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10 - The Canaien champion, Tuesday, February 15, 2000 b r i r o l e o e p lc for residents b.ordering iregion road Exercise Opportun!ties heart disease and stroke. But how can you fit exercise into your hectic schedule? It's easier than you think. -Walk, wheel or bike whenever you can; park a few blocks from the office and walk the rest of the way. -Take the stairs instead of the elevator. e Take an exercise break. Get up and stretch. - Join the kids for a garne of road hockey, shoot a few baskets or kick the bal] around. Remember, every little bit helps. Ha«lton Healthcare S -E -R iV 'I'*C'.E . and ScataiaitCbmw By IRENE GENTLE The Champion Silence is golden. That's what residents plagued by noise wafting from nearby regional roads have been claiming for years. But so far, their beat hope for a hush has been to move to a new subdivision. Currently, the Region's policy - which is fol- loie by three of Halton' four municipalities- is for noise mitigation measures to be built exclu- sively into new development areas. And then only if noise studies prove they're warranted. But a retrofit draft policy revealled at Wednesday's regional counicil meeting could change that. If approved in its final form, it would permit retrofit sound barriers for neighbourhods where the back or aide yards of homes, apartmenta or nursing homes border regional roads. But only noise affecting'outside living areas such as porches and yards will ho tackled, leai indoor abatement up to the homçowners. The draft report was overwhelmingly approved at coul But a final report on thse issue won't be drafted until a consultation with residents and ail four municipalities has taken place. Under thse draft policy, the cost of cutting down noise would be split 50-50 between the affectied community and Uic Region. The community's share would be collected under Halton's Local Improvements Policy. A 50-50 coat share forml has alto been adopt- ed in Peel. Currently, only Burlington has a retrofit policy in place. And it charges rcsidents just 25 per cent "ýEvery now and then 1 hear sommoe say 'what are you going to do about the 401?' Wefl, you caa't waII that thing from MontreaI t<> Windsor." of the tab, leaving the City to pick up the slack. The reason, explained Burlington Councillor John Taylor, is faimess. "There is an extreme price sensitivity to this issue," he aaid. 'If we build a new roid past exiat- ing reaident's houses, there is no coat to the reai- dents." But when existing road expand, residents are put on the hook to pay their share. Mr. Taylor cited Guelph U.ne as an example. He noted it started out as a two-lane roai has now swollen to five lanea, and could atretch to six in the future. 'That moad is a new road, as fair as (long-term residents) are concemned," said Mr. Taylor. And even with a policy in place, not ail noisy neighbourhoods will automatically slap up a noise wall or other barrier. Instead, decreaaing the din will be taken on a case-by-case basis, with each one requiring a noise study proving sound levels are above Ministry of Environment guidelines to win a council resolu- tion. And though noise walls are effective, they aren't always attractive or easy to maintain, staff pointed Koret Career & ua Casual CoordinatesB Separates reg. t0 $88.00 Crolcin $2198 *. Sweaters, i * vests, slacks, Cblouses & skirts Matching Sweaters & Jackets reg. to $1 28.00 Blast, Karolyne, Coordinates Northern Isies, Jones Sport, VOUR CHOICE Orly, Liz Claiborne, Susan Bristol, David Brooks, $ 4 8n Koret & Comao4 1 2O> $349811[l But whatever sound-reducing method is select- cd, maintenance would ho the responsibility of the Region. Staff estimate a wooden barrier could stand up to 12 years without fix-up, stretching to 25 yeara for a concrete barier. Like thse racket from ever-increasing traffic, noise has been fingered as a growing problem throughout Halton. But it may ho difficult to quiet everyone's sonic woes, especially along Hwy. 401, said Mayor Gord Krantz. "Every now and then 1 hear someone say 'what are you going to do about the 401?-' he said "Well, you can't wall that thing from Montea to Windsor." Highway noise is the jurisdiction of the Province, said Halton's planning commissioner Pat Murphy. But noise mitigation has been built into newer highways, such as Uic 407, through measuoes such as sound-absorbent pavement. "But it doesn't do a lot for ambient noise in Uic community," said Mr. Murphy. 'I'm afraid there's really nothing that can do it." Halton Hilîs Mayor Marilyn Serjeantson wanted to explore natural sound barriera such as trees. And she wondered if changes could ho made to people's homes to help keep thc noise as bay. "It's impractical as timfes to stick up walls because thse houses face the roadi she said. 'Is it possible to take another tact?" In those instances, insulation or double-paned glass may help, said Mr. Murphy. But the neophyte policy's big test will come from resident reaction, said Oakville Councillor Keith Bird. J/There 's nothing fsy going on, explains miayor By IRENE GENTLE The Champion There's nothing covert about the Town's interest in buying land by Bronte Meadows Park, according to Milton' mayor. -It's something that has been ongoing for yeara," said Mayor Gord Iratl "Certainly there's nothing secret about it." He was responding to an anonymous caller to The Champion, who charged the Town with discretely planning to buy 4 acres of land near the John Toneili Sports Centre on Laurier Avenue. The land la currently owned by the Halton District School Board. The caller said the Town planned on selling haif the land back to developers. The calier likened the situation t0 a proposai as the E.C. Drury complex, which was recently rejected by town council. In that instance, residents were outraged that existing grecn space could ho converied into condominiums homes for seniors. But nothing similar is going on as Bronte Meadows, said Mr. Krantz. He said thse Town's interest was toa preserve as least tome of the land f'or park use. "It was detinitely in the host inserests of thse residents," said Mr. Krantz. "If the board of education sold that total package, it would have reduced tome of that land."~ The Town owns adjacent lands which contain a bail diamond, play structure, small parking lot and park building. Mini-soccer fields are found on the land owned by the school board. Is had bought the 4-acre patch as a possible site for a school when sub- divisions hogan blooming in the ares. But that neyer materiaiized and in time, th; board declared the lands surplus, said the Town's community services director Jennifer Reynolds. When discussions were taking place, the boarl asking price was about $110.000 per acre. To recoup tome of that cost, the option of selling a portion of the land off Laurier Avenue was - e FATE on page 13 4 iq PEGGY"S DISTINCTIVE LADIES FASHIONS ý'Cu L EÀ06N WE E P 0ýýb SALE