Provincial body will hold case management conference Nov. 6 to gather information, seek resolution

The planning appeals filed to stop the Kingsway Entertainment District have passed through the provincial vetting process, according to the new tribunal created to handle such cases.

The Local Planning Appeals Tribunal (LPAT) has scheduled a case management conference for Nov. 6 in Sudbury.

A case management conference is a mandatory hearing that provides LPAT with the opportunity to “identify parties and participant requests, identify or narrow the issues, identify facts that may be agreed upon and provide directions for disclosure of information,” according to documents on the tribunal's website. “LPAT will also address parties to discuss opportunities for settlement, including the possible use of mediation or other dispute resolution processes.”

The city and everyone appealing the Kingsway development can take part in the conference, which will be open to the public. The LPAT received the appeals in late May, and is required to make a decision within a year of that date.

Sudbury businessman Tom Fortin, of the casinofreesudbury.com website, is named in all four appeals, as is the Sudbury Downtown Business Improvement Area. A summary of their submission to the LPAT can be found here.

Local activist John Lindsay added his name to the appeal of the rezoning to allow a parking lot on the site; religious leader Christopher Duncanson-Hales is joining the appeal of the Official Plan amendment to permit the casino, as well as the appeal of the rezoning required to permit the casino. Finally, another activist, Steve May, has joined the appeal of the rezoning to permit a public arena.

The groups are fighting to stop the casino from being built on the site, as well as city council's decision to move the arena from downtown Sudbury to the Kingsway.

City council approved the so-called "entertainment district" in a vote in April. It called for a new $100-million public arena to be built on property on the Kingsway, alongside a $60-million casino and hotel. Sudbury Wolves owner Dario Zulich owns the property with his partners, and has agreed to transfer ownership of the arena site to the city for a token sum.

The casino would be built by Gateway Casinos, which has said 400 people will be employed at the site should the development proceed.

The November hearing date is after the October 2018 municipal election. Several candidates for mayor and council are running, in part, to try and stop the development, while others have voiced support.