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Report says The Niagara Escarpment is like a giant spine in Southern Ontario running from Niagara Falls to Tobermory Ease Escarpment Commission controls Restrictions on development along the mile long Niagara Escarpment area may be eased the province accepts ihe en da ions of a three man tribunal of Ontario Municipal Board members The 1400 page report by Armour Waller Dean Henderson which takes issue with many points in the original NFC proposal has been sent to all along the Escarpment and to Ontario Resources Secretary Lome Hen Among the many recommendations put forth by the hearing officers the right to seek the creation of new lots on Escarpment areas is included It states owners should not be denied the right to apply for new lots and points out certain lands now des natural which would result In owners provid open space or i areas without the lands being purchased by a public authority The report also would allow transport at ion and utility facilities in escarpment natural areas In another reversal of the original proposed NEC Plan the report would allow applications for low density rural subdivisions or condominium on Escarpment Protection areas if other requirements are met The comment if this recommendation is not accepted then a great number of landowners will have been dealt with unfairly is added A frequent request from older farmers may be granted with the recommendation that a farmer may be allowed to create a retirement lot on farms in the Escarpment Rural area Another departure from the proposed plan is the suggestion minor urban areas be allowed to expand into either Escarpment Natural or Escarpment Protection areas providing other equipment can be met The hearing officers find fault the NEC for relying on a proposed Aggregate Act which they say may or may not sec the light of day In Tact by now these provincial proposals ha been changed and a new Act is under consideration The Hearing Officer suggests that high priority mineral resource areas be identified and included as part of the plan The mineral resource areas include lion areas and areas of high priority mineral resources High priority mineral resource protection areas would be designated by means of overlays which would be part of the Plan The report advocates handing develop ment decisions back to the municipalities after the Plan Is approved It states the implementation of the NEC Plan should be by zoning bylaws at the local level not by development control This is the term used by the NEC for allowing any building The report calls attention to the phrase criteria used in the proposed NEC as added and points out the applies lion of such a clause without all the parties having advance knowledge is In our opinion distasteful to say the least Another seeming rebuke to the NEC recommends that any reference to the Land Compensation Board be removed since the claims it is not its function to deter mine fair market value without conducting a hearing arising from expropriation The report also considers the one year period given the NEC to decide whether or not to purchase private land too long and would cut it to six months And there good news for woodlot owners who wish to make a dollar The report says there should be provision for cutting if It meets with Ministry of Natural Resources approval and goes on to state the is the best equipped body to give such ap proval The hearing officers express grave doubts about the practicality of local bylaws being more restrictive than the policies of the NEC Plan they have revised it The recommendations will be studied by the member Niagara Escarpment Commission then the final master plan or controlling development along the escarp ment will be sent to the Ontario Cabinet This article by no means covers the whole 1400 page report but only what has been gleaned in a few brief days newsmakers GeorgetownActon Wednesday March lllllllllllllllllllllllll ESTATE SERVICES LTD REALTOR Sheriff Frank Andy Frank our musical HaHon Sheriff by Sheriff Mac Sheriff Andrew Frank was born in Township on August 1902 tht son of a plasterer He attended public school In Township Ha I ton County The moved to Acton when Sheriff Frank wan 12 old and for a brief while he worked in the plastering business ng I s marriage in to Miss Sheriff Frank bought a fruit farm near and grew straw berries and raspberries Mr rank was one of nine members of the famous Sod Busters a depression era musical group from the Campbell area who played all over Ontario and were regularly heard on Hamilton radio and station CKOC His parents and sisters were in the group and Mr I- rank played iht violin They played country music in 1931 1933 and As well as fruit farming Sheriff Frank real estate before his appointment as Sheriff in He served as Sheriff from 1958 After retirement Sheriff Frank formed Ihe farmers Market in Milton and was made first Mayor of the Market He was later made one of Milton Citizens of the Year a few years after the success of the market Sheriff Frank attends the United Church in Milton is a member of Ihe Mason Order and past President of the Milton Lawn Bowling Association Mr Frank and his wife Elsie have three daughters Jean Joan and Donna and a son Re id CONE lambastes report CAS appoints PR person Ron Coupland Executive Director of the Children Aid Society announced the appointment of CoUeen Kelly Forrester as Public Relations Coordinator Forrester hat been part of the public relations Odd lor six years moat recently with The Spectator In Hamilton She is also qualified In working with young people having held two provincial high school teaching positions The long awaited report on the Niagara Escarpment Plan which comes after two years of hearings negates 15 years of provincial initiatives and wastes millions of dollars of taxpayers money says President of the Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment puts the Hearing Officers Report squarely on the side of development and says an orderly plan for this magnificent provincial heritage Is now in tatters She claims the hearing officers showed lack of understanding of environmental planning of the objectives of the NEC CONE is sharply critical of new lots and houses in the