Dear editor:
This town has a major problem with over-running legal fee budgets supporting appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
I am not a NIMBY opposed to any and all future development in our town. But we should also call on wealthy land developers, especially those living right here in our community, to commit to submitting responsible planning proposals to council.
These proposals should balance off their profit motives against their neighbours’ consensus aspirations, preferences and vision for our town. This town is unique in Ontario in terms of its historic character.
I also call on these developers to commit to undertaking local negotiations with council to avoid the need for referring these decisions to a provincial body to settle.
Co-operation is better than antagonism and pursuing adversarial resolution approaches.
Observation: Some developers appear to be using their wealth to purchase undue influence with the provincial politicians that control the tribunal. This increases the perception that the playing field is not level.
Developers who invite the premier to meetings, behind their closed estate gates, provoke suspicions that the system is rigged.
Steve McGuinness
Virgil