Another Piece of Correspondence

I received your e-mail and understand your frustration. No decision was made at last night's meeting because one councillor was absent and the vote to accept the region's modifications was a stalemate...or a tie, which does not succeed.

The last council voted to end Hartwell Way in a dead end. It was a futile gesture ,
The Region of York has planning authority over the municipality.

Roads are planned long in advance of houses being built and occupied. They are part of a greater design. An arterial collector is what it says. It collects traffic from other roads and provides a flow through from one collector to another.

All manner of engineering details are considered for the route to be acceptable including underground services, specifically water and sewer lines. I may be wrong but I think the division of lots are determined after the location of the roads.

So...long before your house was built the decision was made that Hartwell Way would be the arterial collector road for all the other roads and your home would be impacted . It cannot be changed.

The councillors who voted to do as you asked, undoubtedly believed the decision was within their authority. Four members of the present council still do. That's why they voted last night not to accept the staff report.

They are still wrong. The region's authority will prevail for all the reasons stated above.I know that's not what you want to hear. Sometimes an elected representative has the unhappy task of telling people what they do not want to hear.

It's much easier to do the other thing and convince oneself it's right. I've never been able to do that. I don't expect you to be happy about it but it may be easier if you understand why.

Have a great day. It will not come again.