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Page 18, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, JuIy 21, 1993 Councillors upet by response to concerns FROM PAGE 1 agreed (te Whitby's poed c hanges), but theRe]gion's planning committea and staff took exception to it," said Battan. #.I don t feal we were given a proper hearing on it," ha said. Of particular concarn to Whitb was the deletion of a specal tudy area east of Thickson Road near Brooklin. The ministry prefers the 540-acre section to ramnain open space, whareas Whitby wants the land reserved for possible future KIDS LOVED IT, but some parents weren't quite so thrilled with the conditions at the Kinsmen Park playground. Water blowing over from the new splash pad turned the davelopment. "The province flipped it out and had no reasons obr it. Ragion planning staff produced no reasons for it," said Batten. "We have reasons and we were voted down," he said. Brunelle noted that formerly sandy playground into a mudbath. Parks and Rec department staff have since adjusted the height of the spray to keep the playgrounid d %to by Mark Reesor, Whitby Free Press restrictions already in place elsewhera in Whitby, such as the propoeed link betwaen Hwy. 401 and the future Hwy. 407, reduca the options available for develoiment. "In west Whitby we've used u so much land we h ave no choice,' he said. While unsuccessful in having regional council accept mest of their proposais, Whitby's represantatives did persuade their colleagues to approve one dealing with the controversial fraaway link. (Whitby wants the proposad link to ha bulit along Lakeridge Road. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation favours a route further east near Halls Road and has the Region's concurrence.) Should there ha "significant changes" to the ministry's prefer- red route alternatives, Durham will examine the «appropriate- ness"y of adjacent land use desig- nations and make whatever changes are required to the offi- cial plan. Despite council's agreement on this issue, Brunelle could not support the overaîl report as did Batten. He said Whitby failad to obtain any type of "reasenable com- promise" with the Ragion. "If there was soma kind of c romilnljse ... but we got shut out," ha said. In its response to the plan, the proine fltDurham's projacted poulnceoeof almost 1.1 million gy Pte year 2021 was too high and that 930,000 is a more rea- listic figtire. Provincial planners feal that future growth can ha accommo- dated on residential land now sitting vacant and through hig- her densitias in existing residan- tial areas. Thasa areas should ha allowed to. develop at 10 units par gros acre, the ministry report states. The currant figure for Whitby, for axample, is now between four and five units par acre. Although council agraad to rav- ise its population target te 970,000 parsons, it cou Id not suîpport the density figure. Ceuncil preferred a savan-unit par acre dsgation for vacant lands outside existing built-up areas. During last week's meeting, council was urgad te support the province's recommendad density targat. Brooklin rasident Staphen Leahy and Claremont area far- mer Lorne Almack arguad unsuc- cesfuly that the highar figure is neddto prevant urban sprawl and destruction of rural ]and. uIt's fine to say that wa'ra using up agricultural land but smaI farmers can't make a liv- in ithis country " said Battan. 9It'sthe genaral public's fault bacause they won't pay the prices for the prduce to allow them to make a living,» ha said. Net only can most farmers ne longer survive off the land, "but now we'realase talling them they can't do anything with it," said Batten. "A lot of people hang on think- ing that at some time they can racover their investment on it," ha said. Batten said it would be ,poer jlanningand «tee costly te coma Lack years later" and change the densitias of existing rasidential areas. Streets, parks and associated infrastructure ara designad and built according te s eific popula- tion figures, he explained. Batten neted that critics of urban sprawl also complain abeut traffie congestion. "The reasen yeu can't get freim peint A te point B is becausa wa allew tee much density," hae said. "Wa have to provide a quality of lifa. Piling people on top of each othar is ne answer,» hae said. 3{BROOKLIN + New KR..m ster at Burns Presbyteri-an Burns Presbyterian Church memnbars in Ashburn will soon welcome their new minister, the Rev. Sheina Smith. She bagins her rinistry on Sunday, Aug. 1. Rev. Smith came to Canada rem Scotland in 1959 and was employed in engineering with Bell Canada, prier to studying for the ninistry. Prom 1965 to 1968 she studied at Ewart College and Knox College. Between 1968 and 1975 she served as a missionary, spending considerable time as chap1ain of a womnen's jil in Manitoba and working at Shoal Lake Indian Resarve in Ontario. In 1975, Rev. Smnith returnad to university, attending both McGill and the Presc-byterian Collage in Montreal. She ministerad te a two-point charge in Whiàtewood/Moosomin, Saskat- chewan from 1977 to 1982. Prom 1982 to early/ this summner she was minister of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Lach-i, Quebec. Rev. Smith believes the church should respond te, the needs of Photocopies, Fax Service, Custom Labels & Decais, Wedding Invitations, Business Cards, Complete Sign Production BR M U Nli 76 Baldwin Street, Brooklln Fax 655-3715 Caili 655-4434 the larger community; aIse that worship is a means of celebrating, aven in times of trouble and despair. She emphasizes the pastoral, counsalling and teaching roles of ministry and has dona a good deal of crisis counselling. An ardent golfar, whe enjoys gardening and cooking, but doesn't bake, she has a keen interast in sports. As she said racently, "I enjoy basabaîl and hockey, and yas, I do cheer for the Maple Laafs, the Blue Jays and the Expos." Rev. Smith also extends the follewing invitation te everyona in the cemmunity: I drink ceffea enly in the merning, and I enjoy people. I will have the coffée pot going in my office at the church, Tuasday te Friday, 10 te il a.m. Se, coma in and meet me." The induction service for Rev. Smith will taka place at Burns Church on Thursday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. The service is open to anyone whe wishes te, attend. For more information, the church office telaphona numbar is 655-8509. 10