Letter to the Editor – Strategic Plan

Dear Editor, 

Most residents of NG do appreciate their council BUT as we have lived through some councils prior to this group we know that they could be worse but we also know they can be better.  Just a word to North Dundas 2 elections ago North Grenville residents were not happy with the status quo and they threw out the previous council.  They can do the same.  The voters of NG are not really concerned with the councils in neighbouring municipalities but they are concerned with our council and I have found them lacking during this term and on certain issues last term.

 I attended a talk by the Deputy Mayor where he listed the council’s accomplishments and one he was very proud of was the Strategic Plan (SP) that provided a roadmap to guide how NG would grow in the coming years.  This is a real accomplishment if it is followed.  I asked him about the KPS housing development and how the council had politely listened to the concerns of residents of the neighbourhood only to take a short ‘in camera’ session and when they returned acted as if the complaints had not been raised in the first place.  They proceeded to pass exemptions to get past the height restrictions of the SP and another to change the affordable housing requirements of the SP.  I asked about this and was told that the units were filling quickly so he guessed they were in fact affordable.  I was embarrassed for the Deputy Mayor that he could say such a thing.  Affordable housing is not determined by the fact that people rent/purchase them, it is meant to imply that the housing is affordable to those that are on fixed incomes and not able to afford the higher rents that I have been told these units are going for.  It seems that the goal of the last election of more “affordable housing” has been subtly changed to “housing”.  Chasing the more affluent voter I guess.  He also said much like during the Federal leader’s debate some years ago when John Turner being questioned by Brian Mulroney said “I had no choice” in what he had done and he was told “You always have a choice”.  If we do not let the developer build higher with fewer affordable units the development will not be cost effective.  If this is the council’s position that they do not have a choice but to accept whatever developers offer then what good is the Strategic Plan and who is looking out for the residents that voted these people onto council to represent them in situations like this?  I think this council needs to remember that they always have a choice between what is good for the community and what is good for the developer.  

David Herman