Ex-ski property group gets lift from council
By SARA ROSS, QMI AGENCY Feb 3 2011
ORO-MEDONTE TWP. — Oro-Medonte Township council has agreed to facilitate partnerships to help the Arts, Minds, Body and Spirit group purchase the former Pine Ridge Ski Club.
“The intention of the motion was that we would assist that group to purchase,” Oro-Medonte Township Mayor Harry Hughes said Wednesday.
John Thornton, chair of Arts, Minds, Body and Spirit, says his non-profit group was hoping the township would foot the bill.
“What we wanted was for them to purchase it. Obviously, from what they’re saying, they’re not willing to go that far.”
The property is currently listed at $750,000.
Arts, Minds, Body and Spirit believes the former ski club off Pine Ridge Trail, between lines 3 and 4, would be an ideal location for a community centre for all residents of Oro-Medonte.
The group plans to hold art events, as well as indoor recreational activities.
“It really covers the whole gamut of activity other than outdoor activity, which we have plenty of in Horseshoe,” Thornton said. “That’s all covered by other (facilities).”
Mike Mills, who lives on Pine Ridge Trail, says he has “extreme concerns” with the amount of traffic the proposed plan could bring to the dead end residential street.
“I don’t want to have to go out and find that my dog, or my child has been hit by some guy driving up from the city to go to a farmers’ market,” Mills said.
Over the past six years, Pine Ridge Trail has become home to many young families.
With no sidewalks or streets lights, increased traffic will cause a danger, Mills said, adding the curving road has several blind spots.
“You cannot properly see people coming at you, or what you are going towards.”
Mills and several other Pine Ridge Trail residents voiced their concerns to council on Wednesday.
“We just want to make sure that we keep our street as safe as possible.”
Thornton says his group is well aware of the safety concerns.
“We have to resolve that. I do have solutions for it and I have shared those solutions with council.”
A possibility could be constructing a new road to the site, Thornton said.
Mills counters that resolution won’t happen immediately.
“That could take years. In the meantime all of the traffic is … going to be coming down a dead end street.”
Hughes says the township is accepting all public input and will be sitting down with Arts, Minds, Body and Spirit to discuss a partnership contribution that the Oro-Medonte can make.
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