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Backyard Touch 318 Guelph Street Georgetown 905.873.8835 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3 Alien invasion? Not exactly. Halton Hills firefighters donned Hazmat suits to respond to a call on Five Sideroad west of Trafalgar Rd. Monday afternoon. Halton Police had called firefighters because a 45-gallon drum marked toxic and hazardous had rolled off a truck and into the ditch. When firefighters arrived they determined the barrel had not been punctured and the product inside Ninol 30 LL, also known as lauric acid, a sat- urated fatty acid occurring in many vegetable fats, par- ticularly in coconut and palm kernel oils had not leaked. Public Works staff responded, and removed the barrel. Photo by Graham Paine Approximately $1,200 damage was caused at Georgetown Christian School on Trafalgar Rd. sometime late Friday or early Saturday. Damaged was a sign and overhead light in the schools front alcove, as well as a classroom window. Halton Regional Police were the target of graffiti spray-painted on a wall at George Kennedy School on Weber Dr. sometime Saturday or Sunday. The cost for clean up is about $100. Racist comments were written in black marker on the recycling bins at Joseph Gibbons School on Moore Park Cr. Clean-up is estimated to cost $100. A set of speakers was stolen sometime late Thursday or early Friday from a vehicle for sale at a Trafalgar Rd. home. The speakers are valued at $350. A wallet containing cash, identification and credit cards, was taken from a vehicle parked at The Beer Store on Guelph St. Sunday afternoon. A window had been left down in the car. Police blotter Vandals cause $1,200 damage to area school Growing pains Town staff has prepared a Discussion Paper for Halton Hills council to use to formulate its posi- tion for Halton Region. That paper calls for moderate growth on alterna- tive water/wastewater servicing. (See story page 5.) Pointing to the Hemson report, calling it inconclusive, a frustrated Mayor Rick Bonnette said, Were basically damned if we do, and damned if dont. Council is going to have a tough road to go ahead. Its very interest- ing to see the audience tonight that came out. It was all various opin- ions. And judg- ing by the e- mails it s all whether to grow, at least grow but dont bring The Pipe in, dont grow at all and even one com- ment that says that raise taxes so we dont grow. We have various differences of opinion but hopefully over the next few weeks it will be more crystal- lized. Council made no decision at Mondays meeting but will attend a special workshop on Saturday to for- mulate a response to Halton Region. Council members will take these ideas, plus the many more e-mails, letters and phone calls, into consideration. At the October 29 council meet- ing, town staff will present a report, which formulates the recommenda- tions the Town will present to Halton Region. The reports are posted on the Towns website, www.haltonhills.ca Were damned if we do and damned if we dont, says mayor Nine residents stood at the podium in the Halton Hills council chambers to give their opinion on how this town should grow or not over the next 24 years. Ron Heller, of Acton East Housing Corporation, said Actons logical growth to the east towards George- town was stopped in its tracks by the Provinces Greenbelt legislation. Acton is, in essence, landlocked by the legisla- tion, with its only alternative to develop the Maple Leaf lands contaminated brownfields by the former tannery. Approximately 50 per cent of the undeveloped area within the current boundary is former tannery property containing a high percentage of wet- land and environmentally sensitive land, which would be better suited for the Greenbelt than other areas adjoin- ing the current urban boundary. Heller wants Town and Region backing to amend the Greenbelt to allow a mix of housing and recreation- al and commercial for seniors on Hwy. 7, east of Tanners Dr. It would be mod- eled after the Village by the Arboretum in Guelph. Former Acton councillor Norm Elliott supported Hellers bid and also suggested that Town should look into the former well area south of Acton, that used to service that community as a future water supply. Brendan Smith called for water conservation by both residents and the aggregate industry; use mix-use plan- ning models like live/work (apart- ments over commercial); forbid devel- opment of Class 1 & 2 farmland and set up incentives for farmers; selection of green-friendly industry and vertical intensification (build up, not out). With certain guidelines like six- storey limits and street-level fae conservation, each towns unique architectural character is more sustain- able with intensification than if we continue to build vast brick shanty- towns on our farmlands. Barbara Halsall said the Town should also consider water resulting from conservation measures, rather than just total reliance on groundwater or the Big Pipe. She also pointed to pollution in the Great Lakes and lowering levels. She also suggested a new financial program that would allow farmers to stay on the land. Marilyn Serjeantson, former mayor of Halton Hills, is concerned about a possible dramatic population increase and its impact on the infra- structure, pointing to clogged roads in need of repair and stretched library ser- vices. Development charges are not paying the way. If we get The Pipe, the same thing (growth in Milton) will happen here. ...There has to be a better co-operation among all levels of government or this community will be destroyed. Its hard to fight or stall growth and stay a smallish town in the GTA but there has to be fairness in how a community is impacted. Mike Davis, former Georgetown councillor, stated there should be no growth at all and all of Halton Hills lands should be placed within the Greenbelt so that none of the lands can be developed. Its been well established that development doesnt pay for develop- ment and the cost to maintain (roads, parks etc) single family homes are very high and the burden on taxpayers is forever. Don Rowntree is a third genera- tion farmer on Ninth Line, south of 10 Sideroad, posed the most interesting question of the night. Yes, its nice to talk about saving the farmland but saving the farmland for who? He said the approaching south Georgetown development is forcing his neighbours dairy farmers to leave Halton Hills due to the provincial gov- ernments new Walkerton water set- back regulations. He, himself, has chronic water shortage, and its not enough to sustain his cattle. Switching to crops would do little to ease the water situation, and due to the current prices, would not be profitable either. In the case of my neighbours cows being pushed, its not the farmer that wants to leave, its the areas develop- ing around it that has caused all the problem. Lucy Stocco, representing the South Georgetown Landowners Group which own land from Five to 10 Sideroads between Trafalgar Rd. and Ninth Line, said the lands represent a logical extension to the Georgetown boundary and are of sufficient size to accommodate a broad mix of develop- ment to allow for a complete commu- nity. She said there is a positive aspect to growth, and the Town and Region are not taking as much advantage of the 401 Corridor as they should be. Leslie Adams said number one on her wish list is no more negative social, economic or environmental impact. Continued from pg. 1 RICK BONNETTE Residents views vary on growth EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer There has to be a better co-oper- ation among all levels of govern- ment or this community will be destroyed. MARILYNSERJEANTSON The fiscal impact, pg. 5 Discussion paper, pg. 5