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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 191~7, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby SERVING OVER 28,000 READERS i' a Voice of. the Cou nty Town 'lMike Burgess, Publisher-Managing Edlitor Thé- nnlv Whithv ewsn,,ner inilpnenuentlv nwned and operated bv Whitby residents for Whitby residents. Communlty Editor Published every Wednesday Contributiflg Editor Production Manager, Print & Promotional by M.B.M. Publishingi Manager Phone 668-6111 Circulation.Manager Mailing Permi The Free Press Building, Member 121 Brock Street North, Better Business Bu P.O. Box, 206. Whitby, Ont Whitby Chamberc -Brian Wînter -Jim Quail -Marie Burgess -Robin Lyon)m -Marlefle Bromn -Sharon Lyonl t No. 460 ýof the: jreau of Toronto ofComerce Lots of talk, but no action It is doubtful that the meeting tonight will accomplish much to improve the Downtown. Nor is it likely that any common grouind will be found by the two opposing.groups of downtown inerc#ants. The recommendations made by "the Dissenters Group" as they eall themselves, to be sumimed up in a nutshell simply say 'let the Town do every- thing - we don't want to spend any money'. But let's take a look at some of the recommend- ations: Eliminating street parking , and doing away with off-street parking meters on newly created off-street parking lots is simply going to provide personal parking for store owners, employees and tenants of the overhead apartmnents and nearby homes. A good example of this occurs every Christmas when the meters are covered up., Establishing a truck route might make it a littie quieter, and no doubt the gas stations on Thickson would probably be happier, if they were routed that way. Allowing turns at the four corners is just going to create more congestion and probably more accidents. Looking-at the group's suggestions on Business Developmrent,.... the first one pretty well sums it al up - tbey "don't want to spend any money on Town property". This statement should probably have been stated siniply "we don't want to spend ANY money". Not one of the 15 recommend- ations, with the possible exception of 'uniform store bours', involves any expenditure on the part of the merchants. Suggestions such as 'a minimum standards by- law applicable to commercial property' are truly an indication that the person, or persons, who made that suggestion is not very aware of wbat's happening in Whitby. The minimum standards by-law was passed a year ago and is VERY app- licable to commercial property, in fact it probably bits commercial barder than anything else. OTHER suggestions such as "why are the Psy- chiatric patients wandering on the street - we won't bother to grace with an answer . We do have some difficulty with "restrict shop- ping centre development to the downtown core"... can you imagine trying to put a shopping centre downtown? Now let's see, possibly a Scarborough Town Centre where the Free Press is, and York dale where Mr. Submarine is, and... Anyway, while 3rru're getting the drift, and with no pun intended, we won't dwell long on the public washrooms idea... suffice to say most taxpayers who would have tô bear tbe financial burden wouid probably rather hoki it until they get home, but looking on the positive side just think of what us qowntown filks would save on water and sewer bills if we could stop using our own toities! And how long are we going to keep hearing about putting the municipal building downtown? Almost sounds like a stuck record witb the same singers.... thought we'd buried that issue a few -years ago. BUT in ail fairness to tbe 'Dissenters", they have Letters to the Editor Write Box 206, Whitby or deliver to our offices at 12 1 Brock development downtown with construction to start next month. That one project alone should brin'g a potential bal' million dollars a year within walking distance'of downtown Whitby. As our patience, and we're sure yours, lias been stretched to the limit with this depressing anialysis of the recommendatioiis(for further details see the story on them), it no doubt bas become fairly Àobvious that titis line of thinkingy is going nowhere St., N., Whitby ... and the end result of ail this talk will be nothing . The weak businiesses, because they're either undercapitalized or poorly managed, will fold. The older businessmen who survive will retire and close. The strong t agressive promotion minded businesses will prosper despite althis, and poss- ibly in a few years the weeding out process will leave a core of businessmen who will do somüething. U6- i Ur uilly TT ilituy licwapapv.4 illuqv.