"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

Tuesday 12 April 2016

A DOOR IS NOT A DOOR ....WHEN IT'S AJAR

When is a golf course not a golf course?

When it hasn't been a golf course for years. When the land has returned to the wild. 

When greens have been invaded by varmints and tunnels riddle the surface, linking burrows and escape routes. 

When rough has filled in with scrub bush and extended into fairways and unmanaged wooded areas  are no longer manageable. 

When coyotes, foxes, lynxes and maybe bears and wolves take back habitat. 

When water hazard levels rise and fall and turn into bullrush swamps and sand traps vanish in underbrush of thorns and thistles.

When the owner spends a year working with municipal planning staff, a second year on numerous useless  public meetings, never intended to succeed and more than a year after that awaiting a date for an OMB. Hearing. 

A long time before that , a golf course no longer exists. It is not the current use.No argument can be made that a golf course needs to be. 

The application is not to change use.it is to dedicate raw land  for urban use within an urban area.

Fully serviceable land to provide homes with water,sewers, hydro,gas,police and fire protection,schools,hospitals,retail amenities and roads to enter and exit at multiple points throughout out. 

Homes which would help to share the heavy cost of all necessary  services .

As far as can be determined ,the municipality refused to process the application within time  limits prescribed by government regulations. 

No decision has been made,

Nothing to defend. 

Planning staff will be called to witness pros and cons of the application. 

From a municipal perspective,every advantage is to to develop the land and no disadvantage. 

No law denies a land-owner the right to apply to develop land. 

The right of appeal a decision or non-decision. is his to avail himself.  

All arguments are in his favour. With a board decision, political  imperatives are not a factor. 

All costs will be bourne  by taxpayers and eventual home buyers. 

An utterly  useless waste of time and resources. 

Inexcusable.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A DOOR IS NOT A DOOR ? WHEN IT'S AJAR": 

The birds & animals love the place. So do the dog walkers and just plan ordinary walkers. In real estate listings, homes in the area are still described as being on the golf course. 
- like a huge Marvinac
Sooner or later there will be complaints about those accessing the property. Maybe rumours of drug deals or coyote sightings. 
A massive waste of time and money with a council that believes one should pay a premium to live in the town.
There will be a ruling, there will be howls and life will go on .........

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Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 12 April 2016 at 15:31

6 comments:

Anonymous said...


Hello, a golf course in the middle of a affluent town on fully serviced land worth some 100 million dollars.

Some, but perhaps not all, members of council should understand the economics.

To the owner's benefit the land has likely appreciated while the town fumbles.





Anonymous said...

I don't believe for one moment that there are members of council that don't understand the economics. Evelyn is right. It's inexcusable. The money being spent by taxpayers in this futile fight is outrageous. Following down the same path of Newmarket is cowardly.

Anonymous said...

Would you be so sanguine about it if you lived in the affected neighbourhood?

Anonymous said...


19:04 I would not be so sure. When I see a particular council member in action I ask myself where else could that person get a responsible job and keep it?

Anonymous said...

19:46
Some of us DO live in the " affected " neighbourhood. Have for years and can face the facts.
I think you used much the same lame line over the designated neighbourhood tussle. Lost that one too. Right ?

Anonymous said...

There is emptier golf course, quite a famous one, in Oakville, I think, also on the move due to Golf Link. Ours is just small fry.