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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Voice of the County Town Michael lan Burgess, hie only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whit Published every Wednesday by M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-6111 - The Free Press Buld1ng Publisher - Managing Editor 131 Brock Street North, by residents for Whitby residents. P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Or Community Editor Contributing Editor Production Manager Print & Promotional Manager Classified Ad at. Wfiitby Chamber 0f Commerce -Brian Winter -Jim Quail -Marj Burgess -Robin Lyon -Leesa Menard Mailing Permit No. 460 Member of the Better Business Bureau f Toront Brooklin developmentpremature says Joe Drumm EDITOR'S NOTE The following is the text of a speech by Councillor Joe Drumm to the Brooklin Businessmen's Association, May 8, about the future development of Brooklin. Mr. Drumm's comments may be of interest to our readers, as they pertain to an important part of the future plans for the Towýn of Whitby., COMMENTS ON BROOKLIN DEVELOPMENT by Councillor Joe Drumm Mr. Chairman, my thanks to you for this kind invitation. My congratulations to your newly'elected committee. Before I speak to you on Brooklin Development, may I take a little license here to publicy thank the Kinsmen Club of Brooklin for their endeavors in the park and the arena. It's a fine spirit of comrnunity good and as Obairman of Recreation, I intend to ask Council to continue to pursue the upgrading of the Brooklin Arena by alloting monies in this year's budget and to convince Council to allot monies for five years to corne. As a Councillor for the Town, I am the only one who has come out publicly and said Brooklin Development is premature, and I would like to put forward to you this evening, in no particular order or choice, my reasons for this stand. Let me start by looking at Phase I of the Pinker Study. While I am not overjoyed by Regional Government, te Study completely overlooked the importance of the Regional setting and the ability of Durham Region to more that meet the expected housing demands in the near future, with or without Brooklin. The Region's ability to provide such an over capacity, along with other projects, raises the question of why the people of Whitby would want to support the cost of servicing Brooklin, when itappears not to be needed within the forseeable future to satisfy housing demands. 1 would have great difficultysuggesting to the Region, that priority be given to Brooklin when urban areas along the lakeshore can and are being serviced more cheaply, and there is at the moment - NO DEMONSTRATED DEMAND FOR SUCH ADDITIONAL SERVICED LOTS. Also, the report rests on the assumption that Whitby south of Taunton Road will grow by approx. 4,000 persons per year, reaching a population of 69,000 by 1987. Last year was an exceptional year for growth - in excess of 7 per cent, but between 1974 and 1978, the growth rate was just over 4 per cent. Now, if we assume a 6 per cent growth rate south of Taunton from 1979, it would be 1997 before Witby soutb of Taunton reacbed 70,000 and 70,000 persons is 70 per cent of the total growth anticipated for Whitby. The question has to be asked is it fair to hold development in Brooklin until that magic number of 70,000 is in place?1 Consideration has to be given to the effects created by allowing development to leapfrog1 to Brooklin and the pressures created to prematurely allow development in the area between Rossland and Taunton. This must be fully discussed. Council must be aware if it can in fact support, manage and control, the potential costs and pressures expected to be generated in that area, if early development of Brooklin is permitted. AIlso,. the question bas to be asked - what if Council agrees to early Brooklin growtb and the growth rate potential fails to materialize in Whitby? We must ask ourselves how the Town is to support the normal operational costs created by new community demands. Not only in Brooklin but in the lower tdwn.,- Certainly the impact on the Town, resulting frorn the lack of development in the East1 Ward, gives some insight into the ramifications on a smaller scale. The Toyn in the early seventies invested almost four million dollars in sewers - most of this in the East Ward and last year the dividends just started to corne in. Can you tell rme what Corporation would tolerate such a slow return on such a large investment? The latest report I had from the Building Department was that there are in excessof 500 new ernpty homes in Whitby, south of Rossland Road - and Council is çommitted to 3,590r units of housing south of Rossland, which should generate a population of about 13,600 M I persons and I am not talking about plans of subdivisions which Council has not yet seen. Again, south of Rossland, should I mention between Rossland and Taunton, so I have i indeed good reason to express conéern for early Brooklin Development! I just don't buy the idea that Brooklin should reach a population of 4,000 before any industrial opportunities can be established. The Town would.have committed itself and that committment cannot be reversed. So the Town should insure that if early development comes to Brooklin, that from day one, employment opportunities match residential growth. -I find it hard to believe that industry can be attracted by simply getting the decision makers to move here. Industry, I believe, is more concerned with markets, transportation and labor availability, than where the boss sleeps. While I an on the subject of Industrial Lands, may I suggest to you, take a look at the amount of vacant industrial sites in Whitby now which will sell for about the same price per acre as Brooklin industrial land. Now, the Town has approximately 3 million square feet f industrial space for a population of 30,000. If Brooklin is allowed to go ahead of other development, would it therefore not follow that in order that there be balanced growth, Brooklin developers should provide 800,000 square feet of industrial space if it is to grow by 8,000. Let me now say to you, that I had some difficulty with CBC as the only developer. The company over the past few years has had many changes and I frankly harboured some doubt that they could handie a development of this size. However, since I have learned that Mr. Tannenbaum bas a 50 per cent share in the land holdings, whatever qualms I might have had have gone like last year's snow - York Steel, Lasco Steel and huge land holdings are his investments. Let's look at housing for a moment. The Pinker Study suggested lot sizes of 8,700 square feet or 5 units per acre. CBC's latest proposal is for 7,920 square feet or 5.5 units per acre. The newer houses in the west side of Brooklin are 8,250 square feet or 5.28 units per acre. Can it be that the decision makers would live in houses with lots smaller than the workers? The price range of the proposed new homes in 1977 dollars would be $86,000. Thisrimplies that lower tier Whitby -will be competing with housing in Brooklin in this price range. It might be easily argued or implied that houses for the workers at higher density and within a more affordable price range, would be concentrated to an even greater extent in lower tier Whitby. As a matter of fact the same developer who talks about housing for the decision makers in Brooklin, proposed on his lands opposite Woolco on Thickson .Road, to have single family units on 35 foot frontage and semis on 30 foot frontage. If Council should agree to lots of this size, the argument could be fostered that wbat is good enough for the Goose is good for the Gander! Now, water and sewer are not the only, costs we bave to be aware of. There are road improvements, comnunity facilities, parking, parks, libraries, ful time fireren at an early stage of development. And, let us not forget that similar demands have to be met for lower tier Wbitby. And, as a member of Council, I am not at all satisfied thac we can in fact meet the knd of expense that a two-tier community will create. And when I talk of road improvements, I suggest to you to namne a few Cassels Road, Way Street, Vipond - will have to be improved and where does this leave Anderson? The cost to bring that road up to standard prematurely, will be borne by whom? You know there has been a myriad of studies done on the feasibility of development and It seems to me that a spirit of detante exists between Government on one side and Developers and Consultants, on the other, in which neither side seems to want to upset the other, I believe you can do all the studies you want but the most misunderstood places on God's Earth are hamlets that core in the way of urban sprawl. For thewrost part those who want to urbanize rural areas are those with vested interest. Botb new coners to the scene and those who wotdd want to sell and move out. But, what of the individuals wo moved before bere for the peace and tranquility it affords - or the old timers wbo don't want change? This is the dilemma that faces the residents of Brooklin and we who are elected t1 make decisions. Again, my thanks. 1 I m m g,. ýnt.