RE: Cottage Lease Extensions…

RE: Cottage Lease Extensions in Rondeau Provincial Park

This letter is in response to the recent posting on the Environmental Registry regarding the Cottage Lease Extensions in Rondeau Provincial Park. I would first like to state that I have a cottage on Rondeau Bay, but I am not a cottager in Rondeau Park, and as such, this proposal will not directly affect me. I am a long time resident of Chatham-Kent and have used the facilities at Rondeau on many occasions, and do not believe that the cottages are a detriment to the park.

I think the current proposal you have put forward is a very poor solution to the cottage issue at Rondeau, and will do nothing to enhance the park and attract visitors to the area. I believe that the existing leases should be extended for a minimum of 21 years, with no new conditions.

To propose that once the lease holder and their spouse die, the cottage would revert to the Crown, is an unwise initiative. Many cottages have been held by the same family for 3 - 4 generations, and to take the cottages away when the current generation dies, is just a bad idea.

Cottages should be allowed to be sold on the open market. This would enable MNR to determine a fair market value in calculating the annual lease payments, and it would ensure that cottages are maintained and enhanced over time. If a family knows that the cottage will revert to the Crown when the current generation dies, there will be no impetus to maintain the cottage in good order. I do not know what is in the current leases regarding removal of the cottages upon lease termination, but I do not think it is fair to change the rules in mid-stream. A person bought the cottage expecting one set of rules upon termination, and they should not be forced to comply with a different set of rules at a later date.

I am not sure that the last condition regarding “additional measures necessary to protect natural environmental features” is legal under the class EA for parks, and the approved management plan for the Park. This condition should only be implemented if that measure is included in the management plan for the park. To implement site-specific mitigation measures that are not included in the approved/amended management plan for the park is just wrong and against the intent of good planning.

The proposal also states that leases will be based on market value assessments. I do not know how a market value assessment can be completed, if the properties cannot be sold. This could lead to a situation where the “appraised market value” of the property goes to zero. I believe that the cottagers bring a great deal of revenue to the park. Without this revenue stream, how does MNR propose to maintain and enhance the park? Will this result in another tax increase, or will services in the park be reduced?

As an alternative, MNR could consider extending the leases in their current format for five years. During this time, a new Management Plan for the park could be completed. This management plan could take a comprehensive look at all aspects of the Park and make an informed decision about how the park, including cottages, should move forward.

I sincerely hope that you will reconsider this proposal, and extend the current leases with no new conditions.

[Original Comment ID: 128822]