2-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, November 4, 2003 .Habitat Halton stili trying to find site for home fiy q-TFPHA 11IF THIFSSj The Champon Attempts to find a piece of local land on which to build a Habitat for Hurnanity home baven't yet succeeded, despite tbe efforts of volunteers who have been acouring Milton for the past teveral months. 'We're atill looking for property. It's flot gomng as well as we'd hoped," said Susan Goetz, Habitat for Hurnanity Halton's board vice-chair. "Land is acarce up there (ia Milton)." Earlier thia year, Habitat for Humanity Halton and the Milton Affordable Houamng Coalition decided to team up to build the bouse. Smnce then, attempta to find the landl have failed, Ma Goetz aaid. But, ase aaid, ahe's flot diacouraged. "It just takes time and effort to raiae awareness of the need. Thereas a lot of criteria to meet to tind the right location." Town to see if there's a propcrty thse Town owns that it rnay be dis- poamng of. But ao far, nothlng has corne to fruition, ahe aaid. A meeting for familles intereated in applying for a Habitat boute was beld Thuraday migbt, but nobody ahowed Up. Ma Goctz aaid ahe thlnka thata because it was the first meeting of the sort that has been held locally, and it takea a wbile to get information out. She aaid the next meeting wiIl be held ha a down- town Milton location rather than at tie Milton Comumuty Resource Centre, where the firat one was held. lIhat ahould draw people out, ahe aaid. This basn't affected bier firm belief abat there are many needy famnilies ha Milton, ahe said, nor bas it cauaed bier to doubt the fea- aibility of building a bouse by next year. "rrn positive we'll be able to do it next year," she aaid. cause, and offcrcd to volunteer - but land has to be found first. "We need people to corne forward wbo own land and are will- mng to donate it or (seil it to ua) at a good price," Ms Goetz aaid. "At soon as we find a piece of land, we can really start fundrait- ing."1 Ma Gocaz aaid Habitat Halton atill needa stme volunteers to serve on comnitteet. Habitat For Humarnty is an international non-profit organization abat gathera volunteers and pannera thern wiab familiea-in-need to build bornes. TMeir goal is to build abemi simple, affordable houa- mng. Famnilles choten to benefit from Habitat for Humanity work alongaide volunteers to build their homne. In fact, they must con- tribute 500 boura of volunteer time toward its construction. And the homes aren't free. The familles purchase thern at a lower-tban-rnarket-value coat, and pay a no-intereat, no-profit rnortgage. Habitat for Hwnanlty is able to offer the boutes at a low price becaue the building materials are donated and tisere's no charge for the labour. Wendy Schau, chair of Milton Affordable Housing Coalition, said abe's stili hopeful thse bouse will be built, rnentioning a piece of land that s currently being looked into as a possible site for the boute. The location of the site is very important, abe said,, becaute the famlly choten to live in the homne bas to be clote to arnenities. Stephanie Thiessen con be reached at sthiessen@miltoncanadi- anchampion.com. Ilouse at Martin and Steeles soon to move to Peru By JASON MISNER The Champion Ruth Vella simply cails it 'Ibe Mets'. Referrîng next door to the .6-acre property at the soutbwest cor- ner of Martin Street and Steeles Avenue, she said sbe's had to watch over the last three years an abandoned boute on the site becorne the target of vandals and a tate-nigst bangout for kida. The windows bave been smnasbed and litter strewn around the grassy site, she said. 'Tve called the police quite a few aimes," Ms Vella taid frorn bier borne. "'Tve cailed the Town and said I wanted the windows boarded Up." But word bas corne - finally - abat the bouse is being rnoved to a new site on Pena Road. Ms Veila is tbriiled by abat, althougb issues still linger, namnely wbat wili becorne of abe soon-to-be-vacant property and who Winl dlean il up once tise boute bas been rnoved. "I'm, concemred about abe mess being left bebind," abe said, not- ing there's a crurnbled fouindation on die site. Troy Drummond, Mllton's coordinator, building administration and zonlng, said ail of the proper permits have heen issued for the boute to be bauled away. There was a longer-than-expected delay ha getting the proper penniits to move it to taite on Peru Road becaute abe area is in a flood plain near Sixteen Mile Creek. Conservation Halton had to be consulted to ensure a new fouindation could be properly built. Once tecbnical requirernents were met, a permit was issued September 18 to move the bouse. Mr. Dnimmond said on October 22, abe Town was informed die boute would be rnoved. But it wasn't, and the movers, from wbat hie understanda, are waiting for the best day to do abat. "I know die owner wanted it moved a wbile ago," Mr. Dnanrnond said. 'The site is zoned bighway commercial, which means a restau- rant or gas station is ailowed. At one point, abe site was close to being homne to a Kentucky Fried Cbicken, but concerna about bow rnany buildings could fit on the site seuttled abe deal, said Ward 2 Councillor Art Melanson. He said! be's glati to tee abe bouse la on abe brink of beingrnoved and bopes abe corner lot is used witely. He sald it's a blgh-profile site, not far from, the downtown. "I think it will moeve very quickly," hie said, noting be'd like to tee a restaurant open on site. Richard Hierman, an agent wiab Re/Max who's atternpting to seil tise property, said insereat bas been expressed front fast-food outlets, amnong others. Jason Mtsner can be reached at jmisner@miltoncanadian-