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By HOWARD MOZEL Oakville Beaver Staff Residents opposed to a 16â€"storey highrise complex on Old Mill Road are in no mood to merely fineâ€"tune the plan. Instead, they used last week‘s public information meeting to make it abundantly clear the project should be put on hold until a satisfactory analyâ€" sis of the situation can be made. Speaking on behalf of the Federation of Oakville Residents Groups (FORG) Ian Croskell said his association‘s members were "appalled" at the way the area is being developed and that it must be looked at in a "total package basis." More than 100 individuals from a variety of ratepayers‘ groups packed a Town Hall meeting room Thursday night to vent their frustration at Planning Department staff and the Genstar Development Company. At issue, they said, was not so much what happens on the small parcel of land west of the GO station, but rather how it fits in with the entire community. All the consultants in the world are fine and good, he said, but reiterated the evening‘s overriding sentiment that residents‘ concems and input are not being taken into account. Old Mill development opponents were in no mood to compromise The meeting stemmed from a proâ€" posal by Genstar to build condominiâ€" ums on a parcel of land just west of the GO station between Speers Road and the CNR lines. Its single, articuâ€" lated building will include a total of 345 condominium units. Genstar had originally proposed a 23â€"storey strucâ€" ture, but scaled it down to 16 after meeting with the Trafalgar Chartwell Residents Association on April 7th. The property in question is currentâ€" ly zoned general industrial. In 1983, Town Council amended the Official Plan to permit highâ€"density residential on the site. Now Genstar is seeking to have the zoning changed to impleâ€" ment the Official Plan. Adding fuel to the fire is a proposal by Kaneff Properties Ltd. to construct a series of 12 to 16â€"floor buildings nearby. Further complicating the mix is talk of development on lands once occupied by Canadian General Tower and Beaver Lumber. Sept Birds proved lucky (Continued from page 1) occupy three portables and a church hall across the street from Morden, had nowhere to turn, and "would not have been able to learn English," says fellow ESL teacher Jane Farrish. While some students conducted a letter campaign to the program‘s supervisor, Kotaki quietly underâ€" took a plan of her own. The mother of one and a silkscreen teacher in her native country, meticulously folded her birds of hope, 1,000 of them out of newspaper, wrapping and origami paper. Day in, day out she created. Finally she strung them all together, a process which alone took three days, and presented ‘her colorful flowing symbolic wish for the program‘s survival, to her teacher. "To Japanese, cranes a symbol of long life and happiness, peace and hope," said Kotaki, who has studied English for three years. *"And my wish has come true." While Kotaki worked away, teachers were made aware of the availability of a federal grant under LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada), a program which allowed them, in conjunction with the Halton Board of Education‘s Adult and Continuing Education program, to access more funds and continue their work for the next five years. The revitalized program, now under the heading of Blended LINC classes, includes funding for landed immigrants and Qonvention refugees under the fedâ€" erally funded LINC, and for Canadian citizens or visitors under the previous provincial grant proâ€" Needless to say Kotaki‘s masterâ€" [E:;origami creation overwhelmed 1, who is relieved the funds were Ifound to continue the program. "If we don‘t teach them English hey can‘t get out into the workâ€" orce," said Hall, adding that the lasses and friendships made within ose classes, ease newcomers into country and the community, and lp them understand Canadian culâ€" e. (ESL classes are held Monday to Friday at Morden, between 9:15 and 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 and 3:15 p.m. kor all levels, beginners to vanced. For parents of children Etending ESL classes there is also a eâ€"school program in the mornings nly for children 2 to 5 as well as a ight school at TAB Monday to ednesday, 7 to 9:30 p.m.) "It‘s (ESL) like a little communiâ€" y," added Farrish. "They make a lot f friends here. Language isn‘t a arrier." Q 199 Manager of Current Planning John Ghent â€" who was in the unenviable hotseat as host of the meeting â€" explained that the 20 acres of Canadian General Tower land were still designated industrial under the Official Plan, although there have been discussions about medium densiâ€" ty development. Before that can hapâ€" pen, however, the Ministry of the Environment must give the allâ€"clear for residential housing. Halton Board of Education trustees vetoed outâ€"ofâ€"province travel plans for four board employees at last week‘s meeting. Citing tough economic times and difficulty justifying expenditures such as this when employees are facing unpaid days off under the social conâ€" tract, trustees denied a request by the three teachers and one senior staff person to attend outâ€"ofâ€"town conferences. The recommendation was defeatâ€" ed on a tie vote. Burlington trustee Don Cassidy refused to support the travel expenses â€" which would have cost the board $1,875 â€" because of the contradiction in asking for staff to take unpaid days off while funneling funds into conferâ€" ences outside the country. The Official Plan, residents conâ€" tend, should not be an inviolate Bible Trustees veto outâ€"ofâ€"province travel plans for board employees Oakville trustee Linda Lane said she was "concerned about the public‘s perception of expenditures of this nature", especially since many conâ€" stituents are unemployed. < Although the board must spend $567,071 under contracts on professionâ€" al development for its staff, Superintendent of Instructional Services Joanne Zywine said the money will be spent elsewhere on training. EAT_LNS SURPRISE DAY Thursday, September 3© th CLEARANCE Further Reductions St&rewide EATON‘S TORONTO BUYLINE 343 WOMEN‘S FALL FASHION CLEARANCE 20% to 50% OFF selected items C %o 1P L6 SELECTED ITEMS which hamstrings the current attitudes of taxpayers. The Town, they said, is hiding behind that document while providing the illusion it is listening to residents. It took years to "drum sense" into the Town on fiscal matters, stated Croskell. He hopes it won‘t take as long to change its planning pracâ€" tices. No amount of reassurance from Genstar representatives about the issues raised â€" density, traffic, cash in lieu of parkland, lack of schools and the impact on Hydro rates, taxes and THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 5111. Ontario 24â€"hour tollâ€"free phone orders DIAL 1â€"800â€"268â€"9175 Plus, don‘t miss our infrastructure â€" made even a dent in the crowd‘s skepticism. Referred to several times as a "fortress," the Genstar building is merely the latest chapter in a history of planning blunâ€" ders, say residents. Since there seems to be no overall plan, they continued, no action should be taken until after the midâ€" town core study is completed in two years. Then, perhaps, a compromise everyone can live with can be negoâ€" tiated. Questions about traffic occupied much of the evening with residents basically saying they were being lied to about the impact development will have on the area‘s road system. They didn‘t buy the theory the Speersâ€" Cornwall extension would lessen the blow. Since the Official Plan was amended around the same time it was decided Trafalgar Road would remain "constrained" as it is today, the whole matter should be reâ€"visitâ€" ed, they argued. Residents are also insulted by what they perceive as the basic unfairness of having height restricâ€" tions of five or so storeys in some areas in town, but not in theirs. Asked by former Town councillor Alastair Wilson what concrete steps residents can take to truly influence the outcome of the situation, Ghent told the crowd to put pressure on Council. E ATONS Goods Satisfactory or Money Refunded & Un Thank you for supporting the A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS Hearing Impaired # (416) was raised for Ontario Hospitals We would like to thank the following for their support of our fundraising efforts: * Quaker State * Tim Hortons * CHMLâ€"Y95 Hospital Drive ©60,800 43 34 FF Fram McDonalds PB Advertising