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1h PaetyrePro Wedneësday,'Mày ý àg1Uèê Fooding9 conceçrns delay development By Mike Kowahki Tii. possibility of subjecting neighbouring homes to fodng han promp ted another look at a major subdivision planned for northeast Whitby. An application from Wolster Developments Ltd. te, remove a hazard. land designation from its proposed 211-unit subdivision on Anderson Street has been tabled 4y Town council's planning and development committe.., Committe. refuised last week te, endor-s. a planning depart- ment recommendation i support of Wolster's bid te, change the designation that applies te, only a ama1I portion of its 44-acre hold- MRspite being warned that the entieproject wil be scrapped if the designation remanie, corn- mitte et that an indevendent appraisal of an environmental etudy pre~Efd for the developer Pending council's approval Monday, tii consulting firm that drew un Whitby's new official plan iÎ b. aéked te review the report. B ut regardless of the consul- tant's findings, the Ontario Municipal Board(0MB) could ultimately determine the sub- division's fate. Anderson Street resident Carole Crockford wae on. of a trio'of area homeowners who appeared before committe. ini oppositon te, the application. Crockford said she and- her ne*ghbours ave had te, contend wit flooding from Pringle Creek since subdivisions north and west of the intended site on the northeast corner of Anderson and Dryden Boulevard were built a few years ago. She fearedimore of the same if the designation, which applies te a small mtermitten;t tributary of the creek, ie removed. "Our lawns are not capable of absorbinir more water,» said "W. used te have a creek bubbling through our yards, now it's an open drainage ditch,» she said. "If you tae. away the hazard land (designation) how much more floodingf will tii b.?» Lefthouse Drive resident frene Seetn.r demanded t ktpiow why planningF staff are nowl support- mg Wolster's application aft.r havg been oppos.d since it firt came forward in 1989. "I don't understand how you cmi go from hazard land te resi- dential,» said Seetner. __ "Ther muet have been a rea- son for it several y.ars ago,» she said. Councillor and committe. chair Marcel Brunelle and plan- ning director Bob Short took turne explaining the histery of the appication. In 1989, Wolster sought te delete the designation from Whitby's officiai plan -- a docu- ment that serves as a guide te future development i a munici- 1ality b specifying preferred Planning staff did not support the application as environmental reports submitted by Wolster fai- led teaddress a number of con- cerne raised by the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA). During its subseuent pre- paration of the Town s new offi- cal plan, consulting firm M.M. Dillon Ltd. saw no reaeon te, remove the hazard land designa- tion.» As a resuit, the matter was referred te ttie 0MB prior te, Durhamn Region council's appro- val of the overaîl officiai plan last year. But lest fali, Town planners and CLéOCA staff met with Wols- ter representatives te, discuss the development's impact on wildlife, vegetation mid neighbouring pro- perties if the designation is removed. A report was then prepared for Wolster by environmental con- sultants Gartner Làe. Ltd. mid both CLOCA's mid the planning department's concerns were resolved. According to a planning department report, the issues of ha itat significance and the effect on Pringle Creçk's "base- flow" were exemin.d. "It has been determined that the reduction in baeeflow is minor and measures te, augment groundwater infiltration throu h engIn.rn design will have lit- tlebeneft, the report states. "It has been concluded that although the. site provides wil- dlife habitat for a variety of common species, Gartner Le. do not believe an y of these species have ever bred on site,» it con- tinues. On the baeis of the Gertner Le. study and neither CLOCA nor the Ontario Ministry of Naturel Resources having objec- tions, planning staff are now prepared te, support a favourable reomndation, the report adds. Emmett Place resident Larry Kinnear wae skeptical, howver. Kinnear suggested that Gart- ner Lee's study could corne te, no other conclusion and eeked if the report would b. subjected te, an independentreview. Although she did not objet te, an outsîd. appraisal, W Oolster solicitor Roolyn -Houser issued a werning should committe.eand ultimately council opt for the status quo. "f the hazard designation is maintained, it would- preclude the development in its entirety," said Houser. Councillor Gerry. Emm wae not swayed by Houseer' declaration. «I don't 1k. te hear what you're saying about flooding,» said Emm, who teld the resi- dents he voted aqe$nst develop- ment in the aret in 1988 for precisely that reason. Wondering if pehaps uwe've got the cart bfr,' the