Growth questions remain

The following letter, to Councillor Richard Whitehead, was submitted to the Citizen.

Richard, thanks for the note you sent along. You didn't mention a few other facts:

1. You were on council when many of the present problems we are facing in Bolton grew. Therefore, you cannot explain the present situation entirely by saying that the Province of Ontario or as some suggest, the Ontario Municipal Board, didn't do their job in the past to ensure planned and properly staged development so that infrastructure would be constructed to handle the crazy, unplanned development.

Nor can you say the present exercise is only due to the provincial government's efforts to control growth. In other words, you were/are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

2. Why was the information you provided only prepared now? Isn't it only available now because many people in and around Bolton and Wildfield realize that processes are happening without their real involvement? Many feel that some opportunities were provided for input but that input doesn't seem to matter to some people on council.

3. The trinodal concept of the Town of Caledon is an exercise in fantasy. Why? Because the projected future development mainly focuses on Bolton just as in the past.

4. If things were done in the past/present in an effective and democratic manner, how do we explain the misinformation, confusion and anger we now see.

5. In February 2005, a staff member from the planning department of the Town of Caledon attended a BRAG meeting to inform the participants of the Town's South Albion- Bolton planning project. The boundaries that he said were the focus of the study were Mayfield on the south, Castlederg to the north, the Albion-King Townline on the east and Coleraine on the west. Interesting, eh?

When and why did the boundaries change since the present discussion involves bigger and different boundaries?

In May 2006 when I asked this question at a public meeting in the round table session at the Wellness Centre attended by the mayor and all councillors, I didn't get a response.

In my view, the present situation calls for a fundamental examination of the Town's trinodal concept within the legal framework that the province of Ontario has established. A huge community of approximately 27,000 on Bolton's southwest border will do absolutely nothing to alleviate Bolton's current challenges. As a matter of fact, it will most likely make those problems much worse.

And as far as the 427 extension north from Highway 7, council's position is the extension should go to Highway 9, not Mayfield Road.

What may be good for business interests here in Bolton and north Brampton won't solve our present community challenges.

Finally, your response does not give dollar figures to explain how our present property tax imbalance will be solved, an imbalance that sees homeowners paying approximately 77% of the total Town property tax base. That imbalance is totally ridiculous and unacceptable.

I would also like to remind you that in your campaign literature last year, you called for a tax decrease, among other things.

Joe Grogan

Bolton