HawthorneVillager.com

The MP is Michael Chong, correct?
What's the message in response to?

Is he living in highrise condo?
If not, he must be relocated at his own expense.



Mister C talks too much about Canadians.
Does he know what most common house type for single family in Canada is detached home?

Seems that most posters (me included) on this forum want their own little piece of property (backyard for the kids, front yard for a nice garden...) but also are concerned about urban sprawl. Clearly we can't have it both ways (everyone gets their own piece of land but we don't pave over nature). If population continues to grow (and it will) and that growing population wants (and gets) their own house on an urban lot then we will continue to see urban sprawl.

To stop this all of us need to change our expectations, meaning denser housing for a growing percentage of the population and acceptance that this housing will be in our neighbourhoods. Possibly in our own backyards! This means that some (and it would be a growing some) would have to find a way to be happy living in higher density housing and others would have to be happy with high density close by.

I don't think the presence of high density housing necessarily effects the value of properties. What enhances property value is desirability and it is very possible to build desirable high density housing.

Milton council and town planners need to provide more than just guidelines for development, we need strong and enforced rules. Let's look into what has worked elsewhere and copy that and what hasn't and avoid that. Let's research and evaluate the latest thinking on urban development and apply it to growth in Milton. It's one thing to put nice objectives into a survey document but whatever plan for the area is built needs to be challenged on how it will actually meet the stated objectives. Previous survey documents for already developed and currently under development areas of Milton all had fine objectives stated in them. Where these objectives met? Some would suggest they weren't so what went wrong? Having only guidelines, that's what. The current Boyne Survey has all kinds of nice objectives stated in it but will the resulting plans actually meet the objectives? Not if all we have are guidelines!

Urban planning is hard work and much more than just hiring a consultant to create a survey document then rubber stamping a developers plans because they "meet the guidelines".

I sense a strong desire amongst council candidates to actually get involved in how development progresses in Milton and I as mayor would encourage critical thinking, strong debate and informed decision making on all matters, including growth related.

Gerry Marsh
Candidate for Mayor