Shrink Slessor Square was today granted “party” status by the OMB at a special pre hearing in Newmarket Council Chamber.

Bill Chadwick told the OMB Adjudicator, Sylvia Sutherland, that he was seeking Party status on behalf of the residents’ group “Shrink Slessor Square”. He said the group would be seeking incorporation.

There were no objections.

This means that Shrink Slessor Square is now an active player on an equal footing with the Town, the Region of York and, of course, the developers.

We can quiz the developers and the other parties – and be questioned in turn.

The full OMB hearing is pencilled in for 11 April – 2 May 2013.

The developers are now proposing (a) a ten storey building with 203 units (b) a 20 storey building with 248 units (c) another 20 storey building with 193 units and (d) a nine storey building with 218 units – all squeezed into a tight site of under five acres.

The Slessors describe this as their “settlement offer”.

The Town will be meeting to consider its response.

If the Town doesn’t accept it, then it is taken off the table and the matter goes to a full hearing on the original twin towers application. 23 and 26 storey towers on three storey podiums.

Sounds like 26 and 29 to me!

A hearing on this “settlement offer” is down for 19, 20 and 21 February.

But, in the meantime, for Shrink Slessor Square, it is full steam ahead.

We will be keeping everyone informed as we take steps to become incorporated as a non-profit body and meeting in the near future to plan the way forward.