Letter to the Editor:
On January 6, 2022, the CCV design pictures [set forth below] were finally disclosed for the first time to the Public for meaningful review and comment in the CCV process! These pictures depict what the Cedar Crescent “Village” [CCV] is going to look like. While a picture is worth a 1,000 words, these pictures collectively can be summed up in a mere 10 words: “This is the way to destroy our legendary Public Beach!” – and the following Top 10 reasons:
For larger view, Click on Image
1. How did we get to this point, when all we wanted was a restaurant?
2. The photos establish that we can now look forward to a Cedar Crescent “Village” comprised of 3 strip-malls connected and assembled together, necessary for the “Village” moniker provided by the proponent. In other words, the development is nothing more than “a mall” covering a massive amount of our Public Beach.
3. The photos below show a hodgepodge of differently designed buildings massively covering our Beach in scope and height, and thereby obliterating our heretofore unobstructed views of our neighbourhoods, our Beach, our Harbour, our Lake, and our World Famous Sunsets!!!
4. And the initial overwhelmingly requested restaurant is only a very small part of the entire massive mall. And the entire design is totally different and new, on top of a new location then the one we all have been reviewing for the past 3 years. Yet, council and our CAO are steadfast that they do not want to hear one word from the “massive opposition” of “The Inconvenient Public”! Probably because all of this should have been finalized long before the obvious premature signing of the unprecedented 50 year lease that binds the Town and council, i.e. the Taxpayers and residents of Saugeen Shores! Beyond the pale!
5. One can only imagine the memories that families, friends, and visitors will have after they visit the new mall with countless retail stores in addition to the restaurant. Think of all the stories told over and over about attending the retail establishments at our new mall on a beautiful summer day at our legendary Beach! I wonder if the new strip-mall memories and stories will rival the spectacular memories we all have of riding our now forever banished Steam Train and playing mini-golf!
6. Each one of us can find out what kind of view you will have with the new massive mall on the Beach by merely driving into Port Elgin’s Giant Tiger parking lot at sunset. Park your car and look west. You will be delighted to see that the great benefit with the obliterated view is you will not have to deal with that irritating bright sunlight as the sun submerges into Lake Huron. And do not forget that while all the strip-malls in our Town are only 1 story buildings for both retail and restaurants, our council and cao have determined on behalf of all of us that 2-story buildings are the new normal for Beach malls – and despite “massive opposition” (82% and 95%) in 2-Public Surveys [one conducted by the Town itself]!!!
7. Our council has simply ignored countless requests for Town Hall meetings related to the CCV process. The 13,711 residents of Saugeen Shores just want to be meaningfully included. The proponent said as much in his initial presentation to the Public some 3 years ago. That is the last time “The Inconvenient Public” was welcomed and meaningfully included in the CCV process.
8. Inexplicably, out of the blue just a couple of days ago, our mayor concluded that there would be no Town Hall meetings!
John Mann
