The following letter was sent to members of town council and a copy submitted for publication.

I read with interest the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake staff report just released on the proposed 17-unit condo development on King Street.

While it was informative to understand what the planning department is thinking and recommending these days, I couldn’t help but wonder why we need a planning department at all.

This report could have been just as easily written by the developer.

If the focus of our council is to save money, then why not start with eliminating most of the planning department.

A few administrators to simply rubber stamp applications with whatever a developer wants would suffice. And why have an official plan – if every amendment application is simply allowed?

While I appreciate the council making this report public, it confirms my worst fears that the current administration and possibly some of our elected officials are simply here to facilitate the hollowing out of our official plan (and therefore our town and neighbourhoods) by using the provincial policy statements as the elephant in the room.

Judy McLeod
NOTL