Another O.M.B. Decision For The Town

An  Appeal against another refusal of an application for property at the corner of Elderberry Hills and Yonge Street made by the last council, was heard yesterday.

The Town's position was upheld. It was a vindication of sorts.

The difference  in the sort was.a change in  the town's position. It was no longer a refusal.

Staff had worked with the applicant . Since January, neighbouring residents had worked with the applicant and  town's planners. The plan was scaled down .It seems a newly formed ratepayers' association were satisfied.

Susan Walmer and friends were not. Despite there being only eighty residents in Elderberry Hills, an entirely new group appeared at  Council last Tuesday. they vowed innocence of all knowledge and  argued since  they had known nothing about the proposal until hours before, an emergency meeting of Council should be held to give them  opportunity for input.

Council recessed and gave them opportunity. 

Still Councillor Gaertner requested council consider the request for another meeting before accepting  the staff recommendation. The  recommendation was presented in January and   deferred since that time.

Walter Mestrinaro  had  delegation status at the  previous meeting but surrendered it to the other delegate 

Walter Mestrinaro came back again last Tuesday and  was granted  delegation status again after the commencement of the meeting. .

He presented  his contention the application was not in conformity  with his interpretation of several of the town's planning instruments.

The Planning Director was once again requested to repeat a lengthy  response to Mestrinaro's  inaccurate contentions.

Finally after what seemed like endless repetition of  tedium in the extreme,  Council's previous decision, which could not be undone ....was not .

The hearing yesterday lasted 3.5 hours. It was chaired by the Vice-chair of the Ontario Municipal Board, who heard the appeal  against the town's refusal of the Westhill development application, Which took weeks and cost the town $650,000. in legal fees alone, to say nothing of all the  hours of staff time wasted.

The decision was made and verbally presented there and then   The Board supported the town's position.

The application  is approved with a written decision to follow.  

Yet another tortuous process  behind us;with hundreds of hours and  torrents of  useless verbiage and false accusations.