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Committee turns down Brock St. commercial plan Whitby administrative commit- tee has rejected a plan to build stores on the west side of Brock St. S. between Ontario and St. John streets. Applications had been made by Lorna Cheah and Salvatore Prin- ciotto to rezone residential proper- ties to commercial. Petitions had been presented both for and against the proposal which had been referred to the downtown secon- dary plan study. At last week's public meeting on the second stage of the study, plan- ning department rejected the commercial designation and recommended instead that the properties be medium density residential with a four-storey building maximum. Councillor Joe Bugelli attempted to overturn the recommendation, saying that the downtown commer- cial area couldn't be 'etched in stone.' He made a motion to permit commercial use, but limited to three-storey, But the-motion was lost when councillors. Gerry Emm and Mar- cel Brunelle voted against it. Both then supported the planning recommendation, but with an amendment to make three storeys, instead of four, the maximum building height for residential uses. During discussion, Bryce Jordan of the planning department said the applications posed problems for land use designation since the block is on the edge of the existing com- mercial core while the properties, now occupied by single fainily dwellings, front Brock St., an ar- terial road. "I appreciate this is a difficult decision to make," said Kevin Tun- ney, representing the applicants, during discussion. He said Pinciot- to's first design proposal, submit- ted last year, was criticized as a "strip plaza," so plans were modified after discussion between the twoapplicants. He showed a revised plan for a development to include eight stores, most fronting on Brock St. S., with parking behind. SEE PAGE 2 led to bust "The presence of drugs and dealing on the streets became very prevalent. It was at a crisis point to us," said Edwards. Police also noticed a rise in criminal offences which they said were feeding drug habits. Police point out, however, that while the bust puts a "dent" on drugs in the region, it doesn't solve the problem. "I can't think of a drug-free community. If there was, I would live there," saidOPP Sergeant Ron Kirkpatrick. The investigation led to the arrest of 58 peuple as of last Thursday, with warrants out for the arrest of 26 others. Among those arrested are three employees of the Royal Hotel. A warrant is out for the arrest of an employee of the Spruce Hotel. The investigation led to the seizure of 10 lbs. of magie mushrooms valued at $45,000. The mushrooms were seized at a Bowmanville hotel. Police said they "flashed" (showed) $16,000 on the pretext of purchasing the mushroois, which have a similar effect as LSD. The investigation also led to the arrest of five people involved in a credit card ring. Police said credit cards would be stolen - sometimes just the credit card number and used for the put- chase and rent of video cassette recorders. The VCR's in turn would be sold and the money used to pur- chase drugs. Included in.the drugs seized or bought was cocaine, marijuana, SEE PAGE 2 CAROLE KEYS, co-author of "Creative Fun for Little Ones," helps 27-month-old Tomas Bird make plasticine animals as another youngster looks on. The authors of the book were at the Book Between, 113B .Dundas St. W. last Friday showing children and parents some of the ac- tivities contained in the book. Free press photo Six-storey maximum approved With exceptions for major development schemes, new building heights will not exceed six storeys in the Whitby downtown ar- ea. As a result of concerns expressed at a previous public meeting, Whit- by planning department reduced the proposed eight-storey limit to six storeys in a recommendation which was approved by ad- ministrative committee last week. The recommendation was made as part of the third report on the second stage of the downtown secondary plan study. If the report is adopted by council next week, a draft secondary plan will be made and another public meeting held in late March or early April. Six storeys was the building height preferred by many residents attending the previous public meetings held last year. Planning department wanted eight storeys as the maximum to allow high density development downtown. Maximum density is 70 persons per acre, according to planner Larry Cavanagh. A reasonable maximum height would permit that density "while main- taining a "human scale," he said last week. He also noted that few buildings would actually reach the eight- storey height. Planners, in response to public concerns, revised the height maximum to six storeys and. said the reduced maximum could still permit high density. But a provision was included to exceed the limit for large development schemes "comprising a significant land area." The exceptions would be allowed in commercial mixed use and high. SEE PAGE 4 Local business developments Pg.8 Henry wins LOSSA Pg. 15 Ni - a 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . f 0 4 4 4 rit 40 4 4ýt 4 4 -,à .4