Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Guest Post And more":
Last night's meeting was a fiasco. Once again this Council opted to waste time & money are some half-baked Codes of Conduct for Our Homes & Businesses..
The owner of that proposed condo building has gone through all the hoops devised by staff - just like that resident with the 3 trees. He will be perfectly entitled to go to the OMB who will support him as he is infilling and meeting all requirements including the amount of parking spaces in our by-laws.
Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 5 March 2014 10:03
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It was Monty Pythonesque.
Along with the Strategic Plan the Town adopted a logo.
"Aurora ,,where business thrives and neighbors care"
It's a cruel joke.
There was no requirement for staff to bring the permit application for the new building in the centre block to Council.
In the matter of a permit application. Council has no authority.
The application conforms to the Official plan designation .
Parking requirements under the Promenade Plan, adopted by Council, requires fourteen parking spaces.
IThe proposal has space for twelve.
That's a minor variance.
It calls for an application to the Committee of Adjustment .
Which has authority, independent of Council , to make the decision.
If its a refusal, it can be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board.
The memorandum was on the agenda to inform council of the application and need for a variance
and,if all went well, to authorize the Mayor and Clerk to sign the site plan agreement.
The application process is purely administrative.
There it was ... as neat a building as one would like to see, filling a vacant lot ,such as Councillor Ballard described as our decaying downtown as late as last week.
Five floors, fifty feet high, the same height as the clock tower in the old post office ,and the same height as the new apartments on the old Scanlon Bakery site . The building will accommodate
twelve residential units ... exactly what was known forty years ago would revitalise the town
centre.
The design such, that when built it will look like it has always been there. Precisely the objective of the Promenade Plan .
And how was it received by Council ? The comment above describes it perfectly.
I continue to be amazed by the endless groping ,hesitant, stumbling questions and contradictory conclusions that reveal an appalling lack of rudimentary comprehension of town business.
The same questions and answers repeated over and over and over again. To no avail.
Councillor Gallo has had five and a half years of experience.
Councillor Ballard takes unto himself the role of champion of the Promenade Plan among other initiatives.
The rest apparently have no idea the image they project to a community seeking assurance and anticipating competence in a Council almost at the end of a four year term of office.
A Council that just approved , in a split decision, a project with a guesstimate cost of $26 million
Winston Churchill is credited with an observation probably made by many others before him.
"Better to be thought stupid than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt
Thursday, 6 March 2014
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20 comments:
It was quite a spectacle. There were many new people either at Council or watching the streaming. I wouldn't have expecting so much interest while the snow was still heavy on the ground. Council wanted more participation. Now they have it and don't seem to know how to handle themselves.
Councillor Ballard was demanding 26 parking spaces, more than double what was proposed. Staff are quite capable of dealing with a minor variance. Ballard could have just mailed his comments in for all the good they did him.
As a business here in Aurora (20+yrs)…It’s been a lot of long hours and hard work, with no help from the Town. Not that we've ever asked for any…but having seen how the Town/council treats new business and existing…we know better than to ask for anything. The chamber has been great support for local businesses. The Town will roll out the red carpet for you if you’re a big corporation or developer, otherwise there should be a small sign attached to town signs “Small business/developer don’t bother”.
The Evans reached the stage where they simply refused to speak of Council. Nothing has changed.
Councils come and go leaving nothing for those they supposedly served.
Which reminds me,
What ever happened to Bulk Barn's Head Office moving to Aurora?
Speaking Chris, and I not here to slag him, but on his blog he has a piece about how Hilary House went outside Aurora for their event.
Now, as a golfer I am always amazed at how the Aurora Mayor's golf event has, for as long as I can remember, ever been held at an Aurora golf course. I think it has been at Silver Lakes (just outside of Bradford) for a number of years going back to Tim Jones.
Considering we have Westview, Magna, Summit, Highland Gate and St Andrews Valley courses all within the limits of Aurora, why is it not held there?
When I see the incompetent direction from the chair, conduct unbecoming, and then the sheer ignorance on the part of a majority of councillors, including ongoing referrals back to staff, I wonder whether the business of the town wouldn't be better served by staff, and staff alone?
Council seems to be a complete waste of money.
The question on the ballot should be for a Council of three: a person of experience of an age over 65, a Clerk with a minimum 20 years in such a position, and a Mayor, chosen by the first two.
Summit is in Richmond Hill.
That quote is usually attributed to Mark Twain, with a variation of it to Abraham Lincoln.
And I thought Ballard was smartening up in preparation for a potential role at Queen's Park.
Or so I thought..........
It seems apparent there is no need for 8 councillors at large. No one appears to have any specific responsibilities. Some seem to have their own agenda while others can not make a decision regardless of how many times they attempt to defer. Add to this the fact that there are no constraints on spending - foolish ideas, numerous consultants and new hirings at leisure.
Clearly, the Mayor has to accept a big piece of responsibility for this. He also has to accept responsibility for a 26M works garage
I guess 16:40 doesn't drive outside Aurora, as the newly built Bulk Barn
facility that is seen from the 404 is huge!
22:54.... Why would someone drive on the 404? Aurora for me is Bathurst/Bloomington
18:33 - Sorry, meant Beacon Hall
Anonymous said at 22:54
"I guess 16:40 doesn't drive outside Aurora, as the newly built Bulk Barn
facility that is seen from the 404 is huge!"
Fine, but in an election year and all of the talk about jobs in Aurora you would think that there would be some "talking up" of the fact. We had a new release that they were coming and that was it.
Maybe they should have waited until January, the State Farm building will be available as those jobs move to Quebec after the Dejardans purchase.
16:46
The Town seldom uses any Aurora businesses for any town business I just found out recently the Cultural centre hired a graphic designer from Barrie … So much for the town supporting local business!
From The Banner:
"A preliminary deal that will see Desjardins Group purchase State Farm Canada won't affect staffing or operations at State Farm's Aurora head office, company spokesperson John Bordignon said."
"The agreement includes the Aurora office, which employs about 1,300 people."
Mayor Dawe has since said that Desjardins is considering moving (some of) their downtown Toronto operations to the State Farm building.
12:12
Sure they are going to say that. I have been involved in company purchases before. The PURCHASER always impacts the PURCHASED negativley. Until the deal closes (which requires government approvals) you will only see rosy blooms and candies from Dejardans. A year from now, the rationalization will begin.
In a year from now, 09:22/16:41, you might have stopped calling them "Dejardans."
"I just found out recently the Cultural centre hired a graphic designer from Barrie"
Did you also 'find out' that said person had relocated from Aurora to Barrie, 10:12? So, it is the continuation of a pre-existing business relationship, rather than a recent hire.
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