Whitby Cuncil eie Public to have input on subdivision prpsdWpo aketn A public meeting in tie near future will provide an opportunity for Whitby resi- dents to comment on the subdivision proposed for Thickson and Rossland Roads by Markboroughi Prop- erties Linited. Council decided, after a suggestion by Councillor Jim Gartshore, Chairman of the Planning Department, to refer the matter back to the administrative comrnmittee and hold a public meeting to hear comments from local resi- dents. Three previous public meetings and several revisions to the original draft plan have resulted in the reduction of the densities within the subdivision. The original proposal for 938 units and a population of 3,408 has been reduced to 854 units housing 3,089 people. Councillor Joy Thompson said that it should be explained to the public that 56 percent of the subdivision will be in the form of town or link houses. The main change in the current plans from the origi- nal is the reduction from 32 to 27 percent i the town house category. A snall commercial site of 1.4 acres, for day to day convenience needs, has been provided in the northern part of ic proposed development. A small area south of the Elizabeth Crescent Street connectionj as commercial and the site for the Block. Two park sitesi provided, one of mately cight acres - Lloyd is shown could be Cherney are to be approxi- as an ex- tension to Willow Park and the other of approximately four acres in the southern area of the subdivision. According to Planning Director Keith Birch, "dis- cussions with the recreation department brought ôut the probable need for an arena in this part of town. This is provided for in the Municipal Services Block which is locat- ed to provide maximum access to the corridor area". One public elementary schoolsite has been allocated to the north, adjacent to the proposed Willow Park exten- sion in accordance with the requirernents of the region school board. According to Keith Birch, "discussions with public works staff of both town and region determined that there should be no road access from the Adelaide Avenue extension because of grades on this road in this area. Access would be permitted at the points shown on the plan from Thickson Road and Rossland Road". "In response to comments raised at their public meeting, an additional access has been provided to Hazelwood Drive. This will assist in providing for vehicular access to the school'rom existing and pro- posed residential develop- ment to the east." "Lloyd Street should be extended westerly as shown on the plan to provide similar vehicular access from the east to the municipal services block". "The road design within the subdivision provides for future access to lots fronting on Thickson Road", the Planning Director reported. Vol. 5 No. 22 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1975 TEN CENTS Town's dilemma Senior citizens building to be considered again What to do witlh the senior citizens building proposed for the southeast corner of Brock and Pitt Streets? Tlat is one of the big dileninas that Whitby Coun- cil is currently facing. Council, at its last regular meeting, decided to refer the matter to hei operations committee for further consid- eration. Tlhe town staff recom- mended that council "give a most serious consideration in constructing a new seni- or citizens' building on the west side of Brock Street in the Centennial Park recogniz- ing that the hard ball dia- mond will be relocated con- mencing this year". Treasurer Forbes McEwen, in the report which prompted the staff recommendation, said "I wish to draw your attention that the construc- tion of the senior citizens' building on the southeast corner at Brock and Pitt Streets has very serious limitations in regard to the lot size. I respectfully sug- gest that me recreation department have not ad- dressed themselves as to our eventual need for the size of building to accomodate senior citizens". "When I read in the news- paper that the city of Oshawa has a senior citizens registra- tion of 5,000 people, I think it is realistic to presume that our potential must be in the range of 1,000 people and you are proposing to build a building that at most can accomodate 175 senior citizens. The above informa- tion suggests to me that we are building a building in the wrong location because it really never can be expanded' Treasurer McEwen con- tinued "I realize that we anticipate that at some tinie we would receive a labour grant of upwards to $30,000 for labour spent on this pro- ject but the time linit for this expenditure is June 30, 1975,. and therefore the anount of labour grant that we can anticipate is extreme- ly small." "I have to think a more suitable arrangement would be to try to build a small clubhouse for the lawn bowling and a senior citizens building. It would be my observation that, because the athletic field at Iroquois Park is now progressing to the point when it will become active next year, a more suit- able location would be on fle west side of Brock Street. This would be sufficiently close to the senior citizens' building and the lawn bowl- ing court and still provide expansion possibilities", he concluded. However, when the matter came up before the opera- tions committee, the staff recommendation was struck. The committee suggested that council "proceed with the construction of the senior citizens' building at Brock and Pitt Streets", "that Centennial Park be retained as a passive park" and "that consideration of a larger sen- ior citizens building be deferred to the 1976 capital budget forecast". However, a motion to con- cur with the operations com- mittee's recommendations was lost by a tie on a recorded vote, Councillors Tom Edwards, Jim Gartshore and Joy Thompson sup- ported the recommendation while Mayor Des Newman, Councillors Gerry Emm and Don Lovelock voted against it. A motion by Councillor Gartshore to refer the matter back to the operations con- mittee resulted in lengthy discussion. Councillors Thompson and Edwards were the two opponents of the referral motion. Councillor Thompson pointed out that $11,000 has been spent on two sets of plans and "still no sod has been turned". Councillor Edwards op- posed the motion, saying "we've floundered around for the last year" in an attempt to find a more suitable loc.. tion. Councillor Lovelock, a supporter of the motion, said that he felt that one of the advantages of municipal poli- tics is that "we can flounder around" and take a serious look at the issues before tak- ing action. He also supported the referral motion because, as Treasurer McEwen pointed out, there is no possibility of expanding the structure in the future whereas on other buildings, like iroquois Park Arena, council does make provisions for expansion. Councillor Emm sup- ported the referral motion because he thought council should take another serious look at the building's loca- tion as it restricts parking to one lot for every 12½ people. Mayor Newman also sup- ported the motion making the vote 4-2 in favour. PC Candidates........................Page 2 New Service Clubs ............. .. .....--.. ---..... Page 4 Bird's Eye View ................................ Page 5 Kanins On...........................Page 5 Brooklin Bylines ............................................. Page 6 Words from West Lynde................Page 7 Mosport racing....................... Page 9 Swimming champs...................--.-------.Page 16 Horoscope ....................................................... Page 18 Ready for liftoff Imagine the expression on Bill Verriet's face when the dump truck he was driving in the area of Highway 2 and the WVhitby-Pickering townline decided to stand on its tail end. - The truck belonging to Herman Verschuren Haulage, had good reason. You see, Bill, a Whitby'resident, forgot to open the tailgate before lifting the load box. When the box was lifted and the load moved to the back, the weight in the tail end was just too much for the cab to handle. Bill and the truck escaped without injury. Free Press Photo by Mike Burgess