The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, September 30, 2003-9 Town looks to ensure builders . .ebehieye.•• mn helpmn« properly intorm home buyers Proposed changes callfor people to be told what's planned to be built in subdivision By JASON MISNER The Champion The Town of Milton hopes to have in place early next year a policy mandating that builders and developers tell prospec- tive home buyers all that's planned to be built in a subdivision, including everything from trails to bike paths. Mel Iovio, Milton's planning and devel- opment director, said in an interview that staff are in the process of contacting the approximately 10 builders/developers con- structing homes in Milton of the Town's intent to change what's called a subdivi- sion agreement. It outlines important con- ditions and requirements set out by the Town - like payment of development charges - that builders/developers must meet before a building permit can be issued. If approved, changes in the agreement would include requiring builders/develop- ers to convey construction details of a sub- division to potential home buyers, Mr. lovio said. Town politicians and staff are worried about the lack of communication between developers and would-be home buyers. "We could make a provision they post (the plans) somewhere in the sales office. By tie time a subdivision agreement is drafted, construction details should be available," Mr. Iovio said. The Town is taking these steps to elimi- nate the kind of confusion that has raised the ire of residents living on Waldie Way in the Hawthore subdivision. They're upset because a six-foot wide asphalt bike path, which they insist they knew nothing about when they moved into their homes, is pro- posed to be built along the roadway. Many residents are frustrated, feeling they essentially have been left out of the loop about the make-up of the subdivision they moved into. The Champion published a story earlier this month about their con- cerns. Ward 2 Councillor Brian Penman, whose ward includes Waldie Way, said he under- stands the frustration residents are feeling when it comes to full disclosure about con- .struction plans for a subdivision. He brought up the subject at the September 15 administration and planning comnsittee meeting. Saying he's received calls and e-mails from Waldie Way residents about the bike path conundrum, Mr. Penman said these kinds of details must be brought to every- one's attention before buying a home. He said for many, buying a home is the single biggest purchase of their lives. They're worried about mortgage payments and interest rates and mnay neglect asking what's proposed to be built around the home. He suggested sales brochures could illustrate what's going on in a subdivision. "They could say, by the way. these are the initiatives taking place," he said. Given Milton is poised to tee more than 8,000 residential units registered with the Town for construction over the next five or so years, Mr. Penman said ie feels it's important to fix the communication prob- lem before it worsens. He said he has every confidence that builders and developers will be able to ensure home buyers are made aware of construction details in subdivisions. This isn't the first time this year the Town has made changes to deal with hous- ing concerns. Earlier this summer staff increased the minimum sizes of residential garages after numerous residents com- Anyone. Anywhere. plained to politicians and Town staff they were bujît too smai. Developers also have to post communi- cations information in their sales offices alerting potential home buyers to ask ques- tions about things like garage sizes. Mr. Iovio cautioned, however, there's only so much the Town can do to ensure home buyers get as much information as possible about subdivision construction plans. Under Ontario's planning act, developers can market their subdivisions as soon as they get draft approval from a municipali- ty. At that point no homes have yet been built. But the exact locations of fire hydrants or bike paths, for example, aren't necessarily known when draft approval is given and people should be aware of that when pur- chasing a home, Mr. Iovio said. Jason Misner can be reached at imis- ner@miltoncanadianchampion.com. •Prinited Sheets •Tapestries FUT URi E H P Decorator Fabrics •Lining •Pillow Formis •Tassels & Trims CORRECTION NOTICE Silks -Velve's °hild'ens"P"'s •Outdoor Fumiture/Fabrics On page 7 of our September 19th - 25th flyer, an error occurred. The Sony Grand Wega TV does not Large SALpHUR include a $400 gift card. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our 55 valued customers. Thank you (905)p631-651 .. m.mmtlmi. ay. e&a&"~iLf a5k ) &invite & o irm invite you to their Thurs. Oct. 2, 2-8 pm Fri. Oct. 3, 2-8 pm Sat. Oct. 4, 11-4 pm Sun. Oct. 5, 1-4 pm 20% off Fabrics, Books and Embroidery Kits In-Store Specials Gift to the First 50 Customers! Located at 87A Main St. N. Campbellville (on Guelph Lne just South of the 401) For information, call 905-854-0446 sewfancy@bellnet.ca www.sewfancy.com PLEASE GIVE 1-888-321-3433