The controversial proposal for a $75-million water park/hotel development at The Forks in Winnipeg has been given thumbs up by a city committee.

The standing police committee on downtown development approved the proposal by a vote of 2-1 on Friday morning.

Couns. Justin Swandel and Paula Havixbeck voted in favour, but Coun. Jenny Gerbasi voted against it, saying there are too many unanswered questions about it.

One of those is whether the design would be a good fit for such prime real estate, being near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

"It's hard to imagine, how this, I don't mean to be negative, but I think it's really important to citizens, that right across from our Guggenheim, we don't put the equivalent of a Super 8 motel," she said.

Swandel said a detailed design isn't necessary at this stage.

"The design will be the design and it will either fit, or it won't fit. And if it doesn't fit we'll say, 'this isn't acceptable,'" he said.

"We understand the significance of the site. We're not going to sell that site short for the citizens of the city of Winnipeg."

Mayor Sam Katz, who is also on the standing committee, did not attend Friday's meeting.

There have been questions about what role Katz should play in the politics of the deal, due to conflict-of-interest concerns.

The city-owned land where the water park would be built is located across the street from Shaw Park, the home of the Goldeyes baseball team.

Katz owns the Goldeyes.

And the agent for the water park developer is Shindico Realty, whose top brass have been Katz's longtime business partners in the Goldeyes.

Canalta Development and WaterFun Products want to build the 50,000-square-foot water park and hotel complex.

The standing policy committee's recommendation will now go forward to the executive policy committee and then city council, which will have the final say later this month.

If council approves the plan, the developers will receive a $7 million city grant, as long as the city get 25 years of access to the water park so that low-income families can go there free of charge.