LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...Resident questions need for private school

Dear editor, A decision will be made soon about the proposed Keswick Sutherland Private School and Equestrian Center on the Eighth Line near Ballinafad. This issue is not about the virtues of private vs. public school education. This decision is not about whether you think Georgetown needs a private school or not. It is about whether this is an appropriate use of land in this specific location, and whether the economic goals of a private enterprise are more important than the rights of local rural residents. I have five questions: Are the majority of the clients of this proposed school the rural residents of this area? If not, then this proposal does not meet the Halton Hills Official Plan. Is there a road safety issue for the local residents and for those attending the school? If yes, then this proposal does not meet our Official Plan. If safety is at stake, who is going to pay for upgrades to roads? Will the applicant pay for road improvements? Will the Town (and all its taxpayers) pay? The applicant believes that dropping the speed limit is the answer. Who pays for increased police presence to enforce these significantly reduced speed limits? Can we guarantee that enforcement of speed limits will take place? Not likely. Is the Region willing to guarantee that a decision to allow this proposal, if granted, will not negatively affect the quantity and the quality of the current residents' water? If we don't stick to our Official Plan, then why do we have one? Lois Fraser, Georgetown