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Attersley opposes choice of Oshawa By MIKE JOHNSTON Oshawa has been recommended as the site for a new regional headquarters by a Durham Region committee, although strong objec- tion was made by Whitby Mayor Bob Attersley at a meeting last week. . Finance and-planning committee voted 10-1 in favor of the Oshawa site at a meeting Friday afternoon. Oshawa alderman Doug Wilson was the lone opponent. Of the 11 committee members, five are from Oshawa, none from Whitby. "What are the advantages to the Region's image in being placed in a relatively unattractive location and on *a secondary entrance into Oshawa's downtown area," said Mayor Attersley before the com- mittee voted. A report to the committee from the Region's chief administrative officer Don Evans recommended the new headquarters be located at the corner of Mary and Bond St. in downtown Oshawa. Graywood Developments has of- fered to build the headquarters at the corner of Garden St. and Rossland Rd. in Whitby, across the street from the present headquar- ters site. That was another of the four options before the committee. In his report, Evans said the Oshawa proposal was the best financialdeal for the Region. Evans said the Oshawa proposal would include parking in perpetuity at no cost to the Region. The Graywood proposal provides on-site parking on lands to be donated to the Region at a cost of $510,000. Attersley said a parking garage would cost Oshawa $7.5 million and if Oshawa provided surface parking the cost could be $5.5 million. "Does the Region have a com- mitment from the City for all of these facilities' cost components?" asked Attersley. Evans estimated that the costs of the building, including furnishings and telephones in Whitby, would be $16.1 million. In Oshawa, the same building would cost $15.5 million. Those prices do not include the sale of the existing property. Evans estimates the Region can get $6.6 million for the property. "If the building goes down there it is for« the enhancement -of the Region," said regional chairman Gary Herrema, approving the Oshawa site. "I would hate to leave Whitby. I have close feelings for this Town but this benefits the residents of the Region," said Herrema. Attersley also argued that Evans' report contains errors, that there are water and soil problems on the Os'hawa site and~that the Whitby location is the best choice between the two. Also appearing before committee was a late entry into the headquar- ters sweepstakes. Don Givens, spokesman for Hi- Rise Structures Inc. of Ajax, proposed a new headquarters to be SEEPAGE2 Teachers vote strike action Durham Board of Education high school teachers are now in a strike position after an overwhelming vote on Friday in favor of the ac- tion. Under Bill 100, the·teachers have to give five days' notice of strike action. But Bev Tindall, president of the local chapter, District 17 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, says teachers want to resume negotiations. "Wé are looking to a negofiated settlement," said Tindall, who would not indicate when strike ac- tion would take place should negotiations fail. The board and teachers and mediator Doug Belch held their last meeting May 5. Teachers then voted 95.3 per cent in favor of strike action. The board has been negotiating with the teachers for 13 months for a new contract. The last contract expired Aug. 31, 1986. Tindall says staffing and the hiring of supply teachers are the main issues to be settled. Teachers want additional staff, and Tindall notes that the Durham Board of Education is 76th out of 79 school boards in Ontario in adding staff. The federation members also want a replacement teacher as soon as a regular teacher becomes ill. A supply teacher is now hired after 10 days' illness and the board has so far agreed to three days illness, said Tindall. Also to be resolved are salaries and wages of teachers. The board has offered a 4.5 per cent increase in basic salary while teachers want a 5.4 per cent increase on all com- pensation. Teachers also want "im- provements" in the medical-dental package, said Tindall. Mediation talks began in January. District 17 of the federation represents 1,200 high school teachers from 18 schools. KERRA GARDINER, 4, plays peek-a-boo with Don the goat during a visit to The Farm last week. See page 14 MAYOR BREAKS TIE Dundas St. plaza Whitby council' has given ap- proval in principle to a commercial shopping plaza on the south side of Dundas St. west of Annes St. ad- jacent to the car wash. Council approved an amendment to Town's official plan to change the site zoning from medium den- sity residential to local commer- cial. The vote was 4-3. Mayor Bob Attersley, regional councillor Tom Edwards and coun- cillors Joe Bugelli and Joe Drumm voted in favor of the amendment. Regional councillor Gerry Emm and councillors Marcel Brunelle and Ross Batten were opposed. The next step will be a public meeting on site plan and rezoning applications. The land has to be rezoned from 'development' to 'shopping centre commercial.' "I support this with misgivings," said councillor Edwards. Edwards is the mayor's designate on the Downtown Business Improvement board of management which is opposed to the plaza. "It is not easy for me to go again- st the BIA," said Edwards. He indicated he did so because existing zoning on the land would allow a three of four-storey apar- tment building. Edwards noted that the Town has said 'no' to developers who want to put apartments on the site in the past and "on.some occasion we are going to say 'no' and the developer Licensed garage sales? Regional councillor Tom Edwar- ds wants the Town to regulate garage sales. "I have had a crescendo of com- plaints about them," said Edwards at a council meeting Monday night. At times, Edwards said the sales attract vehicles which block fire routes. Regulating the sale could be done by having residents pay for a license. Clerk Don McKay said he will have to look into provincial legislation and check how other municipalities are handling the sales. He will then report to the operations committee. Ipproved will take us to the Ontario Municipal Board." A developer last year proposed an apartment for the site. But councillor Bugelli said that was turned down for purely "political reasons." Bugelli said the developer could have gone to the OMB and most probably would have won. Another alternative for the land is townhouse development, which councillor Brunelle said is favored by residents. But Bugelli said the developer was asked if townhouses could be located at that site and the answer was'no'. He said the plaza meets the requirements residents have asked for at the site, mainly the building does not go above one and a half storeys. Bugelli also made reference to a letter addressed to council from BIA president Ed Buffett. In the May 8 letter, Buffett claimed Bugelli does not recognize the BIA as a major asset to the Town. Bugelli denied the claim and said not all merchants agree with the SEE PAGE12