Amendments to the Act gave municipalities authority to designate without agreement by the property owner. In return, the owner has the right to apply to the municipality for tax reductions, grants and loans to bring and maintain designated properties to good and authentic condition.
I doubt the intention was for every smelly old dump to be retained just because it was old.
Municipalities are not required to designate relics of earlier harsh times. Exercise of sensible judgement would likely be presumed.
Fat chance!
If there isn't time for designation a sticker will be stuck ,naming jus about any and every property to be "of interest"
A Heritage division of the Planning department was created. An advisory committee was struck.
Heritage and Environment are the new Puritanism .
33 Longthorpe Court is an example of work load needlessly generated.
The subdivision agreement was signed with a small modest house of a hundred and thirty years
vintage to remain within a neighborhood of massive million dollar mansions.
Sales indicated what must have already been recognized by the developer when the agreement
Was signed.
33 Longthorpe Court is an example of work load needlessly generated.
The subdivision agreement was signed with a small modest house of a hundred and thirty years
vintage to remain within a neighborhood of massive million dollar mansions.
Sales indicated what must have already been recognized by the developer when the agreement
Was signed.
The old inadequate didn't sell. It had no curb value. No appeal. No surprise.
Inevitably an application to amend the agreement to allow the house to be re-located had to be approved.
It now sits on another unlikely lot. In my judgement it represents a hazard.
I predict the developer wil eventually offer the house,free to anyone who might have a use for it. They will offer to re-locate it to a site on a foundation of their construction.
They might even park it at the side of Vandorf Road for ten years waiting for municipal instruction.
The municipality in turn will chase its tale for a decade. Spinning,spinning.spinning, in an ever-decreasing circle
The municipality in turn will chase its tale for a decade. Spinning,spinning.spinning, in an ever-decreasing circle
But re-locating the old house is not the immediate problem.
Grading on the site at 33 Longthorpe Court was not addressed in the amendment that permited the old house to be re-located.
The property was sold and a permit for a new house of twice the size with a walkout basement was issued without a new grading plan required. An obvious oversight.
Satisfactory grading cannot be completed without removing three trees on the lot. No way. No how.
A massive retaining wall needs to be built to accommodate the trees.
Oh calamity! Abutting neighbours cannot live without the view of trees they do not on. Their lives can never be the same. They are apparently advised by a Councillor, they don't have to.
The Councillor will champion their cause.Shades of the past.
Grading problems can be solved by a massive retaining wall.
BUT THE RETAINING WALL WILL DAMAGE THE TREE ROOTS AND CANNOT BE BUILT.
IT MAKES NO NEVER MIND TO COUNCIL. THE TREES CANNOT BE MOVED.
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24 comments:
Right. And we the humble taxpayers will be on the hook for all the work and possible lawsuits for damages that occur during the project and after its completion.
Gee Whiz. I think the Xmas lighting on some of my neighbours' homes is over the top. If I complain to Councillor Wendy, will she introduce a by-law to save me from light pollution and require the offenders to count their light bulbs so as to meet a quota?
Could be a very long day & evening. Take care.
This one of those cases where common sense is replaced by stupidity.
Daily Brew
Steve Mertl
" Washington Post columnist takes aim at Tories War of 1812 campaign "
What a bunch of wussy pussies!
Please park your brains at the door before entering the Council chamber.
"Excuse me, what am I speaking to?"
There is a new Auroran poll.
Polls should provide respondents with a 4th Option:
- I Don't Care
Last night's Council discussion concerning three trees reminded me of the Witches' Chants from Macbeth and just about as relevant.
