"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 28 September 2014

It helps to be talking about the same thing

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "That is not what I said":

Evelyn you must know the developers have their own agenda.Forget your pie in the sky; sell it all and let the bedroom community go into a coma. 
 

Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 28 September 2014 14:14


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The town owns all the property from .Church  Street to Mosely. The  old library buildings were made redundant when the new one was built.

But that's a story too. The entire lock was designated in my time of influence  as  a Civic Square. The main entrance of the library was built at the back because I. I time it was intended to be open to Yonge Street.

We bought the house that Chris Watts   keeps on about with  the open square in mind.

Councils change as do plans. John West's council bought the north- east corner of Church and Yonge and built the new library. Later  John said the old library should have been demolished at the same time to provide for adequate parking

But the Seniors were  putting in a strong bid to move out of the old firehall into the old library. Instead a new facility was  built to suit their needs.It's a hive of activity seven  days a week.

Victoria Hall is a primitive structure that doesn't really justify the space it occupies.

The town would be the developers.  The soil could be problematic. But there is no land
that can't be used if resources permit.

Condos are  already built in the neighbourhood. More are planned.  Residents living in small spaces will no doubt welcome the facility. Lot levies for recreation would add to the hydro fund.

The  project is entirely feasible. All it takes is leadership.

This last term $300,000 was spent preparing "swing space" for an addition to the Town Hall.

It never happened  and the money went down the tube.

Every year we give away half a million  tax dollars to a facility which is totally inadequate for the purpose used.

I know my idea is not pie -in-the-sky because it's already been stolen twice .


It doesn't even take courage. Everything we need  is on hand.

A project like this brings a community together like nothing else can.

Downtown could become a niche market for art supplies, costumiers, stage props,musical instruments and who knows what else.We could have our own comedy club circuit without even trying.

Her's  another thought, maybe the answer to Yonge Street doldrums is  not to try and provide parking on the street  but maintain the heritage facade and proved access and parking at the rear.

That too is not beyond the realm of possibility.

A pox in the promenade plan with a  price tag of millions.

Let us think outside of the box...behind Yonge Street.






2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That project for the old library lands could well have been done by this council. I believe the new library was put together in a single term. There simply was not enough courage sitting around the table.

Anonymous said...

The stumbling block appears to have been Victoria Hall and a bunch who wanted to save the " heritage " building. I've been in it many times and there is nothing unique or worth saving about the place. It might have a few spooks lurking around waiting for show-and-tell. But the same folk wanted to keep the Tannery.