The purpose
to this blog post is not to conduct an autopsy on the issue but to remind Newmarket
residents (and more importantly, voters), what we knew, when we knew it, and
who should be accountable for the mistakes that have been made.
The
following is a summary of my 2013 blog postings on Glenway. Even though you may have read these words
previously, it is my hope that this will help focus the issue of development in
Newmarket going forward.
Glenway isn’t
the end of development in Newmarket.
Sadly it is just the beginning and that is why the October 2014
municipal election will be a battle for the very soul of our community.
January 2013
In January
2013, the Provincial Liberals were going through a leadership race and I was
imploring the prominent Liberals on Newmarket Council and the GPA to make the
Places to Grow Act an issue for potential candidates.
Of course,
the record shows that none of Newmarket-Aurora Ontario Liberals (including board
members and past candidates) who currently sit on Council or who occupy a
position in leadership of the GPA heeded my advice.
Current PC
candidate Jane Twinney told residents on Monday that she now had ammunition to
take to Queen’s Park but that statement is akin to closing the bard door after
the horse bolted. Why didn’t Chris
Emanuel, John Taylor, Christina Bisianz and others sit on their hands during a
leadership race where the eventual winner would be named Premier?
Notable
Quotes
My January
2013 blog post raised a number of important issues. Here are a few:
“the people
responsible for helping to elect the bozos that created the mess that Newmarket
is in have managed to infiltrate into leadership positions of the groups that
are supposed to be fighting these developments.
Huh? How is that supposed to
work?”
“Maybe if
enough prominent local Liberals spoke up against this legislation, the next
premier of Ontario will grant a stay of execution for Newmarket and save us all
the headache that is to come.”
“I felt
sympathy last night for the people who were led to believe that council has
some authority here. All local authority
has been usurped by the Government of Ontario.”
“Last night
was just ‘for show’ because the province’s Planning Act requires it.”
“Councillor
Emanuel doesn’t explain why he favours high-rises to single family homes but I
think if given a choice, most of Newmarket would prefer single family homes to
high rises.”
February 2013
In this
article, I singled out Councillor Twinney for hinting that she supports a
negotiated settlement. I was critical of
the Van Bynen-Taylor-Emanuel ‘all-or-nothing’ approach which set us on a collision course with the OMB. Unfortunately, as the months passed, Twinney
backed away from her position and voted against mediation. (Only Kerwin and Di Muccio supported
mediation in the end).
Notable
Quotes
Here are
some quotes from my February 2013 posting.
“In my
opinion, these gentlemen have squandered too many opportunities for a
negotiated solution to the planned Glenway development. Their failed tactics have put all the chips
on an OMB hearing … and nobody likes our chances at that card table.”
“Councillor
Jane Twinney has posted something on Twitter saying that she supports
developing Glenway but wants the current plan proposed by Marianneville
changed. A reasonable position in my
books.”
“Hopefully
there are other Councillors like Jane Twinney willing to stand up for the
character of our community.”
April 2013
This
posting was critical of MPP Frank Klees, who was behaving like a johnny-come-lately
to the Glenway issue. I called it a cynical
ploy for potential votes.
Notable
Quotes
“I think a
survey of residents asking whether they preferred to be neighbours with a
development of single family homes vs a high rise condominium development like
Slessor Square, would be overwhelmingly in favour of the former. We are a community of single family homes
today. Glenway continues that tradition
but Slessor Square and the Clock Tower do not.”
“Mr. Klees
can’t be allowed to walk on the Glenway scene after being silent on Slessor
Square.”
May 2013
The Town of
Newmarket held a meeting at the Ray Twinney Complex on May 13th. I commented on the details of the meeting focusing
on evidence that Glenway residents had been frozen out of the planning
process.
Notable
Quotes
“How
differently might things have gone had Council supported this motion and
included residents from Glenway in the application review process? How ironic that the Councillor whom the
Shrink Slessor Square blogger deigns to reference as ‘persona non grata’ and ‘acidic’
was the only one who wanted to actually involve Glenway residents in this
process?”
“Glenway
Preservation Association members only need to consider the weak position that
the Shrink Slessor Square group had with Council and notice the similarities in
the Slessor group’s leadership with exactly the same connections to these
Council members.”
October 2013
In this
post, I was advising residents of Newmarket to use the Glenway issue to decide
the outcome of the next election. The
facts are disturbing: no explanations
about why high rises are “good”; lack of openness and transparency; bungling
negotiations with the developer; and so on.
In one of
the quotes below, I single out people who are affiliated with Yonge/ Davis car
dealers as flawed candidates for council due to their interests in
development. This was written months
before Ward 6 candidate, Kelly Broome Kelly announced her candidacy.
Notable
Quotes
“the Places
to Grow Act can’t be used as an excuse to sell the Town of Newmarket out to the
highest bidder. We need to recognize
that there are properties that should be preserved for future generations to
enjoy.”
“These same
council members who were once rallying to fight at the OMB are now quietly
admitting that this route is a fool’s errand.
Yet council members orchestrated the events that gave the developer the
right to make the OMB appeal by delaying their decision on the Marianneville
plan to November 25, 2013, months after the deadline has passed. Why?”
“I am
looking to elect people who have no established alliances with special
interests: including friends and family of current/past council members’ and
certainly no one affiliated with any of the Yong/Davis car dealerships (who are
keenly interested in selling their lands to high rise developers).”
“The reason
why political parties are discouraged at the municipal level is to encourage
members to reach across the table to compromise. We’ve seen this term the brutal effects “bloc
voting” can have.”
November 2013
I wrote
about my disappointment that Council voted unanimously against Ruth Victor’s
recommendations to negotiate with the Marianeville developer.
Notable
Quotes
“I have often
heard council members speak about the need to allow Newmarket to control
development, yet I have never heard any explanation why the highrise
residential towers are preferred by this council.”
“It doesn’t
go unnoticed that the developers who build single family homes sell out their
inventories within days while lots approved for high rrise condos remain barren
and desolate for a decade or longer.
Families moving to Newmarket overwhelmingly choose houses over apartment
style residences.”“Anyone who plays poker knows the differences between winning and losing is knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. Glenway residents have been dealt a bad hand. The best course of action would be to negotiate and see if you can’t get your parks, school, and reduced size for the condo tower.”
“There will be no honour in losing this high stakes game at the OMB.”
December 2013
In an article
entitled Icebergs Ahead , I spoke
about the disastrous December 10 Glenway pre-hearing on evidence admissibility.
Notable
Quotes
“Don’t be
fooled by the attempt at positive spin around the right to argue the principle
of development. The Town of Newmarket
lawyer will need a miracle to make that argument stick.”
“I don’t
see a silver lining in yesterday’s meeting.
Maybe those who think they do see one were confused by the tinsel
hanging with the Christmas decorations.”
“There are
icebergs ahead and now is not the time for politicians like John Taylor and
Chris Emanuel to downplay the significance of the evidential ruling.”
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