horse," mm did not accept CLOA's& explanation for its change of A 17-year-old Whitby gir was sexually assaulted May 5 y a man who attrected her attention by pretending te b. * jured. -poice t een was driving a car and turned on te Stanley Court from the Wiieelies Family Roller Centre parking lot around 11:30 p.m. when ah. noticed a man b.nding over lik. he was hurt. She got asked hum police, and out of her car and if he was okay, sar he grabbed her, pu- thinking. «"rm concerned about what CLOCA might siay unofficially about it,» he said. According te the staff report CLOCA has no objection te the 'principle of deleting the hazard land dsgation and that auth- ority staff accept thie"general conlusions» of igartner liee's and other reports prepared for Wols- ter. Brunelle, too iiad reservations, and said that since h. and Emmi are members of CLOCA's mangment board, "we cen get te the bottom of it.7 Councillor Don Mitchell then proposed that M.M. Dillon b. retained te «critiquer the Gart- ner'ILe. atudy at a «reasonable Sotestimated that Dillon's appraisal will cost betwe.n $1,200 te $1500. led her b.hindtii. building and sexually assaulted her. Tii. mmi, who's described ouly as a white male, then ran away. Tii. victim was taken te theý sexual assault centre at Whitby General Hospital for an exa- mination and then releaed. Police say this ,je the, first incident of its typ theyve heard of in DuniiamtReçion, and they warn good samantans, perticu- larly women drivinq alone, te teleïphone for help if they se. someone in n.ed or assistance. Planningpo cess fr h-oel nder way waefon ereaninpbi FROM PAGE 1 a staff report notes that in recent reare, devélopers have expressed interest in south Whitby's «potential" for a hotel and micill- ary uses. Combined with the expansion of Iroquois Park to five arenas staff feel that a hotel- would «enhance" both Fort Wiiitby and the futur. Lynde Shores com- munity. Ini urging the planning and development committee to endors. the report lest w.ek, Mayor Tom Ediwards recalled bis rment excursion te Liverpool, Entlmid te attend an inter- national boxing competition. Edwards said Liverpool's successftil bid te ho st tii. event was helped in large eart by the close roiitY of a otel te the site of the teurnament. Among the reasons for other countries' bide b.ing rejected was that the nearest suitable hotels te, accommodate teurnament par- ticipants and officiais were at least an hour away, said Edwards. With a hotel adjacent te the expmided Iroquois Park complex, Edwards envisioned similar évents for Wiiitby in future years. "My trip te the United King- dom more than convinces me that tuis ie the way to go,» h. said. "I 'arn most enthueiaetic about this. It will provide activities, development andj'obs.» Wiiitby's ma reting director Peter Lëel confirmed that h. is not yet fending off eager develo- pers. "There's nothing at the moment. Wiiat were doing is trying te&lan or tii. future," axPl de se. is an opportunity te host major events, somethingr more than sports or trade s3hows,» he said. ]Referrin g te tiie proximity of the GO train station te tii. east and Durham-Reion's future in- eïustrial park te tthe west, LeBel, said thes" factors cen b. used te entice a hotel chain te corn e te Whitby. ýIfewe have tii. land zoned, I cen1 go out te tth. hotel industry mid say this is what were doing and there mýt an mippotunity for you ini Wlutby,» h. said. Accordig 'te tii. staff report, there are approximately five acres of land on tii. northeast corner of Annes and Victoria streets that could accommodate a hotel of up te eigiit storeys. Staff feel this - i the most aappopriate» location aioug tii. parkàs.Victoria Street frontage as * would not conflict with exist-' wo eîold not obstruct views and vistas -of Lake Ontario from Henry Street; * provides a facade te tth. ewaed recreation complex. ie site is now occupied by six tennis courts and a basebali dia- moud. However, the latter will b. relocated becaus. of tii. $7.6- million expansion. Depending on land grading and tii. building's design, the. tennis courts could stili b. reteined, the. report states, mid in fact, it would b. advantaqeous for botii the owner and municipa- litYif thé ourts were available to)%telpatrnsstaff suggest. 1If, council is' amenable te reserving the. site for a hotel, tii. municipality will retain owner- ship and leas. it 'te tith develo- pers the report states. Current -Town policy calle for major open space areas aloug tii. ownership, tii. report adde. UnitedW ay gets <lôonies As ptfits gra 19 ndopeig Dudas and Euclid streets in Wiiitby will donate $1, from each new account, opened, te tth. local United Way.. Tii. donations will b. made up Two u4D branches. in Whitby wer. shut down te make way for the. new, lagr location that opeed Api29. Tii gan openig will b. iield temorro a30). Good samaritan sexually attacked