Friday Harbour Residents Express Concerns Over Resorts Development Application

A recent Innisfil City Council meeting was packed with citizens voicing their concerns over possible future developments of Friday Harbour proposed by the resort. 

The Friday Harbour Team was present at the council to give a presentation on their application requests for zoning-by-law changes for their Beach Precinct and Hotel and Additional Amenities application.

Some of the proposed changes to Friday Harbour Resort included new amenities along Friday Drive, increased max. height of the hotel from 6 stories to 15 storeys, and a max. height increase of residential buildings along the Beach Precinct from 4 to 8 storeys to 14 storeys.

Citizens were able to voice their concerns over these proposed developments and amenity additions to Friday Harbour.

Some citizens also voiced concerns over amenities promised to them during previous development that are not available to them year-round, only during tourist season. Other citizens complain that guests of Friday Harbour use their driveways as parking spots.

Anna D’Alessandro, a homeowner of Friday Harbour, has appeared before Innisfil City Council multiple times to express her concerns about the future development and by-law amendments 

D’Alessandro explained that although there is an economic benefit to the resort and the town and county, “there is no benefit to the homeowners who continue to pay the fees of the ongoing activities of the RA. Activities that all of Innisfil continues to enjoy at no cost.”

While it is clear that most year-round residents of Friday Harbour are not in support of these proposed changes to the resort, it will ultimately be up to the City Council to decide the fate of the resort.