Law and Order North Bay-style

A public meeting at the committee meeting of council Monday night turned it to a bit of a Law and Order episode, with a “surprise” witness showing up with a key piece of evidence.

The subject of the meeting was a condominium application by New Era Homes Ltd., an Orsi family company, to build 24 single-family homes on property located at the intersections of McKeown Avenue and Chapais Street.

New Era agent Rick Miller had just given his presentation to the Community Services Committee, and chairman Dave Mendicino asked if anyone else in the audience wanted to speak.

That’s when Karl Saile, who lives at 1544 Chapais, came forward.

“My concern is I’m not sure if it’s legal,” Saile, pictured above, said.

Taking away the option
Saile, who has lived on Chapais for 23 years, said when he purchased his home he also received an option to buy a piece of property adjacent to his, property where the development would be built.

“And I haven’t received any information from Mr. Miller of Mr. Orsi regarding the option I have out on this land,” Saile told the committee.

His concern, he added, is that his house is located 12 feet from the property line.

“And I was given the option at purchase time to buy the wedge-shape land behind me, and now what’s happening is they’re flipping the whole subdivision around and taking away the option that I have,” Saile said.

Calls into question
Holding the piece of paper up, Saile said he had a legal document stating, “that I do have the option, and I’m opposed to what’s happening.”

North Bay Mayor Vic Fedeli then halted the meeting while city solicitor Mike Burke looked over Saile’s document.

Several minutes later Burke said the option “calls in question” some ownership interest in the land “and the right to acquire ownership interest in the land.”

He said he needed to study a copy of Saile’s option and compare it to case law “to see exactly what it means” from the city’s perspective.

“But it does call into question, on the face of it anyway, some of the ownership interest in the land that would have to be reviewed before the application can go any further,” Burke said.

The matter has been referred back to Community Services pending a report from Burke on the option.

Monday night the Community Services Committee also approved a rezoning request that would see two two-and-a-half storey apartment buildings with 30 units each built on a parcel of land on Airport Road near Golf Club Road.

The development will be under strict site-plan controls regarding such things as parking, access, drainage, storm water management, landscaping, and a vegetative buffer between it and neary Chippewa creek.