Updates

  • St-Catharines-Robert-S.-K.-Welch-Courthouse

    Recap on Marotta court challenge this week

    The hearing by Madame Justice Walters of the challenge by the Marotta group to your Council’s notice of intent to designate the Rand Estate under...

    January 8, 2020
  • St-Catharines-Robert-S.-K.-Welch-Courthouse

    Clarification about Tuesday court times

    In response to some questions on our earlier update, the court hearing will resume tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Jan. 7) at 10 am. The Town’s lawyers will be...

    January 6, 2020
  • Update on Marotta court challenge

    Day 1 of the Marotta companies’ challenge of the Town’s heritage designation bylaws is going well. Thank you to the many dozen residents who attended...

    January 6, 2020
  • Randwood Estate outside on John Street June 2019

    Reminder on January court date

    SORE reminds our supporters and interested residents that the court challenge initiated by Benny Marotta’s companies of your Council’s decision to designate the Rand Estate...

    December 17, 2019
  • Tribunals Ontario logo

    Conservation Review Board says it’s ready to go

    The Conservation Review Board (CRB) has advised the Town, Benny Marotta’s companies and SORE that it is ready to schedule a hearing.  Mr. Marotta’s companies appealed...

    November 27, 2019
  • St-Catharines-Robert-S.-K.-Welch-Courthouse

    Marotta court challenge delayed

    Regrettably, it now appears that the hearing on Benny Marotta’s court challenge to the Town’s efforts to have the Rand Estate designated under the Ontario...

    October 24, 2019
  • Very important court date next week

    SORE alerts its supporters and all Town residents of an important court date in St Catharines next week.  Readers will recall that Benny Marotta challenged...

    October 23, 2019
  • LPAT

    Marotta withdraws LPAT appeal

    In a not entirely surprising move, Benny Marotta’s lawyer advised the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal late yesterday that he was withdrawing the Marotta group’s zoning...

    July 24, 2019
  • LPAT

    Important LPAT hearing on Monday, July 29

    SORE supporters and all residents are reminded that the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) will reconvene at 10 am on Monday, July 29, in the NOTL Community Centre. In May, LPAT granted SORE full party status in this appeal and granted a brief adjournment to July 29 to allow for a decision in an unrelated court case that would provide guidance on the conduct of the appeal.

    July 18, 2019
  • NOTL charges against Solmar under Heritage Act

    Marotta Companies charged under Heritage Act!

    SORE has learned that the Town has recently laid four charges against two of Benny Marotta's companies under the Ontario Heritage Act. These are quasi-criminal charges under our legal system and can result in substantial fines for corporations and jail time for individuals upon conviction.

    May 23, 2019
  • LPAT

    SORE secures LPAT party status

    SORE was granted party status by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) on May 9 for Benny Marotta's appeal to that Tribunal.

    May 10, 2019
  • LPAT

    LPAT Hearing this Thursday

    The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) is holding an important case management conference this Thursday, May 9 at 10 am in the Town Community Centre Auditorium on Benny Marotta's request for approval of his convention centre/hotel proposal at the Rand Estate.

    May 6, 2019
  • Reminder to send support for SORE to LPAT

    Benny Marotta has appealed the zoning bylaw application for his proposed convention centre and hotel to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), rather than letting your elected Council make a decision. LPAT has now set a prehearing on May 9 at the Community Centre.

    April 8, 2019
  • St-Catharines-Robert-S.-K.-Welch-Courthouse

    SORE granted party status by Superior Court

    SORE has been granted full party status to intervene in the court challenge brought by Benny Marotta's companies of your elected Council's decision to designate the Rand Estate under the Heritage Act.

    April 5, 2019
  • St-Catharines-Robert-S.-K.-Welch-Courthouse

    Update on legal proceedings and request for assistance

    SORE's lawyers appeared in court on the morning of April 3 in St Catharines on Benny Marotta's attempt to overturn Council's decision last August to designate the Rand Estate under the Heritage Act. Dozens of NOTL residents packed the courtroom to support SORE. In our ongoing game of "whack a mole" with Benny Marotta, we are now focused on the next legal challenge he has initiated – to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).

    April 4, 2019
  • SORE court hearing 10 am Wednesday

    SORE now has confirmation on the timing of its application to intervene in Benny Marotta’s efforts to have a court overturn Council’s decision last August...

    April 2, 2019
  • Randwood Estate in Niagara-on-the-Lake

    SORE: Building Support to Save the Rand Estate

    Save Our Rand Estate – also known as “SORE” – was created to support responsible development, specifically of the Rand Estate. We welcome projects that respect the unique historical and cultural heritage of NOTL. At the same time, we are prepared to stand up against developers who show little regard for our cultural heritage and the Town Official Plan.

    March 20, 2019
  • Niagara on the Lake town logo

    Public meeting on Official Plan on Monday evening

    The Town will be hosting a statutory public meeting on Monday evening in the Community Centre on the proposed new Official Plan. SORE has identified a number of deficiencies in the proposed new OP concerning Randwood.

    February 22, 2019
  • Update on Marotta court challenge of heritage designations

    There was an initial court appearance on Thursday (Feb. 14) in St Catharines on the court challenge by the Marotta group of the Town's decision last August to designate the four Rand Estate properties under the Heritage Act. The matter was put over to early April and will be further spoken to at that time. We do not anticipate an actual hearing until late June.

    February 16, 2019
  • Update on Marotta hotel / convention centre

    SORE is pleased to report that it has been given party status by the Conservation Review Board for the appeal by the Marotta group of the designation of all four Rand Estate properties under the Heritage Act.

    January 8, 2019