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I T E A M 2000 416-746-2999 | Kathie Anderson (direct line) 90S580-0091 Managing Editor Rod Jerred Phone: 905-337-5559 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjeired@haltonsearch.com w i I > m : s i >.\Y. \< ) V . i : \ i r > m _><>. 2 <x>.{ · i r\< ;i ; i > .s BUSINESS Kerr Street merchant critical of BIA plans By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Support for a Business Improvement Area (BIA) on Kerr Street is not unanimous. In fact, one K err Street merchant has started a petition to sign up opposition against establishing a K err Street BIA. "To use the p hrase from the American Revolution, it's a classic case o f taxation w ithout representation," said Ed P ollock, ow n er o f O akville Sailboard & Ski and a vocal opponent o f a Kerr Street BIA. Pollock, a 40-year Oakville resident, who operated his shop for three years in downtown Oakville before moving to Lakeshore Road and Kerr Street 15 years ago, has a section o f his store's Web site devoted to the Kerr Street BIA issue. "It's not ju st opposition to aJBIA, but the way the w hole thing has been han dled, too," said Pollock. For tw o years, K err Street has had the Kerr Street Com m unity Association (KSCA). O n Sept. 8, the K SCA filed with the Town o f O akville to create a BIA for K err Street. A public m eeting w as held Oct. 8 to discuss the proposal. The K SCA has been acting like a BIA, but instead o f having a funding source like other BIAs -- contributions from its m em ber businesses -- it has relied on donations and com m unity support raising nearly $15,000 over two years, says its chair R ichard Messer. H aving a BIA w ould see the estab lishment o f an annual budget, probably in the order o f $30,000, M esser told The Beaver w hen the proposal w as filed. According to Messer, it w ould require an investm ent o f approxim ately $25 per m onth per k e r r S treet business -- though that was only an average since the calculation w ould be based on a square-footage equation. The hypothetical budget w as draw n up w ith the O akville E conom ic Developm ent A lliance to illustrate how the BIA w ould work. Council m ust approve a budget and the K SCA w ould n't be the BIA. The proposed BIA w ould stretch extra dollars." Pollock believes the proposed BIA boundaries are "arbitrary" because th ey d o n 't include large businesses north o f Speers Road. Calling a BIA charge "an extra tax" ,; Pollock said, `T ax es for Joe's G arage will go up, but not Canadian T ire's. Taxes for all the little grocers on K err Street will go up, but not A & P's. Taxes for Leons D rugs will go up, but not S hopper" s D rug M art. Taxes fo r O akville Sailboard & Ski will go up, but not Corbett Sports and so on." M esser said north o f Speers is under going a huge restructuring and so it w asn't included. "It's not about beating up the little guy," said Messer. It's about making the environm ent better for the K err Street businesses, and giving it a unified voice, he said. The Town is studying how to revam p Kerr Street with a "vision" o f a m ulti cultural shopping and restaurant area, offering a bit o f the w orld right around the com er, but Pollock maintains, "K err Street is a neighbourhood shopping street." He said volunteers can do a BIA's work, w ith voluntary contributions. "It w on't happen," said Messer, w h o noted only som e, not all, the Kerr Street businesses have co n trib u ted to th e KSCA's efforts to im prove Kerr Street, but all have benefited from the change. Pollock charged many w ho favour a BIA are residents, councillors or Tow n staff w ho w ouldn't have to pay extra. "T he merchants and property owners w ho are opposed to the imposition o f the BIA are not against im proving th e appearance o f the street, only against the imposition o f what they feel is unfair additional taxation," Pollock said. " K err Street is not anywhere near the sam e as dow ntow n O akville or Bronte. Both o f these areas are historical town sites, with easily discernible business boundaries." said Pollock. The store ow ner said K err Street is a street w ith small shops, catering to near by residents, that would would have to do more business to pay BIA fees. "As the song says - "Let it be, let it be," said Pollock. Peter C. McCusker · Oakville Beaver E d P ollock, o w n er o f O ak v ille S a ilb o a rd & S ki, is o pposed to a p ro p o sed K e r r S tre e t BIA th a t w ould stre tc h fro m L ak e sh o re R oad to S p eers R o ad a n d its b u d g et w ould pay fo r th e C h ristm a s tre e lig h tin g cerem ony, flow er p la n tin g s, flags, a n d special events. Pollock is co n c ern ed a b o u t th e cost a n d th e w ay th e p ro p o sal h as been h an d led . from Lakeshore Road to Speers Road and the budget would pay for special events like the Christm as tree lighting ceremony, flow er plantings, flags, spe cial events and more. The K SCA believes a BIA would boost K err Street's image and business. The BIA s in dow ntow n Oakville and Bronte have both enjoyed success. Yet, the idea hasn't gone over well with Pollock, w ho also believes other Kerr Street businesses are opposed. A deadline w as set for early this month for registering opposition to the proposal under M unicipal A ct rules. M uddying the w aters is the fact that m any K err Street businesses lease from property-ow ner landlords, som e o f w hom operate residential and com m er cial prem ises in one building. T hat has led to confusion about w ho would pay BIA m em bership fees and w hether landowners or tenants should have a say on w hether a BIA is im plem ented, according to Pollock. Landow ners are ultimately responsi ble and m erchants m ust pay if it's built into their lease, said Messer. If there's more than one-third oppo sition, the proposal w ould be aban doned, if not, the proposal will before Town Council in the new year. "We haven't done the math yet," said Tow n law yer Je n n ife r H uctw ith, explaining Town C lerk Cathie Best is now w orking on it. If the proposal goes to Council there will be further notice given to the public. H uctw ith assured anyone can express support or opposition to the proposal if it reaches Town council. Pollock is waiting to see w hat sce nario unfolds, but has m any criticism s o f the BIA proposal. M esser said Pollock's opposition is based on opinion, not fact. M esser said the KSCA's tim e has com e and that a structured body m ust take over to be a unified voice, working for a unified com m on good with unified funding if K err Street is to evolve. " A BIA is a good th in g ," said Messer, adding, "W hat Ed Pollock is saying is that it's a huge tax snuck in the back door and that's not true. H e's scared a lot o f people w ho think they'll be paying thousands and thousands o f CHEVROLET L LIFE'S ROADS EVERY New roads. New Chevys. 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