Council condensed

Five proposed development lots on Parkwood Drive have been taken out of the city's surplus land inventory and will be converted into a park.

North Bay city council approved the move Monday night, based on a letter from Mayor Vic Fedeli to Coun. Dave Mendicino, chairman of the Community Services Committee.

City staff appeared last week at the Planning Advisory Committee meeting seeking to rezone the properties, but residents in the neighbourhood were opposed because they consider the land to be parkland. As well a document from the developer of the subdivision the land is located in was brought to the meeting last week stating the land was only to be used for municipal purposes other than a road.

"As you are aware an historic document has surfaced that purported to place restrictions on the lands," Fedeli wrote to Mendicino.

"While the legal status of the title restriction may be ambiguous and vulnerable to challenge, I ask that we give the document standing and honour its intent."

Fedeli suggests the new park be named after the developer, John Kennedy, and that signs be placed at the park entrances.

"Dave," Fedeli wrote, "it's never too late to do the right thing."
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North Bay city council will wait for a staff report on a proposed charity casino in Callander before deciding on whether or not to support it.

Developer Ted Abraham, who is putting the proposal together, asked council for its support at Monday night's meeting.

Coun. Maureen Boldt also put forth a motion asking for council to support the proposal.

Several members of the public gave presentations as well either favouring the casino or asking council not to support it because of social and economic problems associated with gambling.

Coun. Dave Mendicino said council didn't have "all the facts" it needed about Abraham's proposal and any others that could surface, including one by the Nipissing First Nations.

The matter was referred to the Community Services Committee.

Look for more on these and other stories later this morning on BayToday.ca.