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Page 16, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday. November 1, 1992 SeBROOKLIN } 0MB to decide fate of lumberyard By Mike Kowalsld The fate of a home improve- ment centre proposed for north Whitby will be determined by the Ontario Municipal Board. A proposal by the Mitchell Brothers of Brooklin to build a lumber, yard and showroom on Spencers Road, west of Hwy. 12, will be subject to an OMB hear- The board will decide whether to grant amendments -- which would permit the development -- to both the Whitby and Durham Top Regon official plans. Te site of t he proposed centre is on land now designated major open. space in the two official plans (documents which stipu- late preferred land uses in a municipality) and therefore requires an exemption permit- ting commercial use. Whitby and Durham Region councils have both approved an exemption that would allow the Mitchells'proposal to go ahead. Although the OMB hearing was requested by Glenn Bryers, gospel group 'The Torchmen' frori St. Catharines will be in concert at Burns Church, Ashburn on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The quartet has been rated Canada's top gospel male quartet for several years. There will be an offering. Discover 47»Inches$ter oag Visit our new store on the NE corner of .- Queen & Water.St. PORT PERRY 1(416)985-1239 BROOKLIN I.D.A. PHARMACY Open Mon. - Fri. 9-7, Sat. 9 - 5. 655-3301 To advertise in this feature please call Lynda Fox at the Whitby Free Press, 668-6112 a neighbouring homeowner opposed to the project, the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affaira has also expressed its concern. The ministry has asked Whitby and Durham ,Region councilEsto justify their decisîons granting the exemptiôn. The rationale behind the couh- cils' approvals will be included in the ministry's report to the board. In addition, the Ontario Minis- try of Environment has its own interest in the proposal. The environment ministry is requesting that no action be taken until the site has under- gone soil testing. Environment officials have concerns about fill materials dumped on the site in pre- paration for the development. The Mitchells have been seek- ing permission to move to the six-acre site on. the north side of Spencers Road -- about halfway between Taunton and Winches- ter roads -- for almost three years. They have been based in Brookin for 42 years, but the Church St. store is too small to accommodate the Mitchells' building supplies business. In fact, the Brooklin store is essentially a showroom. Most of the stock is kept at a former Ontario Hydro storage yard, also jocated on Spencers Rd., south- west of the proposed site. While potential traffic pro- blems adequate fire protection and the impact on wells worry most area residents, claims Bryers, the municipal affaira ministry's interest ip of a plan- ning nature. In a letter to Whitby and Durham Region councils, minis- try official John Waller states that the "general intent» of the official plans is to "discourage» urban type uses within open space areas. As well, "any 'spot' rezoning and changes to land use designa- tion whicli would permit activi- ties more appropriately located elsewhere...are also discouraged,» Waller writes. He adds that the ministry can- not support "s pecial, purpose commercial uses on private ser- vices (wells and septic tank) if the proposed use can be accomo- dated elsewhere within the municipality's urban boundary. Waller, a senior planner with the ministry's plans administ- ration branch, told The Free Press that neither the Town nor Region had yet responded to his letter. "Our concern is why they are putting a commercial operation in an open space area,» said Waller. "We felt it may establish a precedent for this type of appli- cation so we wanted a better understanding of what went irito it,» he added. Wailer said the ministry pre- fers that open space areas remain green land. "We wanted justification and analysis of why this is a good idea," he said. Waller said this information will be included in its final report to the OMB to aid the board in its deliberations. Waller added that his ministry did not seek a hearing but onIy Brooklin The Video Ni 76 Baldwin St. 655-3306 185 Thickson Rd. N. WHITBY Family business celebrates 10th year This month marks the 10th anniversary, of The Video Image, a family business in Brooklin. Under president Don Wick and operations manager Aldine Wick, the store rents and sells movies, and rents Nintendo and Super Nintendo and video cameras. The store has a wide selection of movies, but requests that can't be met immediately may be met from Video Image locations in Whitby, Oshawa and Fenelon Falls. Special orders can be placed for hard-to-get movies and laser disc movies. Store employees have a good know- ledge of movies and their clients' in- dividual tastes, and so are able to recommend movies to suit clients' tastes. Employee Crystal Pilniuk has painted a Disney composite mural in the Brooklin location. As part of their community involve- ment, The Video Image sponsors the Brooklin Octagon Club for teens and the Brooklin Spring Fair pony show. forwarded Bryers'request for one to the OMB. According to regifonal council- lor Joe Drumm, mnistry officials are «living on cloud fine" if they object to the proosal. He defended Whitby7 and Dur- ham Region councils approving the exemption. "Ve view it as a good place for that kind of building. It's a high- way-oriented business which will take up a large area,» said Drumm. He said "common sense"*ould tell anyone'that a lumber yard is not suitable for a shopping centre or downtown location. "It's common sense and com- mon sense seems to be lacking in the ministry," said Drumm. ."I think the Town and Region did right in my Judgment and the MMA (ministry) is out to lunch." Not surprisngly, Bryers, does not share Drumm s opinion. "This is spot rezoning contrary to the official plan and contrary to what everyone (residents) would like to see," said Bryers. He said concerns about water, fire protection and traffic pro- blems were raised by most home- owners three years ago and "nothing's changed, the objec- tions are the same. Bryers, who lives on the south- east corner of Ashburn and Spencers roads, said about 30 homes south of the site will be affected to some degree. He said the site, once used as pasture land, had almost 600 tons of fil dumped on it in preparation forthe centre. "It used to be a wet area,» Bryers said. "ÀAlot of us are on shallow wells and it's effectively sealed the land, there's no perco- lation at all.» But the residents' greatest fear said Bryèrs, is fire. "We all live downwind from it, there's no fire protection to stop it.» Although fire regulations sti- pulate that a 50,000-gallon water tank must be installed on site, Bryers said this is not adequate. Plans are for a water tank about the same size as the one Cullen Gardens had and their barn burned down (in 1989),» said Bryers. "They say it wouldn't happen, but I know.of three lumber yards in Scarborough that burned down." Bryers intends to appear at the (as of yet unscheduled) hear- ing and hopes to represent the majority of residents. He plans to recanvass the neighbourhood to determine if the level of Opposition remains as "Some might say 'what's the use? but I'm not one of those people who will walk away from it,» said Bryers. Don Mitchell Sr., however, believes that Bryers will receive SEE PAGE 23 Myrtle United Church will hold the fourth annual craft sale on Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the church (Hwy 12 in Myrtle Station, 10 minutes north of Whitby). There will be wreaths, folk art, Christmas decorations, wood crafts, a bake table and much more. Admission is free. y' 77