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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-04-21, Page 1hat does the season hold? uture of the grandstand and harness racing in Goderich is in doubt this following the condemnation of the grandstand earlier this year. bers of the Goderich Trotting Association met with representatives of ung hopeful n Murphy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herb Murphy, been selected by the National Ballet to attend Ballet mer School in Toronto for the month of July. Upon suggestion of her teacher, Mrs. M. Zablocki of ton, Ellen auditioned at the University of Western rio on April 2. She is one of 75 chosen from over 600 !cants across Canada. During the Summer School, III live in residence and will receive intensive ballet ng towards admission to the National Ballet School ptember. mposium Education ay -long Small Town slum Was well at - at Goderich District ate Institute Tuesday Lessor R. C. Langman of the Geography Ment at Althouse 9f Education, 61" Western presented a most !Wive collection of d figures from early present times in to the development wth of this' part of tern Ontario. the use of an over- ector and dozens of and documented cies, Professor oh traced many of the which had impact on of Ontario through • He managed to not only what had h the past, but why ppened, and he was `edict trends for the ed on patterns set tit history Langman told his He- spoke briefly about of high school "areas of interest" in which students and othi "—persons gravitate naturally interested community residents that citizens of Huron County should expect changes in the years to come - changes brought about by a gradual but definite shift in population away from the densely populated areas in the vicinity of London and Kitchener. He predicted that past and present indications show that -farmland to the south of Huron County as well as to the east of Huron is rapidly becoming urbanized, and he said that as these areas become crowded, people will move to the small towns and rural communities of Huron County and adjacent coun- ties. Professor Longman ,pointed out that if Huron County is to remain essen- tially rural, careful and detailed planning ac- companied by strictly en- forced, planning regulations will have to evolve. ,♦ the Ontario Racing Commission Tuesday night and hoped that by forfeiting their nine dates this year they could be regained the following year with the promise of a new grandstand facility. (staff photo) till in The Goderich Trotting Association may forfeit their nine racing 'dates this year following condemnation of the grandstand in hopes of building a new grandstand and regaining those dates the following year. Members of the trotting association met with representatives of the Ontario Racing Commission in a closed meeting Tuesday night at town hall to discuss alternatives to the situation and the Ontario Commission was looking for a recom- mendation from the Goderich group. Herb Such of the Goderich Association said that following a meeting on Saturday the local group was prepared to forfeit their racing dates this year and regain them next year following the erection of a new- grandstand. He added that the group was prepared to assist in the demolition of the grandstand and do everything possible to erect a new one. Bob Allen, chairman of the town's property committee that has jurisdiction over the grandstand, called a public meeting last Wednesday to discuss the grandstand situation and examine alternatives to building a new one. Steve Blaney of the Kleinfelt Group of London was hired by the town to examine alternatives to the initial engineering report. Blaney explained that the Ontario Racing Commission requested the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations to inspect all grandstands under its jurisdiction in Ontario, An engineering report from the firm of Morrison, Herchfield, Burgess and Higgins Limited of Toronto indicated that the grandstand in Goderich was structurally deficient and that joints did not meet the building code standards. The town then requested that the Kleinfelt group look into the situation and perhaps present alternatives to the costly repairs suggested in the initial engineers report. Blaney explained that following conversations with engineer Jim Knight, that other deficient areas of the grandstand were not even listed in the report. Blaney said 'that by en- tineering stabdards the grandstand was just not safe if people were in it. He sparked some hope among local association members by saying that it could be possible to remove the roof, strengthen the columns and joists at a minimal cost and save racing for this year. He claimed that if the Ontario Racing Association would go along with that plan' then the grandstand could operate this year at a cost of between $9,000 and $15,000: He reiterated that the plan would -- only be a temporary measure for this racing season and that a new grandstand would have to be built for the following year. Allen said that funding was of paramount importance in the matter and that the Goderich association would have to come up with an offer to the Ontario Racing Commission and see how they would help out. He said he had hoped that like Clibton, there • would be enough continued on page 20 Zbe oberirlj .SIGNAL THURSDAY, APRIL 21,1977 STAR SINGLE COPY•25c 1 Finance committee feels byl�wiegal Lowered.o. charges immedi�tely Impost charges in the Town was referring to a -statement of Goderich are reduced this week from $1,000 to $750 per unit in single family semi- detached and row housing developments and from $650 to 5500 per unit for apartment developments. Town