most sensitive areas In the Escarpment rural subdivisions including condominiums in the protected areas and unlimited expansion of minor urban areas even Into the most unspoiled escarpment land CONE takes issue with looser severance policies gravel extraction and con do miniums in agricultural areas The group cons ting of various conservation organ liaisons and individuals warn of implcme of the plan by local municipal zoning bylaws without a provincial overseer role CONE points out none of the proposals to strengthen designations by region were accepted and noted the report would deny municipalities the right to pass plans restrictive than the Escarpment Plan CONE president noted development approval of the Speyslde Quarry is recommended despite local op position and expert testimony Councillor Sheldon a leader in the area fight against extension of the aggregate industry describes the Hearing Officers Report as a watered down version of the NEC plan which took ten years and millions of dollars of taxpayers money to develop She emphasized the original plan gave local plans If more restrictive than the NEC precedence but the revisions sugges ted is reversing that stance Sap time Part of the Tun daring maple syrup time at Wildlife Centre Is the honedrawn ride to the sugar bush where tie sap Is boiled down into syrup There Is also a candy house for those with a tweet tooth who want to buy fattening goodies Five year old Christopher Price o looks like be having problems chewing the gooey taffy in the mow daring the Mount berg maple time on the weekend Twelve year old Andrew Wtrnaarie who Urs at Wild lire Centre showi how the trees are tapped by drilling The mild weather made to the Centre No support for new committee A move by Councillor Sheldon backed by Councillor Firm to set up a committee to look at other ways of funding rural road work was shot down by Hills general committee this week with only the mover and seconder of the motion voting in favor Sheldon suggested a representative of each ward be on the committee and em did not intend to change the existing road program Councillor Miller pointed out the Town has been following the Roads Need Study be be adhered to contended new Ideas are needed and suggested a reserve fund be established for road work Finance Chairman Ross won dered if there are any alternative methods of raising money He noted the Town has only cents of the tax dollar to spend which be claimed can be stretched much further It seems to me the committee would be doing the staffs Job commented Mike Armstrong Town Engineer Bob Austin told council If his department is given more money they can do more adding If the committee is set up we tl work with It I can see who a going to do most of the work Councillor Harry Levy objected to such a committee contending the priority of roads could become a political issue argued the idea would be limply to celebrate the present program and suggested the sale or surplus property for this purpose Sheldon maintained did not intend to do staff Job but simply wanted other ways of solving the road problem investigated If there were other ways of funding sure the engineer would have brought them to us long ago commented Miller I can tell you where you can get the money growled Councillor Tom Hill take it out of the lot levy fund that going to the big municipal complex That money should have gone to hard services in the first place Armstrong suggested any Ideas should come to the budget committee and sugges ted the reactiviation of road tours so coun cillors know exactly the condition of tbe Region briefs Due partly to Burlington Mayor Holy Bird s assertion that local municipalities should pay for referral services the Acton Information Centre was denied an additional grant from the region It will receive the allotted regional grant approved at the Social Services Tuesday meeting It trying to be all things to all people commented Mayor Bird about the Centre adding that referral services In Burlington and are met by the local libraries In other municipalities it Is paid by the municipality Bird added Social Services Debbie Oakley stressing she was not advocating one municipality over another told Bird the multl service centre Is unique In Acton In that particular community there really Is nothing else she claimed Councillors Dave Whiting and John McDonald were absent from the comm meeting Volunteers not money Money will not solve vandalism problems in North councillors from Oakville and Burlington claimed Tuesday afternoon maintaining vandal ism committees need volunteers not money Councillors were debating whether the Burlington Community Resource Centre who want to expand services for vandal ism and juvenile distraction program Halton Hills and Milton should receive It Is not the influx of dollars that will start vandalism committees main councillor Peter Arch You need willing volunteers Director Debbie Oakley supporting the request stressed there Is a relatively serious problem of vandalism in Halton Hills and Milton Committee decided to grant and an additional 5 in reserve for the vandalism program Burlington Mayor Holy Bird staled that although he understood the vandal ism problem he did not believe vandal ism groups should be on a regional level But this is not the same type of vice that local committees address objected councillor Jackie Cut more Tbeyhavearealsenscof work Social services grants At Tuesday s Region Social Services meeting councillors had the task of assessing the needs of social service agencies approving some requests for grants and denying others The North Halton Hospice agency was granted their request of TOO for 193 Their previous request was denied last year and they appeared at the February IS meeting to plead their case The Elizabeth Fry Society CNIB Association of Children with Learning Disabilities Child Play Parent Child Centre Big Sisters Council Adolescents and the Oakville Parent Child Centre were denied grant requests Committee was left with from an original for grants Director Debbie Oakley said later these agencies who were denied requests will attempt to get a part of the remaining funds The Acton Agricultural Society was granted while the Georgetown Agricultural Society was granted 1M