Letter to the Editor
Dead Editor,
I feel your wording could have been more clear in your recent editorial.
I think you would find that very few OPPOSE the overall PeopleCare Cook Street project.
Most neighbours to the project have NO opposition to the Phase 1 – the actual much-needed LTC home. If you look at the project plan offered at present you will see the new LTC building is NOT the six storey building. There has also been no real opposition to the Phases 2a & 2b —the townhouse units.
They have expressed CONCERN with phase 3 — the 6-story Seniors Residence – a Seniors apartment/assisted living building. They had hoped to have some ‘discussion’ with community residents, the developer, the Municipality, and PeopleCare to address concerns and possible design changes to this ONE building and its positioning on the site. They hope to find a compromise design solution to their height concerns that would still allow the number of Senior residents to remain the same.
It is not a matter of being ‘for’ a development or ‘against’ a development… it is a matter of finding a compromise SOLUTION that would be satisfactory to the neighbours, the community at large, the Municipality, the developer, and PeopleCare.
Yes, there are many niggles and questions about the overall site… the parking area, the snow removal, fire department access, green space and landscaping, shadowing, night sky, etc. etc. As the project moves through the planning process these niggles can be discussed and addressed and solutions found. Many wish to know what will happen to the present William St. site? There are many many questions concerning this development and residents of the whole Municipality hopefully will soon be offered some very clear answers. Through discussion, negotiation, and compromise solutions to all concerns could be found. This development could be a success for all residents of Municipality… as well as the for-profit sector of this project.
There has also been concern expressed about how many years the whole Cook Street property would remain a ‘construction’ site before full completion of ALL phases… would construction drag on for years?
One solution to such concerns may well be known in the near future. The provincial government has just announced a two-year pilot project dealing with the building/manufacturing of LTC homes. This pilot project will be building two new selected LTC homes in just months instead of years. These buildings will be built/manufactured using ‘modular’ construction. Perhaps a similar construction method incorporating design changes could be used for all phases of the Meaford Cook Street school site….
All developments presented to the community whether by private entities or government agendas are not ‘gifts’… these are not silver bullets… they need not and should not be accepted carte blanche. In today’s NEW world we can no longer cling to the ‘for’ or ‘against’…. or any form of NIMBYism…. the ‘them’ and ‘us’ song has had its day.
Instead… working together as a community… using broad and open discussion, careful due diligence and collaboration… the solutions to ANY development concerns and problems, whether urban or rural, can be found. Welcome to the 21st century.
Regards,
Jane Buchanan, Meaford