council ag, cod Monday evening - not unanimously - that the impost rates should be lowered in accordance with a recom- mendation from the finance comm ittee. Chairman of Finance Bill Clifford was acting as chairman for the evening due to the absence of Mayor Deb Shewfelt, so finance com- mittee member Don Wheeler spoke to the recommendation from the committee. •Wheeler said the com- mittee had taken into account the fact that it costs from *1100 to $1600 for various hookups and fees for a new dwelling, and added that in view of the current "economic situation with held Wee and happily to various communities for goods and services, arid said generally these, areas of interest are in a progression toward a city. His example was residents in Tuckersmith Township who do some trading in Kippen, some in Hensall, still more perhaps in Exeter and for specialty shopping (Christmas perhaps) go to London. -After lunch, the guests at the symposium were offered four panels of four •persons each to hear and to question. Panelists included Fraser Aylforth of The Park House; Gary" Davidson, county planning director; Gerry Ginn, reeve of Goderich township; Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt: Cayley Hill of DRMCO: Goderich Town Councillor Elsa Haydon; PUC manager Dave Rolston; John Hinton, manager of A & P; D,.on Pullen, Agricultural Representative from Huron; John Westbrook, Goderich Township; farmer; Nick Hill, continued on page 20 respect to. this time and place" it was decided it "might be equitable to try and meet with valid ob- jections and reduce impost charges". Councillor Wheeler was, of course, referring to the ob- jections raised by the builders, tradesmen and potential homebuyers in Goderich who had recently signed a petition protesting the "high impost costs which they said was preventing the construction of new dwelling units as .well as the op- portunities to purchase a home. Councillor Wheeler reminded council it was the original intention of the. finance committee when the impost hylaw was passed January 17, 1977 to have a 60 - day waiting period in order to provide some stimulus to the building trade before the new charge was levied. "But council wanted it passed. quickly,"' Wheeler recalled. He went on to recommend that the bylaw should be reviewed from time to time in the future in order that charges can be kept in line with the economic climate and municipal costs. IS IT LEGAL? Councillor John Doherty said- he was concerned with the legality of the bylaw, more than the costs. involved. "If it wasn't legal for $1,000 what makes council think itis legal for $750?" asked Doherty. The report from the finance committee had pointed out that the town solicitor Dan Murphy had advised there is sufficient legislation to pass the bylaw as it was written. He did however, say that it is a question that can only be settled by' the courts in the event that some individual or group would wish to test the bylaw. The report stressed Mr. Murphy's feelings that the impost charge was levied "to help slow down the building boom". "It is the opinion of the finance committee that this is a perfectly legal bylaw," Wheeler told council. "There is no doubt that someone can challenge it, and in that case it would have to be decided by the court. But the committee feels the bylaw would stand up in court". Councillor Elsa Haydon said she would support the motion to reduce the impost charges since it was her belief that it was better "to collect $750 with some goodwill than $1,000 with hard feelings". Councillor Dave, .Gower announced that he was op- posed to the motion. He said he couldn't understand why the reduction was made, stating there was nothing in the finance committee report to convince him that there was a real case for reduction of the impost charge. ."The committee felt there was some justification in accordance with the economic situation in Goderich," Wheeler told Gower again. TOO LATE Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer admitted she was "disappointed" council felt it was necessary to reduce the impost charges, but she in- dicated she would support the motion. "We are 10 years too. late with impost charges in Goderich," she told council. She suggested that if council had Jaen less influenced by real estate brokers and developers in those years, perhaps the impost charges could have' been levied earlier. "1'm in favor, especially if it lessens the possibilities of a court appointment." , said Councillor StanProfit. who by Lawyer Paul Rivers at a recent council meeting that his clients would test the hylaw in court if necessary. "And we don't know yet that it will lessen the possibilities 'of a court ap- pointment," warned Profit. . "The present impost bylaw will be in effect until an, amended bylaw is ap- pro,ved," Councillor Gower asked in a kind of statement. Town Administrator Hal Walls said that in his opinion, the minute the resolution of council was passed to amend the bylaw and lower the impost charges, the new impost rates would be im- mediately in effect. "If someone wanted a permit tomorrow morning, they would pay at the new rate," Walls told Gower. "As far as I'm concerned, the new rates will be in effect tonight". He also suggested that continued on page 20 Distinguished panel at work This panel chaired by Dan „'Ddnnellyy included Goderich Mayor Deb The Geography department of Goderich District Collegiate' ored a Shewfelt; hotel owner, Fraser kyl$worth; Goderich Township Reeve Gerry small town symposium at the school last Tuesday that feat tpred tom' peril Ginn and Huron County Planner, Gary Davidson. (staff photo) groups representing various sectoa of business and ttCy �.