By Pepper Parr
April 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Roseland Heights Community Organization (RHCO), announces that two of its members, Anup Ogale, and Gavin Towers have filed an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board against the city’s decision to approve the building of an apartment complex on New Street at Cumberland.
Citizen group appeals city decision to approve apartment project.
The two RHCO members want to ensure that if any development happens in their neighbourhood, it is compatible with the surroundings. Their goal in launching this appeal is to:
- Prevent Maranatha from developing a six (6) storey structure at their New Street location
- Ensure the North East corner of Brock park remains free from such massive development
- Unite the neighbourhood and give all residents a voice through the RHCO.
- Raise awareness that the policy of intensification is leading to significant environmental consequences to the City.
We are proposing to organize a community meeting in the coming few weeks, so all of us can meet in person, and discuss these important issues impacting our area. The RHCO is also working on formalizing its status, which would give it a strong voice to advocate for its members, and raise funds for community efforts. We do need volunteers to assist, with raising awareness and other community efforts, so please email us at info@rhco.ca for more details.
The RHCO is very much the creation of Burlington lawyer Brian Heagle who wrote the delegation made to Council when it approved the project. Heagle arranged for Anup Ogale to read the material.
Arnup managed to mangle many of the facts during the two delegations he made – one gets the sense that he has been made the front man for others.
A date has yet to be set for the OMB hearing.
Background links:
Citizens oppose apartment complex.
Council approves apartment complex on New Street.
What my gut feeling tells me is “Pat” does have a horse in the race, any horse who gets their pocket filled deep with developers’ money. Perhaps Pat is a developer himself. The majority of his posts, after all, refer to development and/or those on Council who support development – at all costs.
Don’t get me wrong… I’ve got nothing against development, as long as it is accomplished for the benefit of the majority, rather than just deepening the pockets of developers and those in the political field who rely on developers’ dollars to strengthen their campaign.
People will naturally fight to keep their neighbourhood as they like it. Our daily world revolves around constant change. Perhaps the majority of us just like to go home at the end of a long day, feel safe, and have the opportunity to stay status-quo for a while. Residents near the airpark – how can they feel safe these days with fear of contamination? Beachway residents – they know that in the future they won’t have a home to come home to. The St. Luke’s precinct residents – they feared, and may still fear, the loss of a quiet and quaint neighbourhood, and have to deal with more traffic gridlock.
So those in the Roseland neighbourhood wish to keep up their fight. So what? It’s their right to do so. It’s called democracy. No, many don’t have the political savvy, or the big business lawyers fighting for them (not like the developers who take their plight to the OMB at every turn) but they are prepared to fight for what they believe in. NIMBYISM isn’t always a bad thing, because many times it’s not just about what may happen in your or my backyard. Many times over-development has a far-reaching effect.
Our beliefs are as strong as our well-being, and if we believe it’s worth saving, then we should also believe it’s worth fighting for.
Pat, I would like to suggest instead of spewing poison against others, put your name on the ballot for the upcoming municipal election. Take your views to the general public, and the majority will make their decision on election day as to what views they believe in.
Proaction speaks louder than reaction!
Name on what ballot? I would rather work at McDonald’s cooking french fries; the pay works out about the same. Actually, Roseland could use some fast food drive-thru restaurants; that could be a proactive idea.
Just watch what happens at this OMB hearing. It will be another embarrassing moment for the high profile political animals in this city, as well as an abuse of our accommodating system.
I just hope the developer turns around with a counter appeal and goes for 8 storeys; that would be really funny.
Why would it be “funny”? I’m not sure I understand. Unfortunately your message is diminished by your anonymity/contempt.
Funny, not necessarily a hahaha type of funny, but, somewhat unusual, different, kind of a holy cow this can actually happen kind of funny. People simply do not understand, and that is why people like Heagle and Meed Ward need to do a better job of educating others.
You forget the “that would be fun to watch that happen”
Not as in strange but…..fun. Really?
Telling.
Yes fun. Watch what happens and you will have fun too.
All land development and planning activity in this city is fun to watch; but maybe not as much fun as watching some council meetings.
Having fun is a good thing. Try it.
You see, if Heagle and Meed Ward tried having fun once in a while, and not being so miserable all the time, and negative, and Nimby like, and grumpy, then others would have fun in the land development and overall community improvement action this almost dead city needs.
The bone to pick comes from these two high profile individuals misleading and misinforming people for purely selfish political gains.
Horses don’t typically run races with donkeys.
Heagle is sending his roseland groupies to get slaughtered at the OMB.
The funny thing at the OMB, is there may be a push to go 8-storeys, not 6. That would be fun to watch that happen.
Or, these blindly led individuals will cancel the day before the OMB hearing just for vengeance and there will be great expenses paid by all. This happens all the time; its a sort of last kick at a dead file by people who have no skin in the game – that’s one of the generous features of the OMB process – one can abuse the system without penalty for doing so.
The Heagle led nimbys may very well be taught a lesson, and come to understand that Roseland is in need of demolition and re-building, unlike other more desirable areas of the city.
Pat, it sounds like you are saying;
‘There will be a slaughter of blindly lead nimbys who live in an area in need of demolition. These groupies may understand, when they are taught a lesson. It will be fun to watch happen.’
A “Cole’s notes” version perhaps, but that is my inference from the comment.
It’s not unusual for people to stick up for their neighbourhood. Beach strip residents, Airpark neighbours and St. Luke’s Precinct residents are recent examples under different circumstances.
There’s a difference between sticking up for your neighbourhood in an intelligent, well informed, responsible, politically free manner, and being a Nimby blindly led by people driven by other motives; like Heagle; like Meed Ward. A Nimby will typically possess selfish and entitlement traits, and resist accepting a more comprehensive and objective understanding of a particular situation.
Your coles notes inference of this particular situation should not be grouped together nor cloud the understanding of what is taking place in other areas; those situations like the Airpark, beachfront, and St. Lukes have their own coles notes.
Watch what happens at this OMB appeal hearing, if in fact the Nimby group attends the session.
The only person out of that Roseland Heights group that should be at this OMB hearing is Heagle. He is a lawyer, and somebody who has strong opinions, and probably someone who can put together a compelling argument for the appeal. But, he won’t attend something that will show him to be a loser in a fight against a reasonable development proposal.
It’s too bad some Nimby members will be put through this stress. This would not happen if they weren’t fueled by the political motivations of the Heagle and Meed Wards.
By the way, Meed Ward was the only council member that voted against another reasonable development in the Pinedale area. That’s another coles notes.
It is evident that you have a bone to pick with Ms. Meed Ward and Mr. Heagle. Your strong comments here, and in previous posts, have made me wonder if you have a horse in the race.
Slaughtered?
Fun?
Taught Lesson…Roseland in need of demolition and re build?
Seriously?