I owe you an explanation

Yesterday, Council voted to proceed to the next stage of Lansdowne 2.0. Staff now have the authority to work with OSEG to create a final plan and design based on the proposal and financial envelope, but must also satisfy every amendment that was approved.

When the proposal was first made public mid-October, I spent a weekend reading the report, reference documents, and documents referenced by the reference documents before stating I would not support the project in my newsletters on October 10 and October 17.

I ended up voting in favour, so I owe you an explanation which I hope you’ll approach with an open mind.

What Council voted on yesterday was to approve the conditions and parameters (plus Council’s amendments) within which staff and OSEG are to work to create a final design. It was not a decision to begin the financing and construction of Lansdowne 2.0.

Once that work is complete (currently expected to be spring 2024), staff will present the agreed-upon final design with a more refined Class B estimate for a next round of Council approval.

Following that, a final round of Council approval must happen once contracts are negotiated and ready for signatures to allow the work to proceed. Essentially, there are two more stages where Council can choose to continue or stop.

After some reflecting and discussions with like-minded Councillors, I decided the next approval stage is the stage where a decision to continue or stop (or even defer) would be most appropriate.

At that stage, a no vote would be a well-informed no vote.

The next stage presents itself with the strongest level of information — a final design with a refined cost estimate without the potential legal/financial consequences at the final stage (major projects often have separately-tendered pre-construction work in support of the substantial project).

In October, I argued a Class C estimate was too unrefined upon which to base a project cost upon, but at that time, I thought yesterday’s vote was a decision to finance and construct the project. I received clarity about the vote shortly thereafter, but I maintained my position against the project based on the debt, risk, and principle of what a City’s core mandate includes.

Despite my position against the project, it still deserved to be presented fairly and truthfully, which I hope I achieved in my newsletters and emails with residents.

Lansdowne 2.0 as designed and intended is the necessary progression of the site. It addresses several of OSEG’s concerns raised since 2018 made worse by the pandemic and makes Lansdowne more self-reliant with the additional residential.

In the spirit of fairness, I also looked at the Class C argument from another angle — that it’s too unrefined to base a no vote upon.

I also combatted the mis- and disinformation about Lansdowne 2.0 and sought out the true implications of yesterday’s vote. The more I questioned and scrutinised, the closer I got to the conclusion yesterday’s vote, despite its importance, really was a nothingburger.

Using the context of a kitchen renovation, a Class C estimate is like a rough cost obtained over the phone or internet based on room dimensions, project goals, and the average cost of materials and labour. For some, that’s enough to say yes or no to the undertaking, but for me, it’s not.

The Class B estimate would be a refined estimate after a contractor visits, measures, and evaluates the project against your goals and structural limits. Class A would be the actual quote before signing a contract.

I’m still staunchly against the debt, risk, and principle.

However, I felt my vote against the project based on the information at this stage would have been an ill-informed no (not to suggest my colleagues who voted no yesterday were ill-informed).

My position may be weirdly nuanced and the decision to change sides to allow this stage to proceed may erode your trust in me to be responsible with your money, but for me, that responsibility comes with a duty to be well-informed.

I am confident I voted correctly yesterday, but I understand if you disagree and do not feel the same.

Thank you.

-Wilson