A group in favour of the location of Windsor-Essex's planned mega-hospital is saying enough is enough.
A petition has been started on Change.org, asking the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) to reject the appeal begun by CAMPP (Citizens for an Accountable Mega-Hospital Planning Process), and allow the hospital project to continue in the spot that has already been approved by the province of Ontario and zoned by Windsor City Council.
Brian Hinn, who drew up the petition, said allowing the appeal to be heard will only complicate matters unnecessarily.
"The majority of Essex/Windsor residents are all in agreement with the present approved site and only a handful is against it," wrote Hinn on the petition. "This appeal should be rejected."
Hinn pointed out that the hospital is to be a regional facility with easier access to county residents, and overturning the city's zoning decision will serve no purpose.
"We already have an approved site across from the Windsor Airport and the government has already approved funds to build this regional hospital," said Hinn. "CAMPP wants this site moved deeper into the city of Windsor's core."
According to the petition, throwing out the planned site and starting over will only delay the project further and the possibility of the province cancelling the hospital's funding will rise.
The LPAT has already agreed to hear CAMPP's appeal. CAMPP wants the tribunal to overturn the city's zoning decision and find another site for the hospital. The group has a GoFundMe page of its own to fund its legal representation and expert witnesses.
Supporters of the new hospital, including Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj, have said the current site was chosen after a long period of public comment and the debate on it is over. Musyj has said that fighting the process is a waste of time and money, and he has publicly urged CAMPP to come to the table and work out any ongoing concerns.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the petition supporting the site had less than 700 signatures.
