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A8 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday May 12, 1999 Residents seek delay in Home Depot meeting B y K im A rn o tt SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER A group of Glen Abbey residents has asked the town of O akville to post­ pone a public hearing on an application by Home Depot which would allow it to build a store on the North Service Road. In a letter to town councillors and planning staff, the group o f seven resi­ dents requested the town delay the planned M ay 26th m eeting until June 17th. This, they say, would allow everyone more time to evaluate the application. At this point, planning staff is still awaiting reports from Hom e D epot on several issues. With a staff report scheduled for completion by M ay 15th, tim e is get­ ting short for receiving new inform a­ tion, say the residents. "M ostly we want to m ake sure the residents are able to m ake their con­ cerns heard," explained Chris Gardner, one o f the group that made the request. "There is a very, very short tim e frame." All area residents should have time to have opinions heard says group In the letter, the residents note that the June 17th date will still allow the town to m eet the deadline for dealing with the application, but would "afford you time to schedule public meetings and allow the residents o f this com m u­ nity am ple time to review this applica­ tion and provide the needed feedback to help you in your decision-making process." Under the Planning Act, the town must deal with the Home Depot appli­ cation within 90 days o f receiving it, explained town planner Joanne Magee. I f the town fails to do that, Home Depot could take its application direct­ ly to the Ontario M unicipal Board. The com pany is already appealing a decision by the tow n's Committee of A djustm ent to refuse to grant them a m inor variance to the bylaw. The property is currently zoned for prestige industrial use and under offi­ cial plan and zoning bylaws, retail sales are limited to 60% of the floor space of a property otherwise used for warehousing. M ayor Ann Mulvale, who met with the residents following the delivery of the letter, said she has told them that staff can certainly ask for a deferral of the item if they don't think they have enough time to process the informa­ tion. "(The residents) seem to be reas­ sured that if there was not enough time, the staff wouldn't hesitate to ask for a deferral," she said. Like any item which comes before town council, it could also be deferred if a motion were approved on the night of the meeting. Ward 4 councillor Jody Sanderson, who has also met with the residents, said she is opposed to the proposed amendments to the Official Plan and zoning which Home Depot is request­ ing. The proposed Home Depot store would be located on the North Service Road between Fourth Line and Dorval Drive. Stephen Kauffman, a representative from the company, has said Home Depot wants the location because it is A t a recent public m eeting at town central and convenient for residents, hall, residents expressed concern about but home owners in Glen Abbey are the traffic generated by the proposed concerned about the im pact on their 113,000 sq. ft. store, as well as the neighborhoods. potential for noise and 24-hour use. Health committee backs new approach in treating youths with mental, drug problems B y Irene Gentle SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Halton Region's health and social services committee has endorsed a new treatment model for youths troubled by both mental health and substance abuse problems. That kind of dual diagnosis in young people is more wide­ spread than many might think, said Ian Stewart, executive director o f H alton's A lcohol and D rug A ssessm ent Prevention and Treatment Program (ADAPT). "The numbers are quite large. A t AD APT we see about 500 youths a year," he said. "Virtually all o f them have a mental health problem as well." Today, the two disorders are rarely treated as one since addiction and mental health issues are controlled by different provincial ministries, said Stewart. "The only model that works is one where mental health and substance abuse programs are dealt with at the same time," said Stewart. "But the two ministries don't talk to one another." The result is that troubled youth -- generally considered to be up to the age o f 25 -- are typically shunted between the two services. "The current system is far from ideal," he said. "Youth get bounced around from one service to another." To deal with the issue, a day treatment program is being proposed in Halton that would treat youths caught in the m id­ dle o f mental health and addiction problems. The program would hone in on substance abuse reduction, education, vocational planning and reinstatement of social and life skills in a structured, daily environment. Youths would be able to tackle their problems while stay­ ing in their own community, rather than being shipped out to locations far from family and friends. The program would also incorporate a 'continuity team ' which would help direct follow-up care after the youth has left the day program. That team will help steer the youths back on the right track. To fund the program, THE committee approved a plan to request $463,000 in annualized funds from the Province. Final approval will be sought at today's council meeting. W hile the program may be pricey, it's cheaper than the consequences of continuing on without a treatment plan in Halton, said Stewart. "Many o f these young people will end up in the criminal justice system," he said. "As we all know, that's much more expensive than what w e're proposing." M embers of council also questioned why the plan empha­ sized reducing, rather than eliminating, substance abuse in youth. 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