• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Residents of Beeton have every right to be concerned

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In Agencies
Sep 3rd, 2015
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Beeton Woods in undated photo

Letter from Barbara Huson, Beeton

I have read comments about the issue of the Beeton Forest, that it is “private property” and that the Beeton residents’ fight to save the forest is just “emotional”. In many respects the reaction that this is “private property” is also an emotional response. Most of us feel the government has way too much say about what we can and cannot do on our own private property. We can’t just build whatever we want, open whatever business we want, people can’t just grow pot plants, fire guns, race around on motorbikes, drain water wherever it goes or hire amplified bands to play at all night bonfires.

The use of private property is all regulated by government laws.

As concerned as we all are about restrictions on the use of our own property, we are equally concerned about what our neighbours do with their property. I think we all have expectations that there are laws in place to protect us from our neighbour changing the use of their property to something that will affect our property. We know there is a public process in place if our neighbour decides to build an apartment building, a factory, put in a bar or a subdivision.

We only need to look back a few months to see an example of the tremendous power our Municipality has in this regard. In May, people who live on the 14th Line went to a public meeting to tell Town Council they were concerned about the uses being proposed for the lands abutting their homes. When the staff report came back to Council, it said this about the resident’s concerns: “The subject property, as well as the existing residential properties, is designated for future industrial and commercial purposes. In the long term, it is anticipated that as the Town develops in this area, the residential uses will cease and likely land assembly would see a similar pattern of employment type uses on all of the lands.”

Clearly, council plays an enormous role in determining what can happen with our private property. It is too late in the Town’s planning process for the residents of the 14th line to save their homes. We are just now beginning to really see the effects of growth on all our Communities. It’s going to affect all of our lives and we all have the right to have our concerns heard.

In Beeton, a 200 plus acre piece of property abuts our community – its owners (local developers) have already made public their desire to build a 900 home subdivision.

The residents of Beeton have every right to be concerned, at this point, when a series of mistakes by Town of New Tecumseth and County of Simcoe have allowed the developer/land owner, who actually had an open planning application to develop the lands, to be treated as a farmer and circumvent the Town of New Tecumseth’s planning process.

Contrary to what we keep hearing, at NO time during this process have the core group of Beeton residents ever asked for access to trails on the property. It is privately owned property, recently posted with No Trespassing signs. It is the property owner’s right not to allow public access.

The only request by the concerned residents of Beeton are for the actual laws that were supposed to protect this forest be upheld or the appropriate financial compensation for any of its destruction be collected, as called for by the Town’s planning process, at the appropriate time when this land is considered for future development.

Residents of Beeton filed requests under the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to government documents around this issue. What we’ve discovered in reading these documents and following the process is concerning to us. They are too numerous to list in this letter but we would be happy to share with those who are interested.

Personally we also find it troubling that virtually none of our County or Municipal Councillors seem concerned that after all our research we are so troubled by the process. Was our Council not elected to represent us? Why is our media not asking more questions? Is it not concerning that the motion passed by Town of New Tecumseth Council on May 11 requiring Tecumseth Estates or its successor(s) be required to abide by the Tree Compensation By-law prior to the special permit being issued by County of Simcoe was never received for consideration at the Hearing? Is it not concerning that New Tecumseth residents had no representation or vote throughout this process at County?

Why, when the Municipal Act requires that unless Council delegates a decision to staff, it is Council that must make decisions, yet we have seen staff making many decisions independently in this process?

Even the most basic and obvious mistakes surrounding this property have gone overlooked. Open your new Parks and Rec guide to page 26 where you will find a map that identifies a portion of this property as Northwood Park; then drive to the location of the “park” on the map and see the No Trespassing signs as this is private property owned by the above mentioned developer.

If anyone on Council or in the media would like to sit down with a group of us from Beeton, and hear our concerns we would welcome the opportunity. With the help of AWARE Simcoe, we took the first step at seeing accountability brought to this process through the unsuccessful attempt for an interim injunction to prohibit tree clearing until the judicial review in 2016 which only dealt with a couple issues directly impacted by the hearing proposed date and tree clear cutting. There are a number of other issues that we are still concerned about, and will still work towards addressing.

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