Two city councillors walked out of a Monday-night public meeting with Italo Ferrari, disgusted by the developer's use of the phrase "concentration camp" to describe what the old Sault Area Hospital site would look like if securely fenced.
The walkout occurred near the end of a 50-minute session at which Ferrari repeatedly blamed the entire community for the former hospital's condition, at times lecturing council members as if they were schoolchildren.
"I was upset. He was outrageous," Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo told SooToday after the meeting.
Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi said he'd already heard all he wished to hear from the Woodbridge, Ont., developer, but found the words "concentration camp" to be "completely inappropriate."
Ferrari was answering questions from Mayor Matthew Shoemaker about repeated break-ins at the waterfront buildings.
"Why not hire more security?" the mayor asked.
"Well, how many security can I hire?" Ferrari responded.
"As much security as required to secure the building," Shoemaker said.
"You know what?" Ferrari told the mayor. "Maybe I have to come back to your office, Your Worship, and ask for a permit to put a fence around the building and close it off like a concentration camp. I don't know what else I can do."
At this point, Couns. Gardi and Caputo stood up and left the council chambers, Gardi departing through an east doorway, Caputo from the west side.
The two councillors returned in time to vote on a motion allowing city staff to continue enforcement measures at the former hospital site, including possible expropriation and demolition.
Mayor Shoemaker and other councillors made little attempt to disguise their strong disagreement with Ferrari.
"The property is in a state of disrepair," the mayor said.
"Our city does not accept that in its bylaws. You are in breach of the city's bylaws for having your property in a state of disrepair."
Known for exquisite taste in automobiles and menswear, Ferrari showed up before Sault Ste. Marie City Council wearing unflashy jeans and a leather jacket.
He repeatedly tried to paint the decrepit condition of the former hospital buildings as a community problem unrelated to property management.
"It's a major problem that I'm sure you acknowledge having in your city," Ferrari said.
"We as investors, coming from out of town, investing in your great city, I'm personally making that problem mine as well."
"I'm concerned about the well-being of the community."
"I'm concerned about all these people, transient, going in and out."
"There's nothing in that building to be taken to sell, to use."
"You can't control these people. They're just all over the place," Ferrari said.
Councillors were told that city building officials intensified enforcement activities in April, now visiting the waterfront sites at least once a week.
The old General Hospital site at 941 Queen St. E. has had 72 visits by bylaw enforcement officers since April.
The old Plummer renal unit at 995 Queen E. has had 36 visits.
Most visits have been for boarding up the building or yard cleanup.
Coun. Gardi described the properties as "an eyesore that in my opinion has been neglected."
"I'm not going to let this guy walk in here and tell us that our community is the problem," Gardi said.
"The problem is the state of disrepair of this facility."
"The problem is, you've ignored it."
"If you're going to walk in here and tell me that you're taking care of all of your properties like you're taking care of this one, I don't know personally how interested I am in you coming into the community," Gardi said.
"First of all, understand how you run properties," Ferrari told him.
"Because you see something's broken [you assume] the owner's neglecting the property."
"I have millions of dollars invested in that property."
"So please get yourself updated on that," Ferrari said.