A failed AAP to fund a new city hall and adjoining housing units wasn't the result mayor of Ladysmith Aaron Stone hoped for, saying it's a good learning opportunity for them. (Town of Ladysmith on Facebook)

By Jordan Davidson

back to the drawing board

‘Maybe the AAP wasn’t the right way:’ Ladysmith mayor reflects following failed approval process

Jun 27, 2024 | 4:30 PM

LADYSMITH — Tax-payers have strongly disagreed with the Town’s plan to borrow up to $13.5 million for a new city hall with an attached housing component.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed borrowing plan by submitting over 2,000 forms against the borrowing plan, far beyond the threshold of ten per cent (741) required through an alternative approval process (AAP).

Ladysmith mayor Aaron Stone told NanaimoNewsNOW while he’s disappointed with the results, the process helped start a larger conversation.

“Maybe the AAP wasn’t the right way to have that complex conversation about redeveloping a site with a city hall and other institutional or commercial spaces and housing…there’s so many pressures on local governments financially that some folks just felt that it wasn’t an appropriate time for that kind of an investment.”

Plans for the new development included around 100 housing units geared toward middle-income earners built above the new city hall, part of their Buller St. revitalization project.

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He said he personally heard concerns from residents about how the project would impact parking, the size and scope of the project, and if adding housing above city hall was really the best idea.

“It created a more complex conversation that probably wasn’t best suited to an AAP. But again, I still believe that the need for housing, and the need for more commercial space…and City Hall are all deep needs in the community, so we just have to take a step back and figure out how we move forward.”

AAP Process
Speaking more about the AAP process, Stone said this project may have had too many moving parts, and AAPs might be better suited for more straightforward projects like a new firetruck or upgrades to a water treatment plant.

He said in hindsight, a referendum may have been a more appropriate process this time around, and for future projects which are more complex.

“(With an) AAP, you have a package of information. You start the AAP, and you have to kind of stick to that funnel of information. Whereas in a referendum, you can have more of a campaign and a dialogue with the community throughout. So I think that there was opportunities there that were missed, but it’s a good learning opportunity for our staff and our community.”

Plenty of commenters in various local social media groups had issues with what they said was limited information available on the project, or being unaware the AAP process was happening.

Stone said physical copies with information were available at City Hall, along with more detailed plans, drawings, and frequently asked questions at the Town’s website.

He said it’s been a learning process for them as well.

“I think that there’s an environment in government at all levels right now that you need to be sure that you have all the complete information and dialogue understood by all the people involved in the process before you go to seek some kind of permission.”

Ladysmith City Council still needs to officially ratify the results of the AAP at their next council meeting, and Stone said that’s when they’ll start looking for a new path forward for this project.

“There were a lot of different reasons that individuals had for being opposed to the AAP and filling in their forms and bringing them into city hall,” said Stone. “I think we need to listen to what those different pieces were and be able to address those concerns to be able to move forward.”

The AAP process for this project opened on May 24, and closed on June 25, with 2,135 forms submitted in opposition.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow