HawthorneVillager.com

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How'd the meeting go last night?

It went as well as it could for a public information session. It sounded like the other folks living in Older Milton were equally opposed to the gas bar rezoning.

KHEW presented some really valid points as to why the gas bar/car wash proposal should not be approved. Thanks KHEW - I hope it helps the Council in its decision.

There will be a couple of other technical meetings in the future. I would encourage peeps on the blog to register for PD 048-011 updates with the Town of Milton (that's the file name for the rezoning application).

I was a little disappointed though...I would have expected those directly impacted by the gas bar/car wash to come out and have their say, i.e. those directly abutting the commercial lot.). It was a little frustrating to see KHEW and I speaking about this concern when there are others who are directly affected...I'm just venting - but speak up guys! You can't complain once it's up... it's not Intracorp's responsibility to tell us - it's ours, regardless. We paid over $500k for our homes, so we better care about what's happening in our neighbourhood...ok, rant is over.

On another note, Colin mentioned that the district park may have hockey rinks or some sort of community centre...this is a little concerning as well, because Milton just expanded the Sports Centre - why we need another community centre is beyond me....Colin, will the council be discussing this, or is this a provincially regulated park issue?

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Thanks.



Can you share what some of the points were? I don't know if this was brought up but I think Colin posted the report (PD-091-09) in another thread showing that there is another proposal for a gas bar at the corner of Tremaine and Derry.



I'd like to register but can't find the info on how to.



I understood that there will be a separate meeting addressing this no?

I am wondering what some of the concerns are for the people that are opposed to the gas bar. I do not have any concerns one way or the other, but think that it would be nice to have a place to grab gas to and from work. I am more concerned about the park space being taken up by a large structure like an arena. I would much rather see it filled with walking paths and green space.

On another note....great progess on the site. I am on lot 27 and my footings have been poured. According to the tarion form they were not even supposed to start construction on the home until mid September.

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Rohit,
That's great we will have toi have you over when we move in. You should put a pool in so I can come over when its hot out!

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Thanks everyone for your excellent presentations last night.

If you still want to register your name and make some comments you can contact the planner responsible for the application Christian Lupis at christian.lupis@milton.ca.

Regarding the uses for the District park it is a local municipal decision after a public meeting sometime in 2012. Here is the current policy for ice surfaces (see page 10)

http://www.milton.ca/execserv/agendas20 ... 0DRAFT.pdf

The Town's estimated population is about 90,000 people now with 6 ice surfaces as of this September with the opening of two new rinks at the Milton Sports centre. Staff are projecting the need for a single rink somewhere in the Sherwood survey in the next 10 years which also might be possibly be located with other facilities in the Milton Education Village.

Will be posting more on this issue after Council approves the 2012 Capital Budget this December.

Colin Best
Local & regional councillor
Chair Milton Administration & Planning committee.

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Become a Fan! Visit my website! Email: colin.best@milton.ca Twitter Follow! 905-878-3623

I am totally against the idea of gas bar and i did send an e-mail to Zeeshan Hamid Councillor for ward 8 before meeting to register my comments/concerns. I will send an e-mail to town planner as well. I watched the meeting over the web though cause couldnt drive to town. Gas bar right next to escarpment within a km range of another one which is going up at derry/tremaine is just insane.

I love town of milton and the area i am moving and would hate to see it ruined with gas bars.

What are some of the concerns? Would love to hear them to judge whether it's something to get behind.

Also, to my understanding this was always commercial zoning, was it limited to retail? Is the thought retail only would be less disturbing?

It was limited to retail and one drive-thru window store. So, zoned for everything BUT gas bar and car wash. The application is to re-zone to add gas bar/car wash, etc.

The points in opposition to it were:
- noise from the car wash impacting lifestyle of homes around it
- traffic congestion from another drive thru like Timmy's
- why put a gas bar here when one will be at Derry and Tremaine.
- why put a gas bar here when one can be put at 401/Tremaine in future
- 500K homes ($7MM in homes directly touching that area. They spent good money for escarpment view & park. Don't mess up area with another gas bar/car wash
- the heritage homes had restrictions on design, but putting a huge gas station notice doesn't really seem fair, and doesn't seem to uphold the escarpment restrictions...

I came to the meeting in favour of the gas bar. I’m still in favour of the gas bar AS LONG AS it can fit in with the rest of the neighbourhood. The SHADY thing was that the developers presented pictures of everything BUT the gas bar and car wash areas…it would have been more beneficial to see that – and that kinda got me thinking.

The argument was that Mr. Durante LIVES in MILTON (one of those huge homes on the new Main Street near the Heathwood development), so he has a vested interest in the gas station looking good…but then – wait a sec – the gas station isn’t facing his home…in fact, it’s on the opposite side of where his house is located…so that suggests a different story.

Hope this helps

Those are some pretty convincing arguments in opposition.

With respect to a "gas bar fitting in with the rest of the neighbourhood", I don't think I've ever seen an example of this and would be curious to see one...provided it exists.

Regarding the argument about the "vested interest in the gas station looking good" is absolute nonsense! I'm quite confident in suggesting that his perspective is dictated by the more money it makes then the better it will look.

And just to be clear, I'm not inherently against it but I think the reasons to support the application should have been presented more towards a service that will benefit the area backed by empirical evidence illustrating how a gas bar down the street from another gas bar is in the best interests of the directly impacted residents, etc., etc.

Yep I hear you...but I think a gas bar can be developed in such a way that it's not an eyesore. As it is now, the gas bar is in the middle of the space, which isn't bad. With the right design, I think it could work.

After the meeting, I spoke to the Urban Planner who designed the space. I asked him if we could:

- restrict the height of the ‘roof’ that usually goes over the gas bars (it’s usually 20/30 feet high)
- change/lower the ‘gas price’ sign, better still remove it } I don’t shop around for gas, I just buy when I need it, so I don’t really care for the sign...

The dumbass answer I got from this planner (who lives downtown Toronto btw) said that the gas stations have control of the design of their signs, etc...so, um...why does the planner get paid??!!

I dunno, Ruben, we’ll just have to see what happens.