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Vol.16 No. 2
Pelham’s independent news source from the Heart of Niagara
The
VOICE
Cover Girl Page 6
March Break Fun Page 7
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Sports Pages 8 & 9
Decade long work on East Secondary plan over BY SARAH MURRELL VOICE Staff After more than a decade of work, meetings, public input, consultations, and planning the Town’s Secondary Plan for the East Fonthill area may be very near to completion. “It’s been a tremendous voyage,” said Ron Palmer, the consultant working on the plan since April of 2001. In a presentation to council on Monday, March 19 Palmer noted he has worked through several councils, planners and CAOs and now the plan is ready to move on to the next stage. “It is ready to go. It is in the public interest. It is good for the town,” said Palmer, noting the process has been collaborative, transparent and inclusive. With the finalization of the East Fonthill Secondary Plan, which won’t come until council ratifies the approval given to the plan by committee on Monday night and it receives a blessing from Regional Council, council can expect to see applications for development projects, said Palmer. “It is the end of the beginning,” he said, noting the plan
provides a vision and guidance for how the area will be developed and now begins the actual development of the properties, located along Rice Road from Regional Road 20 to Port Robinson Road. After more than 10 years of work, and waiting, the land owners of East Fonthill are happy with the final plan. Mel Iovio, representing Sterling Realty, was at council Monday evening to support the plan and recommend to council approval of the plan. Stephen Kaiser, also speaking on behalf of land owners within the East Fonthill area, said there is “huge potential” here for everyone involved, adding the developers have their sleeves rolled up and are looking forward to working with the town in developing the area. Councillor Peter Papp noted it has been more than a decade since Pelham began working on a plan to guide development in the East Fonthill lands and that many of the people originally involved are no longer at the council table. “Some of us thought we’d never get here,” he said. “There were days we thought we were banging our heads against the wall. We weren’t. We were putting together a legacy.” “We’re about to step
off the curb,” he said, noting approval of the Secondary Plan as well as the overhaul of the town’s Official Plan, mean the plans are about to be put into action. Councillor Gary Acursi said he looks forward to all envisioned in the plan, adding there are some things that could alter the character of the community, but those items are mandated by upper levels of government and Pelham’s work has made the best of the those policies. “It’s an exciting beginning,” he said. “It was a work in progress but also a work in communion,” said Mayor Dave Augustyn, noting now that Pelham has the plan, they can work the plan. Councillor John Durley noted the plan preserves the small town nature of Pelham which is an important feature of our community. All councillors who spoke offered high praise to everyone involved in the development of the plan over the past decade, including Palmer and the town’s director of planning Craig Larmout. “I hope it’s been a labour of love,” Augustyn said to Larmour, noting the planner has been working on this issue since he began employment in Pelham. “Mostly,” quipped
Larmour. The lands in East Fonthill were originally approved for urban expansion in the summer of 2000 by the Ontario Municipal Board. The East Fonthill Secondary Plan was created to provide an overall strategy for development of the lands. The objectives of the plan are focused on development of a well-
designed community that is pedestrian oriented and fosters community interaction; creating a sense of identity and continuity within the community; supporting historic downtown Fonthill; protecting natural heritage features; development that is sensitive to vehicular traffic, transit, cyclists and pedestrians; and logical and cost-
Downtown Fonthill mob If all goes as planned, one local business owner is going to be mobbed this Saturday. It’s part of National Cash Mob Day and Pelham residents are being encouraged to take part. The idea is simple, people are encouraged to go into small, local businesses and spend their money, en masse, to give the business owner a little bit of MAYOR Dave Augustyn and Krysta Pratt, of Studio Twenty, economic stimulus. pull the name of the business that will be “mobbed” in In Pelham, where Fonthill on Saturday. /Special to the Voice the Cash Mob is being Bosse of MyPelham.com, explaining promoted by MyPelham. com, 17 local businesses were the mob will be at the candy store but nominated to be the business mobbed. there are other stores to shop at, places In a draw held Monday, March 19, The to have lunch or grab a coffee, maybe Fonthill Candy Company came out the even a drink. There is no set time for the mob to winner. Pelham residents are encouraged to happen at the store, says Berkhoutstop by the Fonthill Candy Company, Bosse, noting she doesn’t want to located on Pelham Road near the overwhelm store owner Chris Lambert, corner of Regional Rd. 20, and spend but there will be a large number of “mobsters” at the Fonthill Candy their money, on Saturday, March 24. The mob will help businesses grow, Company at about 12:30 p.m. “We hope you will join us on March make people happy, get stuff for themselves, and have a great time doing 24 and know that thousands of other people are doing the same thing as part it. “We really want people to think about of the National Cash Mob Community,” hanging around,” says Cathy Berkhout- says Berkhout-Bosse.
NO HST March 22, 23, 24, 25
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effective phasing of the development. Councillors gave their nod of approval to the plan, voting in favour of a recommendation that calls for staff to prepare the final drafts of the Town of Pelham Official Plan and East Fonthill Secondary Plan for presentation at the next available council meeting for council approval.
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