Dan Morgan, operations manager of Miller's Creek Marina, stands at the marina where at least 80 boats are docked.

One of Niagara's longest-serving MPPs is calling for the government to put a halt to development at Miller's Creek Marina, labelling the project "Disneyfication of parkland."

In session at Queen's Park last week, Welland MPP Peter Kormos asked the government why it is allowing private industry to take over parkland.

"Why is the McGuinty government facilitating and accommodating the commercialization and privatization of the pristine parkland of the Niagara Parks along the Niagara River?" he said.

The comprehensive expansion plan -- which includes three times more space for boats, a four-storey hotel, a four-storey condominium, a restaurant and shopping on 45 acres leased from Niagara Parks -- depends on the outcome of an environmental assessment. A lease between Warren DAC Investment Ltd., the company spearheading the project, and the Niagara Parks Commission also depends on environmental assessments of the former shipyard lands.

Currently the marina has 135 slips for boats. There is a launch ramp, a gas pump and not much else.

The proposed development has a $120 million price tag and will be funded through Warren DAC, which took over control of the marina in April 2007.

In recent times, the marina has fallen into a state of disrepair, a state which Kormos described as "rustic."

It has about 110 members.

In an interview with The Post, Kormos called the project, "The privatization, commercialization and Disneyfication of parkland."

He said the lands should be occupied by a public body.

"Niagara Parks has always been under pressure by developers and by governments that want to make more money. The role of the commission is to act as a steward of those parklands and it's a trust relationship that's being betrayed now," said Kormos. "The line has to be clearly drawn now."

Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor said because of the condition of the marina, the parks commission had to decide whether to invest a significant amount of money to restore the marina with no guarantee of a return on the investment or work with a private developer. Craitor said nothing has been finalized in terms of the development because an environmental assessment is ongoing.

"They're now doing an environmental assessment to determine if they can even do anything with (the land)," said Craitor, noting the assessments are mandated by the province.

He said the province does have final say in the outcome of the assessment and the development.

"The parks (commission) is saying that's not the business we're in. It would not generate enough money to operate. The other option is to say we're not going to operate a marina there."