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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1973-12-13, Page 19C- 4d/,.5-NES- rtiV? SW.E. GO)4( 40a1/- HoZ/PAY grA5"014 7-ADE-VW? fJN stehwic' OF Tom' 04(7-04/9/0 PR_OVIIK/111,,, e04/c6 t 1Y AF/ keE,ofiv6. AL EST /A( 77?PF7C you CAN ,e/h-z 0 YoCoesZIF AND 0 -7-7-4EWS /e/4 VE /9 •//1/0/7 y A. s",qr ,c" neoP/s--7-mi9s" CANADA 1973 the gentle touch of reassurance that says you chose the right gift at the right place THE SHOPPE GODERICH f$:1,,erdee/#9‘yzw- /Wieoite/4-aid OPEN THURS. & NOTE 'tit 9 DURING DEC & ALL DAY WEDNESDAY CLINTON NEWS,RBC013.P. MURK) Y, DgcglYMER 4973-44 hit, an the carpet Goderich plazas debate topic Members of the Ontario gislatttre heard a sometimes listering debate on the ituation which has been reated in the Goderich- oderich Township area by the ossible development of two hopping malls. While area councils attemp- ed to sort out the problems Mich arise when a unicipality not encumbered y the planning process is in onflict with a muncipality ollowing strict planning rocedures - and resorted at roes to bitter argument - Hon. ohn White was bombarded in the Legislature with questions from Bob Nixon, Liberal Leader, and Jack Riddell, Liberal MPP for Huron. The following is an exact transcript of that debate November 30 at Queen's Park; Mr, R.F. Nixon: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Treasurer to describe to the House the circumstances under which he imposed a ministerial order on Goderich township yesterday at 5 o'clock in the af- ternoon, which was just four hours too late to stop the issuing of a building permit for a shopping plaza that goes against the official plan accep- ted and approved in the area, Hon. J. White (Treasurer, Minister of Economics and In- tergovernmental Affairs): For some time a business enterprise has been working with the town of Goderich to establish a shop- ping plaza within the framework pf the town of Goderich's official plan and zoning bylaws. It has taken them many months—in fact, I think two or three years—to satisfy all of the requirements' of the town. Final approval apparently is about to be given to that development. Very recently another business enterprise moved quickly into an ad- joining township where there are no such plans or zoning requirements. Mr. R.F. Nixon: What is the name of that enterprise? Hon. Mr. White: I'm sorry, I don't know offhand, Mr, R.F, Nixon: Not Multi- Malls? Hon, Mr. White: I'm sorry, I don't know. In the absence of such controls it succeeded in getting almost immediate ap- proval from the council concer- ned. This, in my view, ww, inappropriate. So immediately on learning of these develop- ments I issued the ministerial orders on two adjoining town- ships. The documents . :. were prepared within an hour or so and were rushed down"Po the registry office yesterday. It's only now that I learn it was, if I understood the question properly, too late. I'll check this and, if the Leader of the Opposition wishes, perhaps I could give an answer before the question period is over. Oh, I've got a note here now, The order is meant to be effective for all the day it was lodged. So armorer), tly we've headed them off at the pass, Mr, V.M. Singer (Down, sview): That's as good as the dates on the government's cheques. Mr, R,F, Nixon: Is the Treasurer aware that precisely the same procedures were followed in Chatham township and in the township just around Woodstock—Bland- ford; that the impact of the ministerial order was contested in the courts; that the courts found that it was effective only from the time at which it was registered; and that the con- struction in Blandford town- ship is going forward on the basis of those findings? This is the third successive instance when the planning procedures in the area have been circumvented without the chief planner's knowledge and against his express desires. Is there any way in which the chief planner, who in this case is the Treasurer, can in fact be better informed and use his un- doubted powers to the better advantage of the communities concerned? Hon. Mr. White: Well, sir, if , there were a way, I'd like to know about it, There are 900 municipalities and there are 120,000 corporations, so I can tell the member we head off most of them. Mr. J, Riddell (1-turon): A supplementary, Mr. Speaker, of the Treasurer: Is it not true that he or some member of his staff was requested to put a freeze on commercial develop- ment in the townships of Goderich and Colborne in the county of Huron yesterday mor- ning at about 10 o'clock, but that he delayed action until 5 o'clock and in the meantime the township of Goderich issued a building permit for a shopping plaza at about 12 o'clock noon? Why would he delay action and give the town- ship of Goderich an oppor, tunity to issue this building permit? Mr. Deans: That's what one calls "in other words." Hon. Mr. White; I think I've explained this. We moved im- mediately on receiving the news. We prepared the documentation as quickly as we could; we registered it as soon as we could and the order was .intentled to cover all day, We will once again defend our position. Mr, Lewis: By way of $np- plernentary, I am not preten- ding to be adequately informed on it but surely there must be a way around this kind of situation? Surely there must be a way of amending existing planning legislation which would require advance notification to the chief planner before this haphazard issuance of the building permit took ef- fect. Is there not some way of at least requiring notification so that we don't find ourselves in this really quite absurd dilemma on a succession of oc- casions? Hon. Mr, White: Mr, Speaker,' as I said earlier I am open minded; if there is a way I'd like to know what it is. But to require that every building permit be given some kind of imprimatur here before the building goes ahead would cer- tainly delay everything. Mr. . Lewis: Not every building permit, no; I agree, A shopping centre is something different. Mr. B.F. Nixon: A further supplementary with your per- mission, Mr. Speaker. When, in fact, there is an of- ficial plan covering the area, either draft and waiting ap, prove' or even fully approved, surely the intent of the com- munity in this regard—the community at large—has to a large extent been circumvented not by the township of Goderich which obviously wants the development in the area but by the minister's inability to see that he's infor- med and to take the correct ac- tion in the broader public in- terest. Is it not true that this is the third occasion when, as far as public knowledge is concer- ned, this identical procedure has been followed—in the first two cases by Multi-Malls Inc, and in this third case by a cor- poration as yet unknown? Hon. Mr. White: Sir, I think it is true that this is the third such case. Once again we will do what we can to prevent this development. I point out to thc, member that we've been suc- cessful in hundreds of instances and point out that there are, I suppose, tens of thousands of such developments which are well controlled. If we have struck out on two I don't think that is too bad an average.