Last week’s Committee of Adjustment meeting, which included a public hearing for a minor variance request submitted by SkyDev for their waterfront ‘Aspen Shores’ development on Boucher Street provided a near textbook example of how the general public can effectively engage in the process of municipal governance.
As someone who has reported on Meaford’s council for the past 17 years, I can tell you that Committee of Adjustment meetings are typically not overly exciting, and the meetings are often quick and efficient. But every now and then the council chamber fills up with residents for a Committee of Adjustment meeting, as it did last week for the committee’s public hearing for SkyDev’s minor variance request, and those residents did a fine job of offering their opinions and concerns while respecting the process, as well as the people who serve on the committee, and the municipal staff who prepared the report for the committee.
The residents who attended the meeting and took the opportunity to speak to the committee during the public portion of the meeting last week, did so respectfully; there was no yelling, no name calling, there were no fists pounding on podiums, and they did so effectively, as they communicated their concerns, stayed on point, and ultimately the committee rejected the minor variance request as those concerned residents hoped that they would.
Far too often over the years I have seen the wrong approach taken when folks disagree with a proposal that is to come before council or the Committee of Adjustment. Some folks arrive at these sorts of meetings already seething with anger, and I think that is often because they don’t understand the process. Often folks I have talked to have considered a proposal to be all but a done deal, when the reality is that the process is in its infancy, and decisions are a long way off.
It must be remembered that any property owner or developer can have all sorts of ideas, and they are entitled to request zoning amendments or minor variances, and council, or the Committee of Adjustment must entertain them. But entertaining a proposal or a request does not equal supporting the request, and over the 35 years that I have sat in council chambers I have frequently seen folks get very worked up about an issue when there is no need to.
I have written several times over the years that few things make me happier than seeing a community jump in and engage in the municipal governance process.
Attending a council or committee meeting and participating in the process is far more effective than simply complaining within a silo on Facebook. You can make much more progress by coming face to face with members of council or a committee, respectfully stating your concerns, and suggesting a course of action to be considered.
At the same time, I have always reminded folks that having your say does not equate to having your way, as there are often many legitimate opinions on an issue, or there is a clear process that must be followed that might not lead to your desired outcome. So while I have always encouraged people to get involved, I am forever a realist, and I try to temper expectations when necessary.
While the minor variance request to increase the height of the three apartment buildings planned for the site was rejected by the committee, as the concerned residents who attended the meeting had hoped, that won’t prevent one of the issues that had many fuming – above ground parking. By eliminating the underground parking for the development, even without adding any additional units, that will mean significantly more asphalt, and much less greenspace on the property, and I’m not so certain that will change. Because, as was noted during last week’s meeting, SkyDev is not bound to their original plan for underground parking, and they do not need permission to change course and bring that parking above ground. So like it or not, even if SkyDev can’t add units by having the fifth floor they were requesting with the minor variance, I believe the parking will remain above ground, and it will be one of the largest parking lots in the urban area of the municipality.
I also like to remind people that when it comes to planning matters, decisions can be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), which SkyDev has done previously with this project, and decisions at the OLT often favour the developer. So even if our local council, or in this case Committee of Adjustment, makes a decision that is favoured by many, it can still be reversed should an appeal occur.
No council or committee should operate within a vacuum. Every council or committee can benefit from hearing from those they are elected or appointed to represent, and I always commend anyone who takes the time and makes the effort to get in front of council to share their views and ideas on an issue, whether I agree with them or not, whether I share their concerns or not. It is important for the process, it is crucial for our collective faith in government, and sometimes such engagement can change minds. Or it can help to change the direction of the community at large.
Another bit of advice I often share with folks who are extremely frustrated when first hearing of a new proposal or initiative, is to take a deep breath, and to save some energy, because the stuff that gets people worked up the most doesn’t happen overnight, it is typically years. Take the pumped storage proposal. We first heard of that proposal more than six years ago, and we haven’t even reached the impact assessment phase yet, though we are apparently close. That assessment will take a few more years, and only then, after nearly a decade, will we know if the project will move forward. Similarly, SkyDev first proposed their plans for their Boucher Street property some five years ago, and the land still sits vacant, and we have not yet reached the site plan approval phase.
So when it comes to these big issues, whether related to planning or any other major initiative, take a moment to collect yourself, and then do some homework, and get involved.
I am thankful that we have such an engaged community, and I was very happy to see the respectful and effective interaction between the community and the Committee of Adjustment. The residents who attended, and particularly those who participated by sharing their opinions, provided a master class of how it should be done.
Stay engaged, Meaford residents, as engaged residents make for better communities.
