Whitby Free Press, 25 Oct 1995, p. 14

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Page 14, Whitby Free Pross, Wednesday, October 25, 1995 A FEW of the trees which were removed by site of the future residentiai subdivision next to construction crews on mhe weekend from the theLynde Creek Marsh. Photo courtesy aofRichrd WooIgor D'evelopment'foesfuro us FROM PAGE 1 (Opponents bave alwaye claimed that any development will threaten the future of the largest remainng wetland between Oshawa and Hamilton, despite whatever precautions are taken.) Foilow*ngSLM'spresentation, the bo ard directed staff te bave a report on the groupe concerne ready for the November meein g. But even thougli Rose bad permission te carry- out tree-cleaning and preliminary earth grading, the decision te> begin work apparently cauglit SLM off guard. Group members were attempting te find out whether a free preservation plan ordered by the Ontario Municipal Board (0MB) bad been prepared. 'The 0MB said a tree preservation report was required. Whether this je in violation, we don't know," eaid Perkins. Whitby planner Steve Edwards conflrmed that the report bas been submitted te the Town's plang department. Edwards said the work conforma to the report whicli waa a condition laid down by the 0MB when it approvedl a Town bylaw permitting the development earlier thie year. ihe Rome Corp. ie in possession of ail necessary permits from the Town and CLOCA," sâd authority chair Irv IHarreil. "Tleyre proceeding witli work in conjunction witli the permits," he said. An Oshawa councillor, Harrel was asked by Whitby Mayor Tom Edwarda te inspect the site after the latter received several cQmplaints. According te Harreil, Rose is complying with its permits and he rejected SLMs suggestion that no work sliould commence until CLOCA deals with the matter ini November. Tm not concerned about that at aIl," he said. 'Tbat waa an issue dealt with at a hearing of the fuil authority. Tliey're totally within their riglits te start on the project." Althougli Harreil promieed the staff report will answer SLM'e concerna "sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph,7 the board could not have reeainded Rose'e permit last week. "We do not have the riglit to revoke a permit unilaterally, nor any reason te at this time,» he said. Harreil ezplained that in order to do so, a board member would bave had te file a notice of motion and that ail parties involved would have bad to be notifled. "We are constrained by the provisionsof the Conservation Authoritiès Act. tes neyer been done i the past te my knowledge." Hlarrel's asesent of the work supported Mayor Edwards' findings. "As far as I can ciscover, they've satisfled ail legal requiremente," said Edwards. "I've also been notified that the Rose Corp. bas undertaken te replace the trees wherever feasible," lie said. Wbile Edwards was unable to uncover any "infractions," lie did admonieli Rose for its timing. "fIe only criticism I have is why they decided te work on Saturday sud Sunday when the area is enaoyed by se many people." According te Stephen Morrison, president of Rose's parent company Enscor Imc., the decision on when te etart work-was out of hie flrm's control. "We don't pay double-time," said Morrison in responding te a comment that the weekend activity must bave been expensive. 'The contracter provides us with a quote. He does the work when the machines and equipment are available." Aithougli it liad no legal reason not te proceed, Morrison rejected a suggestion that bie oempany miglit have wanted te wait until CLOGA's response to SLM had been drafted. «We cant allow the concerne of that group, who have had their day in court at the 0MB sud CLOCA, drive our timetable or else we'd neyer get suy work dons," lie said. "We're not prepared te sit back and wait suother three, four weeks. We've waited a year already." Morrason also confirmed that lie was the author of a letter te Durham Regional Police which advised police of the weekend construction and sought their assistance ini "preventing unauthorized entry" onto Rose property. But the letter was not addressed te the police "per se" and was only mesut te be used i the event of a confrontation with proteetors, Morrison eaid. "We were asked by the contractor and consultant wliat they should do if people were te, show up sud try te, disrupt work,« he said. "I produced a letter of identification explaining that tliey bad permission and wby tliey were there." Morruson admitted lie was taken "aback" by the request, but agreed te do it. As for the security guards sud doge, that was also the contractor'e decision, Morrison said. !'The contractor lias macbinery sud equipment sud lias concerna about vandalism. He provides tie security. "From my perspective, I don't need security for the land. You cant harm the land." Meanwhile, Town planner Edwards eaid Rose is "not suywhere near" going ahead with the actual liousing construction. "There, je a long, long list of conditions" that muet be met before that stage of the development can proceed, Edwards "It wiil be some time before al the (approving) agencies are satisfled." The Rose project je but a emal part of the overail development scheme. Plans also cail for a 1,255-unit subdivision on surplus provincial lands eaet of the Rose site and a 185-acre industriel park te be huit by, Durhiam Region north of Victoria Street. A spokeeperson for Housing Minieter AI Leachi said recently that the government will not proceed with the non-profit housing component on its property. However, no decision