A Supreme Court judge’s ruling last week may finally clear the way for Greensides Properties to begin development of the Whistler Campground lands, following 18 months of legal battles. "We’re rather pleased. We expected that would be the case," David Ehrhardt said Monday of the ruling. Ruth Buzzard, who owns the campground lands, said she would have to talk to her lawyer next week to see what options are left. "I’m cleaning out the attic, let’s put it that way," she said Wednesday. Asked if she expected the campground to open this year she said, "I doubt it very much." All the closing documents now go to an arbitrator. Buzzard said interpretation of the second mortgage on the land has been a hang up in the past, but the judge made a number of specific performance orders in his ruling. Ehrhardt’s Greensides Properties signed an option in 1989 to buy the 15.2 hectare property. Buzzard has owned the lands since 1980. Ehrhardt says Buzzard will receive $3 million for the land plus 35 per cent of the money derived from the redevelopment of the property. Ehrhardt’s attempts to exercise the option took the two parties to Supreme Court three times, the Court of Appeals once and before several other judges in the past 18 months — all of whom ruled in favour of Greensides — before last week’s ruling. Arguments were heard by the Supreme Court judge Nov. 3. Greensides, a Vancouver company, intends to develop 41 single family and duplex lots in the first phase, plus 11 single family lots with the employee covenant on them. A private high school/sports academy, to be built by another developer adjacent to Spruce Grove Park, is also part of the plan. A total of 84 single family and duplex lots are envisioned when the development is completed. Ehrhardt said he would make every effort to have some lots on the market this year, but as of Monday he hadn’t talked to the school proponents and wasn’t aware of their plans. "There’s a tremendous need for housing in the community," he said. A court order last year allowed Greensides to do some floodproofing work adjacent to Fitzsimmons Creek. While subdivision of the lands is contingent upon completing the training wall alongside the creek, that work can be done at any time over the summer.
