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Acton Honeyfield development gets green light for final 17 homes The final 17 homes in the Honeyfield subdivision, in Acton east, north of Hwy. 7, was approved at Monday night's council meeting. The homes, fronting onto Somerville Rd., were delayed until additional water capacity could be found in Acton. That water allocation of 17 SDE (single detached equivalent) was approved by council Monday night as well. "Our ultimate goal for Honeyfield was to weave it into the existing fibre of the community so that at end of the process, the overall fabric of the community becomes stronger and more vibrant. We're very proud that after many years of effort Honeyfield is finally close to achieving that goal," said Alfio Mandarin of Rinarin Ltd., developers of Honeyfield at Monday's meeting. The 17 homes represent the final phase and Rinarin is prepared to break ground fairly quickly. Future plans for the neighbourhood include a community gazebo where residents can pick up their mail and enjoy the adjacent park, and a stone entrance feature. Mandarin also announced the purchase of two home lots at the corner of Tanner Dr. and Hwy. 7 (Queen St.) to be added to the current commercial block, next on the development plans. "There have been several attempts over the years by various parties to redevelop the Hwy. 7 into an appropriate commercial use. None of these attempts have been successful and these parcels remain in a fractured ownership position," said Mandarin. "These newly acquired lands together with our existing land and infrastructure capacity present a unique opportunity for the redevelopment of these lands to finally occur." Council also voted to authorize five SDE water units to this commercial block allowing it to proceed, but conditions were attached. Rinarin would have to submit all necessary planning applications the town by Feb. 28, and the site plan approval by Dec. 31. "This area is part of the gateway into Acton and to see it developed in the commercial enterprise is going to be beneficial to the Town," said Acton Councillor Jon Hurst. "We always talk about how far behind we are in our industrial/commercial tax base, and this is an opportunity to increase that somewhat in the town of Acton. It will be a great visual addition to the town coming in from the east." --By Cynthia Gamble, staff writer Interest shown in Gateway sports centre A private sector company has expressed interest in building a sports and entertainment facility in the Town's 401-407 Gateway Business Park. At a recent Town of Halton Hills, Economic Development Committee meeting, it was disclosed that Twin Rinks Management is interested in building a 178,000 sq. ft. three-pad sports and entertainment facility. The company is the owner of the Twin Rinks facility in Oakville. This facility, if it goes ahead, would be on 15-16 acres of Mold-Masters property close to the Hornby playing fields. The project is still in its conceptual phase. The proposed timeline is construction beginning in the fall with the opening a year later. --By Cynthia Gamble, staff writer SCHOOL PROPOSAL - AN OPPOSING VIEW La...La...La...Let's all hum "Everything is beautiful in its own way" as we read about the Keswick Sutherland School and Equestrian centre proposal. Here's the real story. Indeed, there are "some" residents who are opposed to their private school. Actually, there are over 100 of us, and we are not all immediate neighbours either. We are the people who use the 27th Sideroad and the 8th line to drive to work. We are the people who ride horses, enjoy watching deer, who walk the Bruce Trail, or who use Scotsdale Farm for family recreation. We are concerned about our future ability to safely use our hilly country road with the added traffic that 300 cars a day will involve. We estimate that in order to make the road safe for the number of vehicles several knolls will have to be removed, not to mention the famous "S" curve that is already extremely dangerous without the increased traffic. This could cost the Town of Halton Hills hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of dollars in construction costs. This is your tax money. Have I got your attention yet? All this for a small amount of property tax revenue? How about those soccer fields we all want? How about your road that needs to be fixed? What's in it for the people of Halton Hills? Are the wealthy families who want their kids to ride horses likely to be our residents? We don't think so. If you are planning to attend this school, please note that it is unlikely (you might say impossible) to build a school in 6 months. Look behind the Wizard. All is not what it appears to be. COME TO THE PUBLIC MEETING AT COUNCIL CHAMBERS TOMORROW NIGHT (FEB. 9, FROM 7 TO 9PM). Lois Fraser A Concerned Resident