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( 2 Oronr~ Weekl~t Tixnes, Wedn~sday. Februaiy 4.1998 j~ Rural was rural, rural it remained The application of Paula Lishman International Llmited for Official Plan and Zoning By-Iaw amendments to allow fur garrnent manufacturing on what is tcrmed agricultur- al lands was the subi cct of a public meeting at Clarington coundcil on Monday. The applicant sceks an amendment to the Clarington Official plan addirig Rural Employment Areas policies as welI as a Rural Employment Area symbol to the subject lands. Approval of the designation addition of Rural Employment Areas would leave ail agricultural lands in Clarington open for manufacturing and industrial develop- mient. It would be a feature which has flot been available before. Prior to 1994 there was no such designation as Rural Employment area in the Reglon of Durham at either the Regional or Municipal level. The designation came up for consideration during the revampmng of the Durham Reglonal Official plan which was started in 1991. At the tirne there were five specific areas in rural areas in Durham that did not fit any of the traditional designa- tions. These five areas were ultimately given a designation of Rural Employment areas to satisfy action from the past. It is sometime called 'grandfathering'. It is interesting that ini ail of the rural areas of Durham Region onily five specific areas could be fou nd to be termed lrndustrlal Areas." This is an indication that miunicipalities, prior to 1974 when the Region was formed and since have beeni protec- tive of the rural agricultural areas from industrial dcvelop- ment. Rural was rural and rural it would remain. Sirnce the approval of the new Region of Durham Official Plan In 1994-95 there has been two applications in the whole of Durham seeking Rural Employmient designation. One, thec Paula Lishmian is before you to-day. This application, without doubt, is precedent setting having the potential to pock-mark the rural areas of this municîpality with Rural Employment/Industrial areas. Indeed 'precedent setting'. A major step with major dis- ruptions. Agriculture is the major industry in Clarington with the greatest mass of land. t should be protected as should al classes of agricultural lands. Wvhy mess with somnething that bas worked well in the past. The industrial area is in the south. by Roy Forrester AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS 0F THE 1 MUNICIPALITY 0F CLARINGTONJ IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GRAND As many of you are awarc, for the past two years Douglas Botanical Park and Nature Centre has bccn pur- sulng the home sections of the former Orono Tree Secdling Nursery as a perma- nent location for our venture. We must now regretfully announce that this will not be the case. NegotiatIons betwcen ourselves and the new owners have been unfruitful. We extend a hearty thank- you to the many residents who welcomed our endeavor. Thank-you for your encour- agement, assistance. and many hours of volunteer time. We welcome you to visit the Botanical Park in the near future at its new home. Sincerely, Douglas Markoff, President ORONO WEEKLY Tiivus cLETTER TO THE EDITOR January 29, 1998 Dear Editor: The Newcastle Ratepayers Association held its regular meeting on Thursday, January 22, 1998.1 This meet- ing marked an auspicious moment in the Association's history as this is the first anniversary of thc formnation of thc Newcastle Ratepayers Association. Guest spe.aker for the cvening was Mr.,Joh-n OTFoole, M.P.P. for the riding of Durham East. Mr. OToole gave a very informative talk on the accomplishments and reformns of the Provincial gov- ernmcnt to date and the Governiments commitment to the future of this province. Mr. Brenton Rickard, Chairperson, gave a brief resume of the Newcastle Ratepayers Association's accomlishentsin it's first year of operation: The Association's first meeting was hcld on Tuesday, February 4th, 1997, at the Massey House Restaurant. Fourteen interested citizens, in the persons of Brenton Rlckard, Carl Good, Jean Graham, Jean Alun, Glenn Allini, Pauline Storks, Janice Parish, Jack Gordon, John Mutton, Ron Hope, Irv McCullough, David Rickard, Murray Patterson and Frank Hoar gathered at 8 AM.. withi hopes of being able to form' an association. Brenton Rickard volunteered to act as Chairperson, as did Pauline Storks for Vice Chairperson, Frank Hoar for Sccretary, and Carl Good for Treasurer. It was decided to meet again on Feb. 25th. At the February 25th meet- ing. The Newcastle Ratepayers Association was officially organlzed -with the nomination of the following, who made up the Executive Committec: Chairperson - Brenton Rickard; Vice Chairperson - Pauline Storks; Secrctary- Frank Hoar;, Treasurer- Carl Good; Directors- Paul Bennett, Ruth Bonathan, Cecil Bowler, Teresa Murkar and John Mutton. The Purpose of the Newcastle Ratepayers Association as incorporated into the By-Laws of the Newcastle Ratepayers Association is: "to monitor and deal with various issues and events that challenge the quality of life in this area." Over the past