News: Deputations
COUNCIL DEPUTATIONS
COTTAGE ADVISORS APPLICATION FOR 237 COTTAGES
DEPUTATION: Public Planning Meeting, June 10, 2009
I
am Barbara Wyatt, Secretary of Friends of East Lake and I am handing in
two petitions, with a total of 765 names. However, before I do that, I
would like to make some comments about the Committee of the Whole
proceedings of Council. The Committee of the Whole rules are extremely
useful in speeding through the system many minor issues of interest
only to the applicant. But this application is the largest Planning
Application ever received by this Municipality. At the end of the
evening the Committee of the Whole allows a 2/3 majority to deem the
matter dealt with and finished one way or the other. It will only be
deferred to Council if there is less than a 2/3 majority on the vote.
This is one of the most important and far-reaching issues ever received
by Council, one that could change the vision of this County forever.
You would be voting on a motion when there are a large number of people
speaking tonight whose opinions are being listened to for the first
time. Respectfully, it is impossible for Councillors to make an
informed decision tonight, and this is extremely prejudicial to the
public who need a fair hearing. Because of this, a deferral to a later
date would be the only fair outcome of this meeting.
Now to
the petition. Councillors are elected by ward, but they are also
elected to a council which represents ALL the people of Prince Edward
County. The experience of the volunteers collecting these signatures,
which incidentally were gathered in 10 days, is that door-to-door in
Athol, between 80 and 90 percent of those polled were against this
application. We heard many views, but the one running through all was
that it was far too big, especially for East Lake, that it would ruin a
particularly lovely portion of East Lake, and very important, many had
concerns about their own water supplies, which are dwindling already
around the lake. Most understood Council’s concerns with money, and the
possible financial benefits of this resort, but thought these had been
overrated and were at best, short-term, and they were less concerned
with this, than with the long term ruination of the County. Some just
dragged us into their kitchens and said “where do I sign?”!. The
volunteers canvassing on Picton Main Street heard the same views from
residents of all other County wards, and these were also particularly
anxious about this creating a precedent for other developments, which
eventually would change the whole rural nature of the County for them
and for their children for ever. They also heard the views of day
visitors from Belleville and other close by communities who like it
here because it is different and nicer than where they live, and from
weekend visitors who are attracted by the County’s special appeal and
don’t want to see it disappear. They included a group of 16 senior
cyclists who have been coming here for many years and were appalled to
learn of these plans. It was believed by many, that if passed, members
of this current council would have made the biggest mistake of their
lives, and that this council and these planners will be remembered as
the ones who opened the gate to the destruction of the County’s best
assets. One couple, who had moved here from Niagara specifically to get
away from its disneyfication (their word), were afraid it was following
them here. And many people thanked us for what we were doing.
In
short, Friends of East Lake believes that you should be listening to
these people because so many saying the same things cannot all be
wrong. If you have driven around East Lake, you will have seen all the
“No 237” signs. Other than the “No Sludge Here” campaign, to our
knowledge there has never been a sign campaign in the County and there
are still requests for them coming in. The speakers tonight, those with
signs, and those who signed the petition, as well as many who will
never do any of those things, are people with a vested interest in the
County because we live here. These are the people that you, as
councillors, need to display a loyalty and a responsibility towards.
Your conscience should determine the way you vote, not your concerns
about the Ontario Municipal Board. I would now like to ask everyone
here to raise their hand if they think this proposed development on
East Lake is WRONG.
I am now submitting these petitions of
765 names, and respectfully ask council to consider the views of those
who signed them, and of those who just raised their hands before
deciding the future of Prince Edward County.
Barbara Wyatt
Secretary/Treasurer
Friends of East Lake
May 12, 2008: Protection of Agriculture and affected Rural areas
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