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Backyard Touch 318 Guelph Street Georgetown 905.873.8835 HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 10 am - 6 pm; Sat. 10 am - 5 pm, Sun. 11 am - 3 pm (FORMERLY BEACHCOMBER) Fall in Love Sale PLAY NOW PAY LATER! No Interest, No Payments for 6 Months O.A.C. Tables from $1999 Set up and delivery included While supplies last! Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, October 31, 2007 3 Halton Hills council is keeping mum at this point on a preferred growth plan for this town, but instead has compiled a set of prin- ciples that its sending off to Sustainable Halton planners to use as they develop growth scenarios. Halton Region, in consultation with Halton Hills, Burlington, Milton and Oakville is in the middle of a planning exer- cise known as the Sustainable Halton Plan. The Plan will respond to a provincial legisla- tion, which has targeted Halton to grow to 650,000 people in 2021 and to 780,000 peo- ple by 2031. Halton Hills will be expected to take its share of people but still unan- swered are how many and where? Halton Region has requested input from Halton Hills how it would like the growth to happen here. Earlier this month, the Town heard from its consultant on the fiscal impact of 11 growth scenarios ranging from total population growth of 70,000 to 130,000. But Monday night, Halton Hills council would not endorse any of those scenarios until the Town reviews Halton Regions pro- posed growth scenarios expected to be released in January. I fully expect there will be many more scenarios before we see the end of the process ...it would be prema- ture to rule out anything, said Director of Planning Bruce MacLean. Its clear in our (Town) report that you (council) have not committed to any one option and ... further dialogue with the Region is required. Council, however, did express concern with any scenario: that has a population total for Halton Hills exceeding 110,000 that does not improve the resi- dential/industrial-commercial assessment balance that requires an alternative water and wastewater servicing (Big Pipe) without first exhausting the capability of the groundwater and stream-based systems. Instead, council approved a set of principles and evaluation criteria to be sent to the Sustainable Halton planners as they prepare their growth scenarios. Included within the principles are: pro- tection, restoration and improvement of the local groundwater quality and quantity, water conservation; protection and improve- ment of the natural heritage features; focus on local and regional economy, promotion of live/work relationships; growth must pay for growth, all levels of government must invest, all municipalities must be fiscally sustainable or viable, balanced resident/industrial assessment growth, expanded GO system and road network, phased growth and growth based on green principles. I think the principles that council (in a Saturday workshop) came up with are defendable, said Mayor Rick Bonnette. At least Halton Hills are now positioning our- selves and I think were ahead of the other three municipalities. The Town received about 25 submissions; the majority of them from residents who opposed growth. MacLean said the planning department is still accepting residents opin- ions, adding there will also be more opportu- nity for public consultation in 2008. More information on the Sustainable Halton Plan is available on the Town website www.haltonhills.ca/planning/sustainableHalt onPlan or by contacting Steve Burke, 905- 873-2601 extension 2254 or stevebu@hal- tonhills.ca. A large fire and explosion destroyed a garage/work- shop and its contents on Hwy. 7 early Sunday morn- ing. Prior to the Halton Hills fire departments arrival, an explosion caused by the heat and build-up of gases from burning material blew the walls out of the tin clad building. No one was injured. The building was fully involved when fire crews arrived. Damage is estimated at $300,000 and the cause is believed to be the faulty installation of a pressure washer with a heating device. A fire department spokesperson said a tenant was using the pressure washer when the fire started. He had left the building to call 911 when the explosion occurred. Ontario Fire Marshal Office investigators (above) were investigating the blaze Monday. Photo by Ted Brown Halton Region is pleased with the recovery of the water table level in the Hornby area and has reconnected wells for four homeowners whose water levels were impacted by construction of a pumping station on Steeles Ave. The indication we have is the groundwater is recover- ing, said Tim Dennis, Halton Regions Director of Engineering Services. Several Hornby area wells went dry or experienced shortages this summer when the Region accidentally tapped into the aquifer while building a pumping station on Steeles Ave. west of Sixth Line. In order to continue with the construction, the Region had to pump water from the aquifer right up until Sept. 24. Approximately 56 wells in the area were impacted. In the meantime, the Region has provided the affected home- owners with water storage tanks and has been delivering water to them. Were seeing rapid response in some areas and the response in other areas is not as rapid, but that is expect- ed, said Dennis. But we are seeing response in the majority of the wells. Dennis said the region hopes that we can reconnect the majority of the properties before the winter freeze-up. A public meeting on the Hornby water issue will be held tomorrow (Thursday), 7 p.m. at Hornby Glen Golf Club. The recovery of the water table will be discussed along with how the Region intends to ensure the temporary water systems dont freeze, utilizing insulation and heat tracing, for those who will have to be on those systems throughout the winter. Town not tipping its hand about possible growth scenarios Workshop explosion Halton Regional staff are available to any community group or business who would like to hear a presentation and discuss the Sustainable Halton planning process. Sustainable Halton is a comprehensive planning process that will guide Halton where and how growth will happen to the year 2031 and beyond. It examines issues such as how much land Halton needs, air quality, transportation, agriculture, social and community services, physical activity, the needs of an aging population and other critical issues related to Haltons future. Sustainable Halton will also identify the important parts of Haltons natural heritage system. We need to hear from the community on what they want to protect and preserve as we plan for that growth, said Regional Chair Gary Carr. While well have open houses this winter, we know that not every- one can make it out to a public meeting. By going out to community and business groups, were making sure that people know about Sustainable Halton and have the infor- mation they need to tell us what they want Halton to look like in the future. Organizations who would like to have Halton make a presentation to their group can either send an e-mail to sustainable@hal- ton.ca or phone 905-825-6000, ext. 7455 (toll-free 1-866-4HALTON). Information is also available online at www.halton.ca/sus- tainablehalton. Region staff available to discuss growth plan CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer BRUCE MacLEAN Groundwater recovering for Hornby well-users LISA TALLYN Staff Writer