Angela and Melissa raised eyebrows last week. These sisters, it seems, just can’t get enough.

Mere weeks ago, the Marotta girls were holding court as their new Stone Eagle mega-winery and faux mausoleum opened just outside Old Town, next to the Terminal 4 Clayfield hotel, which opened its doors for overnight stays on Sept. 18. Meanwhile, Dad Marotta was hard at work building the hulking Parliament Oak hotel in the middle of a residential ‘hood.

And now A&M are pumping their latest project. It’s a whopper.

If the sisters get their way with local politicians (once again), the old Rand Estate will turn into a five-storey, 111-room luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel with banquet halls and a conference centre, plus 170 condos in five separate buildings, a spa, retail outlets and 514 parking spaces, above and below ground.

Town staff are studying the proposal, the latest after a former Marotta plan to cover the site with houses was rejected. This time A&M are being aggressive — actively drumming up support with an online campaign, a dedicated website created by Two Sisters Resorts Corp. (see twosistersresorts.ca) and a petition aimed at those who will be our brave new leaders after October’s election.

“Today, we’re excited to share another chapter in that story: our vision for the proposed Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Spa & Residences at the historic Rand Estate in Niagara-on-the-Lake,” they say in an email that’s being widely distributed.

“For guests like you who already enjoy visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake, we believe the Ritz-Carlton would provide another exceptional choice for where to stay, while creating an experience that encourages visitors to spend more time discovering our wineries, restaurants, shops, theatre, attractions and beautiful countryside.

And the pitch: “If you share our excitement, we would be incredibly grateful if you would sign the petition and share it with friends, family and others who love visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake and would welcome another world-class accommodation experience in the region.”

The petition has urgency too. The deadline is Oct. 2.

The sisters say their ask is modest. Part of the property already has a zoning that allows a hotel or spa, and they’ve applied for approval to amalgamate and develop adjoining lots, already owned.

Besides, it fits right in with the province’s strategy of making this Las Vegas North and doubling tourism.

“A Ritz-Carlton in Niagara-on-the-Lake is a private investment reflective of the direction the province encourages: a reason to stay longer, close to the wineries and the theatres that the strategy is built around,” say the Marottas. “The plan is the province’s. The investment is ours. They point the same way.”

What are the odds of this happening?

Let’s ask the people running to be lord mayor (with super powers).

If Erwin Wiens wins, so do the sisters.

“I am in favour of developing the Rand Estate and the resulting public benefit of new commercial/residential tax revenue for the town, the protection and restoration of heritage attributes, and the protection of old growth trees,” he tells me. If staff gives a thumbs up on this issue, he’s all in.

But Vaughn Goettler is a hard no.

“I am opposed,” he says. “It flies in the face of the Ontario Land Tribunal rulings to date and should not have been ‘heard’ by staff because it represented an ‘abuse of process.’ Staff should have sent it back and spent no time on it. That would have gotten the attention of the proponents and sent a message that we are not going to be pushed around.”

Andrea Kaiser said she’s aware of the proposal but will consult with staff before commenting.

By the way, the Marottas got Parliament Oak through the political process with votes from Wiens, Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, plus Couns. Wendy Cheropita, Maria Mavridis and Adriana Vizzari.

That was a narrow victory over the nays — Tim Balasiuk, Gary Burroughs, Sandra O’Connor and Nick Ruller (now heading town staff as chief administrator).

Balasiuk, Burroughs and O’Connor are all running again. Other council candidates who’d likely be anti-sisters include Nicholas Colaneri, Karen Jones-Taylor and Steve McGuinness.

The Marotta slate is shrinking.

Garth Turner is a NOTL resident, journalist, author, wealth manager and former federal MP and minister. garth@garth.ca