PelhamToday received the following letter to the editor from a reader regarding development in the Niagara region and beyond:
In response to Mr Andrew Watts’ letter of Feb 1, he makes some interesting, albeit inaccurate observations.
The Ford government was elected with an overwhelming majority and by virtue of that mandate there is nothing dictatorial or undemocratic about his recent legislation. He is simply trying to create housing opportunities as he said he would during the election.
Mr Watts is of the opinion that planning staff should simply acquiesce to certain residents wishes, as opposed to being bound by a code of ethics under their professional association. He makes this point based on the fact he believes that it is the residents who pay the planning staff, which should require them to align with residents wishes.
I have some bad news for Mr Watts as it is not the residents who pay the planning staff. The planning and building departments operate on a cost-recovery basis. In short, it is the builders and developers who provide the funding for staff salaries as well as their office expenses up to and including paying rent for the space they occupy in the taxpayers' building. The time the staff spend on the people's work in creating official plans and zoning bylaws is also covered by the development industry, so you as residents get this work for free. You’re welcome.
So, if Mr Watts’ assertion that the payer should dictate the opinions of staff, then is it that same payer which staff should be representing? Fortunately for residents, this isn’t the case.
Planning staff are professionally bound to provide good planning recommendations that are consistent with provincial guidelines and conform to local policies, and that is usually the case. As a resident you have every right to say you don’t like something. However, what you like or don’t like is not always the planner’s responsibility to take into consideration, as you are only one resident and you may well be wrong.
Forgetting the fact that what you have put to paper is mostly incorrect, you seem to feel that your opinions represent the greater community. If that is the case, then run for mayor and initiate those changes. (Mind you, I believe Mr Watts already tried that and lost. Maybe he doesn’t don’t represent everyone’s opinions after all?)
Planners have a very difficult task to balance the needs of all residents as well as adhering to provincial guidelines and municipal policies. Managing all that, when most of the official plans and zoning bylaws in the Niagara region are so out of date that they are no longer consistent with provincial policies, is challenging.
This also requires rezoning for almost all development proposals, no matter how minor they are. These amendments developers seek are to address the fact that the Region’s and municipalities’ policies are outdated. It puts the onus on the developer to bring the local policies into conformity, making them look like the bad guys and increase the challenges for planning staff.
Developers, just like any business person, will not want to make a bad investment. Developers do their due diligence on a property and hire their own planner to see if what they want to do is consistent with provincial policies and conforms to local policies. They know the risks, and don’t invest unless they know there is a good chance they can create a product the public wishes to buy. If there is a roof over your head it got there only because a developer put it there. Again, you're welcome.
Standing on your soapbox criticizing planners and politicians with words like “lazy, hypocrite and secretive” and then in the next breath suggesting that they do what you want, might not be the best approach. Politicians who manage to get elected do so for the betterment of their community. Your planning staff are no different and are members of an honourable profession and take their art very seriously.
Just because this doesn’t align with your wants does not make it wrong. The simple fact that virtually nothing in your letter is factually correct should give you far more pause for concern.
Rainer Hummel
Niagara-on-the-Lake