First of all, a "massive retaining wall"? Obviously, you speak without knowledge on the matter. It will not require a massive retaining wall. Secondly, removing these trees will NOT fix the grading fiasco caused by the builder. The builder submitted drawings to the Town that omitted the trees. The builder considered the removal of these protected trees a foregone conclusion, misrepresented their existence on submitted drawings to Town, then built a home with a walk-out basement on it (which further exacerbates the grading problem at hand). All the neighbours are asking for here is that the subdivision agreement be adhered to. So, if you`re going to be tough, then be tough with the builder breaking the rules - not with the many residents that are opposed to this. If I didn`t know any better, I would say that you`re a paid shill for the builder, or at the very least - his apologist! Shame on you.
@ 11:02
The builder & the town both goofed. There is no need to penalize the resident or to ' get tough ' with anyone. That horse is well out of the barn & it wasn't even on the watch of a particular Council. So there is certainly no necessity for angst. Relax. It's a lovely day.
11:02 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's trees
We are about half way through that tape. Watching is painful. It's like observing a bunch of moths dance around a flame. Words desert.
Thee world of banking and finance gets more expensive every day.
JP Morgan Chase last week agreed to pay a fine of $920 million to settle a claim involving the "London Whale" which in turn cost the company a loss of $6 billion.
And now the same company is in discussion with the US Justice Department involving a settlement of $11 billion in connection with the sale of very sour asset backed securities, mainly mortgage related. And this might only be the tip of a rather expensive iceberg.
It must be nice to run a company that can afford to lose/pay out multiple billions of dollars and yet still have a job, Chairman and CEO.
To turn to another upcoming bit of excitement, the social media company known as Twitter is in the final stages of its own IPO, initial public offering to those who do not keep abreast of acronyms. The company has just added JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley onto its list of leaches, the original and up to now only one being Goldman Sachs. There'll be lots of tweeting after the dust settles on this.
I throw all this in as a divertissement from the ongoing saga of the battle of the boobs. Need I say more?
I am ashamed of Aurora.
This mess has been out there since LAST year & council is still pissing in the wind. Mr K has played by all our anal little rules & regulations & he is being used by councillors running for re-election.
Just for the record, I have a whole collection of very large trees & would never consider asking permission for their treatment. Some are held together with cables & one has a lightning gash stuffed with special material. I do what I can afford & will make my own calls.
I have just finished watching the rest of the tape featuring the property owner, the builder and the lawyer.
You couldn't ask anyone to more completely fall onto their swords than these gentlemen, in making the case for the Staff Report and recommendation to remove the three trees and the agreement by Council there and then.
But no, bungle-bunny brains got in the way, and after more totally gaga discussion it was decided to defer the matter to the next Council meeting in two weeks.
How in God's name can this Council function in dealing with town budgets on the order of $50,000,000 plus when it has taken several hours to consider a simple matter and then even that gets deferred for two weeks?
You people should all be in nursery school, and I don't mean a tree nursery.
I have just finished watching the rest of the tape featuring the property owner, the builder and the lawyer.
You couldn't ask anyone to more completely fall onto their swords than these gentlemen, in making the case for the Staff Report and recommendation to remove the three trees and the agreement by Council there and then.
But no, bungle-bunny brains got in the way, and after more totally gaga discussion it was decided to defer the matter to the next Council meeting in two weeks.
How in God's name can this Council function in dealing with town budgets on the order of $50,000,000 plus when it has taken several hours to consider a simple matter and then even that gets deferred for two weeks?
You people should all be in nursery school, and I don't mean a tree nursery.
Ya know what's worst than the grading of this property....The neighbors.
20:06
I am glad your comment was posted twice. It was that good.
On a lesser note, Evelyn. did any town business actually get done at that meeting or was it all jockeying for position in the playground?
Thanks, You don;t get paid enough. Sleep well.
"Need I say more?"
No...not if it's about global business rather than about "Our Town and Its Business."
20:59
What business? You introduce a local topic if you can find one.
Maybe it would be satisfying to Mr K if he were to silently name his 3 trees after a few negative ions on Council who appear to have contributed to his troubles?
They were not the only speed-bumps but certainly the primary ones.
Just a suggestion now that the end appears to be in sight.
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