On Friday, LIMITS (or Land Is More Important Than Sprawl, if you will) held a press conference on the very land that they're trying to protect. They reiterated the need for great environmental assessment and a general reconsideration of the project on the basis of economic necessity and danger to the natural habitat. I couldn't make it out, unfortunately, but the Mercury had a decent article on the matter. Here's the link:http://news.guelphmercury.com/printArticle/446576
Do you want to know what I think? Well, you're reading my blog so I assume that you do, but where's the need for new "sufficient employment lands" as Jim Mairs describes? Take a drive up in the industrial area, the Speedvale/Woodlawn West area, and take notice of all those empty buildings. I would much rather see this area - which is nearly becoming a brownfield dozens of blocks in size - redevelpoed as opposed to creating another wide expanse of brick and mortar. Especially when greenspace is sacrificed for the vaunted need for economic development, and when the area in question is nearly as much a part of Guelph as Cambridge is.
What do you think? Feel free to post.
What do you think? Feel free to post.
Photo By Ryan Pfeiffer of the Guelph Mercury
Thanks for your coverage of this, it's good to see you've been following up. I agree with you 100% that the City has failed to demonstrate the need for it. There are many more factories expected to close in 2009, 175 brownfields in Guelph already, and empty industrial land in numerous places around town. The HCBP is not needed, but desired by developers and City staff who have worked on this for years.
ReplyDeleteHopefully there's enough of a public outcry to stop it, but it sure does seem like a long shot.