The following letter was sent to the head of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s planning department, Aimee Alderman, ahead of the Sept. 2 open house on the official plan amendment for lands known as the Rand Estate. A copy was forwarded to The Lake Report for publication.

I do not wish to speak at the upcoming open house for the above-mentioned application, but I do wish to register my extreme annoyance at being forced to participate in another development application by Mr. Marotta that has been extensively and expensively reviewed by the Ontario Land Tribunal and found, by them, to be significantly problematic.

What particularly annoys me is the statement in the application that says, “Existing mature vegetation as well as heritage features designated under Part IV or Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act will need to be considered in the design and construction of both the primary access at 200 John St. E & emergency access 588 Charlotte St. at the time of a future zoning by-law amendment and heritage permit.”

This is a patently ridiculous statement because everyone knows that if this application is approved road development will commence forthwith and matters such as vegetation (read, trees) and heritage features (read, wall and gates) will be dealt with as required (read, removed).

What is almost as annoying as the application itself is the fact that staff and council have even allowed this application to be registered at all. This application is absolutely identical regarding access as was rejected by the Ontario Land Tribunal.

While Mr. Marotta has every right to develop his property, what he does not have is the right to force the negative consequences of his development onto neighbouring properties and the town’s heritage trail.

If Mr. Marotta wants access to the subject lands, he can get it via his vinelands on East-West or via his vinelands on John Street. It is up to council and staff to communicate this fact to him in no uncertain terms.

John McCallum
NOTL