year, the Association feels it was instrumental in: 1. Construction of George and Andrew Streets fromi Beaver St. east to the subdi- vision during the re-con- struction of Beaver St. 2. Supported the Bon dhead Commuiniity Assoc. re the developmient at the Port of Newcastle. LETT ER TO THE EDITOR Lishmian prOPOSaI - Orono site. We wish tO express in the strongest po§sible terms our support for this project. It could hardly t»e more timely or appropriate fo)r an area which bas been hung, out to dry, so to speak, by the loss of small industry and the "Forestry." It represents OPPORTUNITY, NOT OPPORTUNISM as the nay sayers would have it. To deny the Orono community this greatly needed and remnarkable entrepreneurial' addition on the narrow grounds'of zoning, would defeat the very purpose of good land use planning. In this case marginal or sub-mar- ginal "agricultural" lands which have not been so used for many years wiIl be recycled into productive use in state-of- the-art harmony with the sur- rounding area. This is a "cot- tage industry" with work roots in the surrounding area, flot an industrial factory per se, as anyone who has visited the Blackstock operation will rec- ognize. It's very character readily harmonizes with nature and it's highly successful inter- national marketing strategy is unsuited to an industrial subdi- vision. As to the environment, we Subscriptions $21.50 + $1.50 G.S.T. = $23.00/year. Publications Mail Registration No. 000368 Publishmng 50 Issues Annualy at the Office of Publication 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB IMO E-Mail Address: oronotines@nspeedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher! Editor Marg Zwart ........... .............. . have absolute confidence (hav- ing been exposed to these rigours ourselves) in the ability of our regulatory authorities to ensure that the project has no unsatisfactory environmental impact. In fact the owners, nat- uralists in their own right, have indicated that the highest tech- nical and engineering standards will be applied. Perhaps it may even be expected that restora- tive steps wilI improve on the state of nature now prevailing in the area of this abandoned gravel pit! In any event, to reject this outstanding economic opportu- nity because of the miglits'and maybes, rigidities and "not in my backyard" considerations whichi have been brought for- ward would bc to shoot Orono and it's environs in the foot again. Orono can not remain static or retrogressive, success- fuI antique movie set that it is. Orono badly needs a shot in the armn, a bold fecather in it's cap. Lets look ahead and welcome hiealthy sustenance and growth for our community, it's deserv- ing Main Street businesses, and attractive surrounding country- side. Annabel and Henry Sissons Cedar Crescent Farm Orono 3. Met with Mr. Don Boumne, representative for the Engineering firm overseelng the construction on Beaver Street. 4. Sent a letter to Claringt on -North umb erland Board of Education allocating $1,4,000.00 in support of a court application challenging the Province's right to with- draw the Boards power to tax property. A delegation from the Newcastle Ratepayers Association also attcndcd a Clarington-Northumberland Board meeting in support of Hope Township. 5. In June, the Newcastle Ratepayers Association host- cd a public meeting at the Newcastle Community Hall where Mayor Hamre was guest speaker and answered questions at the end of her talk. 6. In July met wlth Mrs. B. Wakefield, School Board Trustee for Ward 3, to show the Association's interest in having a Cairn built on the Newcastle Public School grounds to commemorate the Old School property, a plan for the Caim has been drawn up by local resident Barry Joncs and a local company, Sonbon Homes, has volun- teered to erect the Cairn. 8. Exchanglng minutes with the Bondhead Community Association was adopted. 9. The Newcastle Ratepayers Association sup- ported the local candidates in the last municipal election. 10. Some members attend- cd the Bondhcad Community Association's annual -meeting. 11 * Newcastle Ratepayers Association made two pre- sentations to Clarington Council re their prospective plans for the Mill Street South undcrpass, gMvng support to thc Bondhead Community Association. 12. Participatcd along with the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce and the Newcastle BIA in hosting an all candi- dates meeting before the municipal election. 13. Sent a, letter to Clarington Counicil In appre- ciation for the good job of re- construction on Beaver Street. 14. In November replied to Councillor L. Hannah's Letter to the Editor. 15. The Newcastlc Ratepayers Association is presently working on: - getting gates installed at the Bondhcad Ccmctcry - gass cutting at the Hwy. 401 interchange - replanting trees on King Street - -improvement on the con- dition of Foster Creek Park -Cairn on the public school grounds - better pollcing in the Village -Council's schcduling of street improvements iLe. Mill Street In the past year, the Newcastle Ratepayers Association has hield 9 Executive and 9 General Meetings. Present member-