks aimed at ending the neighbourhood blight that a Windsor judge accused the bridge company of creating.
With or without the bridge’s co-operation, Francis said the city will be moving soon on the matter.
Stamper was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
City solicitor George Wilkki advised city council Monday night that the bridge company and BUHDAG, a residents’ group headed by Ward 9 Coun. Hilary Payne, had finally given up its years-long legal battle against a series of bylaws the city enacted to preserve Olde Sandwich Towne heritage.
“We can now start turning our attention to Sandwich,” said Francis.
Wilkki said he expects a cheque this month from the bridge company for more than $1.2 million in city legal costs that a court awarded more than a year ago.
Despite the city’s decisive victory in court — the judge ruled there was no basis for the complaints of conspiracy and illegalities levelled against the city — Windsor taxpayers will still have to shell out more than a million dollars in additional legal costs.
“It’s a big hit,” said Wilkki. Justice Richard Gates, of Ontario’s Superior Court, awarded the city just over $1.3 million, but council heard Monday the city’s final defence bill, which included fighting off an OMB appeal by the same parties, was almost $2.4 million.
“It is disgusting, utterly disgusting, that (Windsor) taxpayers are now on the hook as a result of this campaign,” said Francis.
Two weeks ago, after the bridge company and BUHDAG abandoned their appeal on the earlier legal cost award, the Ontario Court of Appeal issued another cost award to the city for an additional $64,000.
Had the appeal not been dropped, Francis said an assistant to BUHDAG lawyer Raymond Colautti was set to be cross-examined this week and asked by the city to reveal who was paying the legal bills for Payne and homeowner Lawrence Leigh, representing BUHDAG.
Colautti said the bridge company agreed to pay all the court costs incurred to defend the city, the mayor and councillors. Wilkki said it cost almost $1.8 million to defend the city and an additional almost $600,000 for the defence of the mayor and councillors.
As for who was paying his and BUHDAG’s bills over the past several years, Colautti said that was a confidential matter between him and his client.
City planner Thom Hunt told council the end of the legal challenges means development bylaws that had been put on hold came into effect on Oct. 19. Development proposals for Olde Sandwich Towne can once again be entertained.
“We’re open for business in Sandwich,” said Hunt.