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Whiltby Fe m PisaWo<t"dy. Nowmboi 2,1004. Pq li Brock-Taunton plan threatens dOwntow To the editor: ,rve watched with interest for almost two years, as the Downtown Business Improveinent Area and the Town of Whitby teok ides in the debate over taxation and the future exiatence of the DBIA. The naysayers, who ne longer want this organization, have basically won their battle. I predict, within a year, the. DBIA will no longer exiat. Under the new ruies set down by the Town, 'DBIA 'board membera will now b. electod. The cor. group behind the push to disband tihe DBIA or their designates will not doubt become the, new boârd members. The first item on the agenda will b. te vote the organization into non-existence. Itfs unfortunate that while this group concentrated aIl their efforts on taking away the only ftiend that downtown Whitby ever had, they failed te recognize the. real enemy te, downtown. The Town of Whitby councillors and planners were bus y putting together a new officiaI plan tint includes .y et another central commercial area at Brook and Taunton Rond (over 400,000 square feet). this issue, and not the. existence of a DBIA tax, has the. potential te challenge the very existence of ail downtown businesses over the next very few years. On Tuesday, Oct. 18, 1 attended apublic meeting of the Durhiam Region planning committee. At this meeting, the future of downtown Whitby was on the lime. The committee was t. consider for recommendation, te Durham Region council on Oct. 24, a request by the Town of Whitby t. create a new central commercial area at Brook and Taunton roads. Whitby was represented at the meeting by councillor Jo. Drumm. He was visibly upset çvhen I came forward as the only speaker in opposition to the request by the Town. The Durham Region planning committee is made up of ail the mayors of the communities of Durham, with the exception of Mayor Tom Edwards. Hde was, howover, present on another matter and expressed shock that I stili opposod the. BrockTauton rezoning. I guess he thought thnt the concessions we won on downtown Brooklin would allow the BrockTaunton zoning to gD aiiead unopposed. It's obvious t h e real message neyer got through te him. Afler I made my deputation, one b one, each mn yor and councillor Irve -Harreli f&om Oshawa came forward nndý explained that whle they didn't expect objections te the. application, they could now se. that it should -b. tabled until Whidtby council and plannig did more homework onth e situation. The key factor in the tabling of the application, was concern for preserving and protecting tii. eisting downtewns of Whitby and Brooklin and the timing of the application. Mr. Drumm, seeing he was outvoted, reversed bis stand and moved for a tabling of the matter. Miraculously, and eut of nowhere, on Monday, Oct. 24, the last council meeting before tii. next election, co uncil camne forward andi endorsed a comprehensive atrategie plan for downtewn Whitby. This is too little tee late, and blatant political move te make a coundil, that ' bas done very littie for downtown over the years, look like heroes in the face* of an election campaigri. Council is now scrambling te cover up its attempt te slide through a new central commercial area at Brook and Taunton roada, while acting as fiienda of the downtown. How stupid do they think tiie people of Whitby and Brooklin are? Markborough Properties bas a proposaI before the Town for a 410,000-square-foot retail project MÇTEAGUE ELECTRIC employee Derek took some paint Maciver pokes through what's left of a The vehicles gE ladder van destroyed in an early morning line close to the f ire Friday at the 300 Beech St. business. heat, althoughc Damage is estimated at $47,000 in the Arson is suspe( blaze, whuch damaged another truck and Marshal is invesE Phci P1cauc PCClI1P s \NSmPCF on the. northwest corner, while Herity- Corporation has another at the southwest corner for 150,000 square feet with a third smaller project proposed for the southest corner that's aimost 600,000 square feot of new commercial. Council says this is oniy a re-allocation from unused, previously designated, commercial space at Rossand and Garden. They fail te mention it croates a new central commercial area. The provious officiaI plan and the current updated study both state that the Town will 'ensure the protection, maintenance and improvemýent of. existing commercial areas" and "provide for the integrated development of commercial, residental, institutional and cultural uses that will enhance the downtown's role as a focal point and source of identity for the entire municipality.' The planners and councillors insist on creating new central commercial areas such as Brock and* Taunton, which will. take away from the viability of both downtown Whitby and Brooklin. Downitown Whitby needs help right now -- new sewers, increased water capacity, updated hydro -- if it is expected te compete with new greenfield development. One only need look at the mess downtewn Oshawa is in, with its hookera, drug pushers and criminal types, te see what the future of Whitby will hold without a commitment by council te stop the proliferation of new area (greenfield) development. No matter how manty, strij plazas and maIls they rbui regardless of the greatness of Cullen Gardens, or the magnificent subdivisions, parks and recreation facilities that are built, Whitby will ultimately b. judged by its downtown and the culture that takes over the downtown area. It's how we, ourselves, judge Oshawa or Port Perry and it's toff the side of the building. las tank and a natural gas àvan withstood the intense crews did replace a mneter. ccted and the Ontario Fire stigating. iotoby Mark Reesor, Whitby Free Press Environmentalists Start Here how outsiders will judge Whitby. How will we be judged in the year 2001? I suggest before you vote for anyone this November, you ask them if they support a plan and action to revitablize your downtown ... a real plan. Tell them it's important to you, te, the safety of' your family and the future value of your ho me and business. Tell them you want your children and grandchildren to have a sense of belonging and a basis for sane living. And, most important of aIl, tel them you'll b. watching te make sure it happens. William D. Little, William D. Little Developments Ltd. Whi«tby DOUG ANDERSON discusses the issues see pages 23, 24 REGIONA~Lg COUNCIL DON Mac Master -J I27 years expenience in both private and public utilities ir' Consultant and Advisor to Ontario municipal utilities %o Proven Ieadership, expenience, întegrity and commitment WHITBY HYDRO If you would like a lawn sign, have questions or require assistance please cail 434-8455. - Authorized by the-OFO for Don MacMaster.