Blair Engaged files injunction in continued fight against Amazon warehouse
Posted Oct 13, 2022 02:41:19 PM.
The Amazon warehouse saga in Cambridge's Blair area continues.
Blair Engaged says it's now filed for an injunction in response to the one million square foot fulfillment facility planned for Old Mill Road.
The community group is asking for a stay motion to temporarily stop development and will present the details at a community meeting Thursday night.
This started with a Minister's Zoning Order from by the province in August 2021.
Blair Engaged accused the city and developer, Broccolini of using the MZO as a way to skip over public consultation.
The group has alleged Cambridge council purposely shut them out of the warehouse decisions.
“What's interesting about this is if you look back to all the initial meetings, it's all been somewhat secretive, and it's just weird,” said Matthew Sheedy, who lives in the Village of Blair.
Blair Engaged has been very vocal and organized against the development.
In June, the group filed an earlier lawsuit to review decisions made by city councillors, which goes to court in February 2023.
Ryan Tremblay, with Blair Engaged said the members want a judge to order a pause on construction while the review happens.
“If a court were to say to us, 'You guys are wrong. The city and Broccolini followed all proper processes. Then, we back down then, because an independent third-party, a judge had looked at this and decided that Blair was not right in this, then that would be the point for us to back down,” he said.
Sheedy said it still wouldn't sit right with him.
“You can always be legal, but you need to be morally right. And, I don't think the council, or specifically, the mayor is morally right on this thing,” Sheedy added.
Tremblay believes a judge will likely rule in the residents' favour.
“Based on what we've seen and what our legal advisor has told us, we have a good case,” Tremblay said.
He expects a hearing for the stay motion in around a month.
Blair residents have expressed concern about increased traffic and impacts to the heritage district.
In September, Mayor Kathryn McGarry called the warehouse “an incredible economic boost for Cambridge with more than 1,000 jobs” during a public meeting.
Amazon officially confirmed the warehouse will be the new home of its fulfillment centre that month and expects to open it in 2025.
A conditional building permit was issued by the city in August.
In May, Cambridge council approved the warehouse, after initially deciding against it in March.
