Minto is headed to the Ontario Municipal Board, and it's taking the City of Ottawa with it.

The real estate development and management company announced Monday that it will appeal the city council decision last month that stopped the company from proceeding with a 1,365-home development called Mahogany Harbour in the village of Manotick.

Minto is headed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), the provincial body to which developers or citizens can turn to appeal decisions made at the municipal level.

Minto officials said they were blindsided last month by council's decision to stop the development, which already had been reduced in scope after vehement protest by local citizens. Minto spokesperson Jack Stirling saved special criticism for Coun. Glenn Brooks, who Mr. Stirling claimed was speaking out of both sides of his mouth when it came time to negotiate a deal suitable to residents, the city and the developer.

Minto executive vice-president Rob Greenburg had hoped to prevent a trip to the provincial arbiter, a process which could cost local taxpayers upwards of $1 million.

"We had always been hopeful that we would come to a resolution of the issue without involving the province as a third party," he said.