The City of Cornwall has opted to have an outside party conduct a risk assessment of the controversial Massey Commons transitional housing facility, slated to be established at 1520 Cumberland St.
The decision comes following mounting pressure to take the study out of the hands of the Cornwall Police Service
A statement was posted April 25 by Mayor Justin Towndale, CAO Mathieu Fleury, General Manager of Human Services and Long-Term Care Mellissa Morgan, and Manager of Housing Services Lisa Smith after meeting with members of the community to discuss Massey Commons.
It says: “We thank the community members for their insights, their passion, and for coming to the table in the spirit of constructive dialogue. As with any City initiative, we want to ensure Massey Commons meets the needs of our community as it moves forward and prepares to welcome its first residents. We have always expressed our desire to conduct an assessment of the facility to accompany the development to make sure Massey Commons is the safest transitional housing facility in Canada for residents and neighbours alike. We have full trust in the Cornwall Police Service, and we know that this project is important to the community. The City remains committed to ensuring everyone gets additional reassurance and peace of mind as the project advances. To this end, we have consulted with the Cornwall Police Service and have mutually agreed that a more fulsome assessment of the facility will be conducted by an external party.”
