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Town may be forced to OMB over plan to build 16 Blair Street homes The Town of Whitby will be forced to defend itself before the Ontario Municipal Board should council endorse the ad- ministrative commit- tee's recommendation to deny an application to construction 12 homes on the east side of Blair St. south of Dundas St. At the committee meeting Monday night, neighbouring Lupin Dr. residents protested the application saying that construction of the homes would certainly produce severe flooding problems. The Pringle Creek runs through the lands between Lupin Dr. and the proposed housing units. Frank Meagher, a spokesman for the residents said that council had previously rejected the plan sub- mitted by Oak Road Holding Limited for thosevery reasons. "We feel this proposal is at best marginal," he told the committee ad- ding, "We're really con- cerned with the flood question." Meagher also pointed out that according to the developer's own plans at least part of the backyards of the proposed homes will lie within the Pringle Creek's floodplain and during the spring that would surely be covered in water. Area residents, he continued, use the area for recreation and try to help maintain it. "There are a lot of families who enjoy that area for recreation," Meagher said, "A development of this sort is not needed in this location." Other residents reminded the commit- tee that the one of the new GO Stations is to be located at the corner of Hopkins and Burns Sts. not far from the development. They believe that related traffic congestion would make this plan un- desirable. Council, they said, has maintained a policy of not allowing driveways to front onto arterial roads and if the plan is approved, that policy will be breached. In 1982, both Whitby Town Council and Durham Regional Council rejected the proposal. The official plans of both bodies refer to the area as hazard lands. The Central Lake On- tario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) was also opposed to it at the time. However, Joanne Barnett, the represen- tative- of Oak Road Holdings, told the com- mittee that the development will have "no impact on Pringle Creek." She also advised that steps would be taken to prevent backyard flooding in the new homes. The plan before the committee Monday night called for the con- struction of 12 homes. However, Barnett said that if the application is turned down Oak Road Holding would automatically go to the Ontario Municipal Board with the original plan for 16 homes. "That is what we will be presenting to the board," she said referring to the new plan as a "compromise solution." Barnett pointed 'out that a study completed by a noted hydrologist said that the plan would not pose a danger to the local environment. However, neither the members of the com- mittee nor the residents were swayed by her arguements. Whitby Town Council will deal with the matter next Monday night. Expansion opposed Wednesday, March 21, 1984 24 - w w A move to expand the commercially desig- nated property at Mid- way Datsun is meeting vocal opposition from residents of Bowman Ave. The Dundas St. E. car dealership wants to ex- pand his auto-body shop and repair facilities, however, area residents say that the area is already an eyesore and will get worse if the rezoning application is approved. According to Carole Spellan, the rear of the dealership is littered with derelict vehicles and auto parts. She also claims that complaints are on file with the town's bylaw enforcement officer. While the dealership's owner - Nicholas Schneider - has respon- ded to these complaints, Spellan says that after a time the situation is back to where it was. '"It will get worse and he can do it (store vehicles) within 10 feet of our property," she says if the application is approved. The resident believes that the dealership already has sufficient commercially zoned frontage on Dúndas St. to absorb the expansion. Spellan admitted that if the rear part of the property had been kept in a suitable manner, then her objections would not be as strong. "But he does not look after the property," she claimed. Robert Boychyn, the dealership's attorney, dismissed Spellan's ob- jections as being largely untrue. He also told Whitby Town Council's ad- ministrative committee Monday night that should the application be approved the town would have site plan control. "This is an attempt to consolidate the existing operation,' Boychyn told the committee ad- ding that if it was ap- proved there is nothing to prévent the dealer- ship from taking out a building permit to con- struct the expansion on the land already com- mercially zoned. "We are trying to clean up the situation and make it a more ap- pealing site," he said. "We are taking a step in the right direction." The committee is ex- pected to make a decision on the rezoning application in four weeks time. Everyone, but most of all little children love clowns. Last Thursday afternoon, about 50 local youngsters and some of their parents were en- thralled with the antics of Bustef the Clown at the Whitby Public Library. Bryan Thorpe, 4, and Lisa Mofyneaux, 5, were amongest the youngsters charmed and delighted by Buster's magic tricks and jokes. Bring on the clowns. Sidewalks will bé bujlt Despite the objection of a few residents, the Town of Whitby will construct a sidewalk on the west side of Euclid St. between Mary and W'alnut Sts. The residents told Whitby Town Council's operations committee Monday night that the sidewalk was not needed. There was little pedestrain traffic and that which exists can be accomadated on the existing sidewalk on the other side of the street. They also admitted that they objected to the bylaw whiclr requires residents of the town to clear the sidewalks in front of their homes during the winter. They did not want to be forced to perform this task for a variety of reasons ranging from age to health. However, Bill and Mariapåmith appeared, before the committee in support of the sidewalk. "People are going to use the land for a sidewalk whether there's a sidewalk there or not," Mr. Smith said. Mrs. Smith pointed out that the area is close to the downtown core and people often walk to shop instead of driving. Students of the Henry Street High School also walk down the street and would use the sidewalk. "There are a lot of pedestrains," she said adding, "It would be rather anti-social not to have a sidewalk." The project will cost $160,000 and will include improvements to the road itself and to the existing sidewalk. Con- struction is expected to begin in June should council confirm the committee's decision next Monday night. 14, No. 12 Just clowning around Ui cj 1.4 Q ne'lÉ .1 S7 i ý- C N M,14 ý,1 7