To the Editor:
I appreciate your printing Councillor Grace’s excellent rebuttal regarding the CCV development on Port Elgin Beach.
She explained that she is not against the CCV proposal, just this particular design layout. Interested taxpayers should watch her presentation on the webcast (or read on Saugeen Times). Cheryl has been involved in this CCV development since the beginning and she put her heart into her comments.
Councillor Grace also asked several other questions to the meeting facilitator. Only one other councillor made an extended comment, spending most of the time apologizing for his likely decision. On this CCV project, after two years, I would have expected comments from other councillors, all we heard was nothing or next to nothing. Just a vote.
Comments have been made regarding the loss of views of the beach and sunsets. My wife and I live on the Southampton end of the Great Lakes Trail and we feel privileged that we only have a two minute walk to the water’s edge for an unobstructed view of the sunsets.
However, as Councillor Grace mentions in her comments, she believes that the town has some responsibilities to preserve a “public vista”.
Put yourself in the position of those folks presently living on Harbour Street in Port Elgin. Their homes are going to end up by being not much more than the width of the road allowance back from a 10 meter high structure, almost similar in height and length as the Walmart store. They also will have the inconvenience of the noise from commercial sized mechanical equipment which appear to be located on the roof of this new structure. Can it also be assumed that all product deliveries will be be made to the East side of this new building?
Also, as Councillor Grace mentioned in her comments, she hoped that the town was not trying to compete with the Sauble Beach atmosphere, I wonder if it may end up that way.
Allan Murray
Southampton