bas been made on wbat the government intende te, do with its holdings, the official added. Club celebrates Thie Wbitby Kiwanis Club will liold a dinner meeting at Jackson's Toucli of Class, 104 Coneumers Dr., Whitby, on Thursday, Oct. 26, 6:45 p.m. Mayor Tom Edwards wil ho a guest as the club celebrates its 4th annivereary. Anyone interested in learning more about the service club or joining as a member, can cail Ron Motum at 576-5368. Pafaneta. Rpr Bankers blasted By Alex Shephr Port Perry's Paula Lishunan la the recpient of the Canadian woman entrepreneur of the year award in the division of international competitiveness. Normally 1 don't relate personal stories te you. But in this case I can't resiet sbaring sorne of the experiences I had with Paula before her fur company took off and became the international competitor it je now. I can remember meeting Paula for the first time one faîl day at her home, called Purpie ill, in Blackstock. I was actually there te, meet her husband Bill, a sculptor. He, at that time, was making ends meet as a tradesman providing welding and other such services te the local community. They didn'town their home, they had very little security, and survived for the moot part onthe love and support of theïr parents.'. As I spoke to Bill, bis beaufifuland mysterious wife Paula knitted away with little pieces offur on the end of thread. She showed these te, me, but I must admit I didn't think of her or her fur as anything but folksy. Tîme passed and Paula persisted in. creating beautiful fashions from her knitted furs and opened a boutique i Port Perry. Although I continued not te take her venture fite the marketplace seriously, it was becoming increasingly apparent others valued her work and she was capturing the desire of the international fashion market for something different. I remember taking Paula te banka locally and in Toronto, frus matng tesay the least. Thie adventure perfectly illustrates the problems sma]l- and medium-sized busmnesses have with financial institutions. Paula and Bill are artista. Bankers, interested only in collateral (Bill and Paula had none), couldn't see the evolution of their fashion miarket Bankers want security, not strips of fur and good intentions. The probleM with that kind of thinking is that with the lending practioes banks have today, Edison couldn't have marketed a ligit bulb and Mcl..aughlin couldn't have star-ted General Motors. Bankers forget tliat sometimes we have te invest in a person's ideas, not in their paper wealth. Banks have become risk averters. Sure, -it's your deposiits they're lending and banks have the responsibiity te safeguard them. But there was a time banka believed in a good idea and the local community. Paula ended up going te foreign banks. Although she didn't put a lot offinancial stress on herself, I remember a few sleepless nights trying te, figure out how te get Paula and Bill te, the next stage of their plan. Paula's fashions now sel worldwide. She bas garnered national and international acclaim and employs many local people. The. local economy is better off because of her efforts. They are the heroes of our society although few will recognize it at the time. ~fBROOLN} Residents, lose REZON1NG AND [B DEMOCRATIC PROCESS Many of the Brooklin residents attending hast week's planning meeting were attending for the firet time. Hopefully - despite the terrible conditions such as the 80 pages of zoning documente not provided a week before the meeting, the confusing rules, the inaudible responses-of councillors and the delay in getting te the Brooklin issues - it won't be their hast. What ie driving the rezoning of old Brooklin, where many residential areas will be zoned mixed use, is the Town's contention that Brooklin will have a population of 13,000, 15 years from now. And, using some kind of formula,- that means Brooklin neede thousande more square feet of commerical space. On that basie, properties such as the one at George and Baldwin become a shopping plaza, with a 99-unit apartment building, tewnhouses and parking for 165 vehicles. Once zoned mixed use, the developer can proceed now - and not in 2010 when there might be 12,000 people in Brooklin. Residents were reminded during laet week's meeting that, despite the invitation te comnment, it was too late te niake any changes since die Town had already approved the rezoning. Last minute changes might incur the wrath of developers, they warned. Apparently the public had its chance te make changes two or three years ago. Tee bad no one knew about it or about the implications exoept the councillors. ites probably.easier te mun the Town without the public asking their dumb questions ail the time. CLEAN.UP Jake Morris of Cassels East says hè was starfled sud then delighted te se. a crowd of teenagers on his property late Monday, Oct. 16' Jrakes property abute Lynde Creek and the teene were pulling garbage sud debris out of the creek sud its banks. That's right, the members of Brooklin's Octagon Club hauled out more dian 150 kilograme of trash others had thoughtlessly tessed into one of the niceet parts of our village. Jake takes is hat off te thie "great group of young people who can sud are doing something te improve die environment where they ive." ORGANIC GARDEING Tonight (Wedneeday), starting at 7:30 p.m., the Brooklin Horticultural Society will hold their general meeting at Brooklin United Churcli. Dan Shieko ie guest speaker sud will discus organic gardening. Everyone je welcome te attend.

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