Election Issues Abound

Voters need to pay attention to the 2C Lands , Secondary Plan.

The lands stretch from Wellington Street in the south. to St. John's Sideroad.in the north and Leslie Street in the east.

The plan has been in process for the past several months.

A committee headed by Councillor MacEachern has been ...well....steering it.

Environmentally sensitive lands and creeks have been identified. Buffers of sixty metres and thirty metres from sensitive areas are removed from development. .

Twenty-nine storm water ponds are to be constructed because of land contours.
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Parks are not to be permitted in the sensitive lands or the sixty or thirty metre buffers .

At the meeting on Thursday, Councillor Mac Eachern referred the consultants to the Town's adopted Master Recreation plan . Not the one drafted by the consultant, the revised one created by herself and Mr. Whitehurst. The land acquisition strategy of the Master Recreation Plan means we will buy lands for parks out of development lands.

The Councillor indicated her intent the water allocation policy be removed from the plan.

The Consultant responded. "Then you want it taken out of the Town's Official Plan" .

"I don't want it . I don't see any need for it" the Councillor responded.

A town planner intervened and pointed out the water allocation is regional policy and Council endorsed it several weeks ago. That ended the discussion.

Twenty-nine storm water ponds were noted." The developers should be required to give the town money for their maintenance" the Councillor said. "Aurora's taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for that ".

The consultant was parrying the issue when I left the meeting. There really wasn't much point in being there.

The hour of adjournment had been set at nine-thirty p.m. It had come and gone and no note taken of it. Points of order do not fare well.

However one might wish , by hook or by crook, that minimal development is allowed within this neck of the woods , there is no doubt , the 2C Secondary Plan is headed for the Ontario Municipal Board with all the attendant costs for legal representation.

Another meeting will be held. for public participation on September 8th

On September 10th, registrations close for candidates and the election begins.

The Council elected on October 25th , will be responsible for decisions related to the 2C Lands Secondary Plan.

The opportunity to fully understand the implications of the plan to be defended should be theirs.

It should not be foisted upon them by a Lame Duck Council.