Enough Said

Well Gang:

Barring any unforeseen “developments” (pun fully intended) I think it’s pretty safe to say “The Preliminaries” are over!

With a clear majority of Council in favour of the existing “Crystal Beach Gateway Project”, it certainly appears they will make their commitment official, sometime in March, with the rezoning ruling.

Whether you support the existing plan or not, I think we can agree that “next up” would be O.M.B. hearings ?

While I currently don’t have any involvement or “special insight”  in any such action, like you, I do know that some organizations and individuals, have in fact, started in that direction. Frankly, some of you reading this, more likely than not, possess more knowledge on the matter than I so my commenting on either the concept or mechanics of the issue would be ridiculous.

There are  a couple of instances when I KNOW  I should keep my mouth shut.

1)  When I don’t know what I’m talking about.
2) When I do know what I’m talking about but it simply will not make a difference.

A check of these particular criteria has led me to conclude that it’s time to shut this “bad boy” down.

After witnessing Monday night’s shameless display of disrespect, dysfunction and deceit and working on the assumption that the Bay Beach issue will in fact go to the O.M.B. (and yes it is an assumption)

I suspect attitudes, positions, and arguments, will become much, much more extreme. So much so that managing a reasonably “open & friendly” forum like this one will become impossible (at least for me).

Conversely, contemplating the possibility that the issue, as it stands, does NOT go before the O.M.B. leads me to consider that perhaps I’ve made a very serious error in the selection of where my wife and I would eventually retire to.

As they say…”live and learn”

To those of you who have read the comments on this weblog…

I THANK YOU for your time !!!

To those who have contributed …

I THANK YOU for your words !!!

Sincerely,

John

 

To plan for the future, one must understand the past

While I’ve been “hammering away” at the members of the current administration, who  support the proposed “Molinaro Plan”, it dawned on me that my focus has been a bit too narrow.

I think we all can agree that the current state of The Bay Beach Property is unacceptable and it’s status has been allowed to remain in “Limbo” for far to long. We could argue “til the cows come home” as to why this is the case (and we probably will), but for now, I would like to point out some of the things that, I believe, allowed this “non-action” to perpetuate.

First and foremost.

When people like myself, whom are so passionate about seeing an open, green space, public park on the non-beach portion of the property, sit on their “best intentions” and wait for someone else to deliver what WE want to see happen on the site…..well we’re just asking for trouble!

After the 2005 Neighbourhood Study was adopted as “The Guide” for improvement/development at Bay Beach, many of us, myself included, gave slightly more than lip service to achieving anything of substance. The only exceptions that I can think of are when The Friends of Crystal Beach worked with the Town to obtain a grant that enabled some landscaping at the beach’s main entrance and of course when the “pay and display” parking was introduced.

I, like many, fell into a complacency based on something like “as long as there in no discussion in Council about Bay Beach then everything is just peachy”.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

I could kick myself in the “best intentions” and I have NOBODY to blame but myself for being so stupid!

Having started this blog with the

“you have to wonder how we wound up where we now stand"?

It finally sunk in.

In my humble opinion, while folks like me walked around in “Lalaland”, others whom had a different vision for specific portions of the Bay Beach property, made plans to see it become a reality. Working diligently and with a great deal of patience, seeing no real effort from others, these folks sought out to find the “best available” to achieve what THEY saw as the best option for Fort Erie. While it included elements of the “ option most favoured by participants” in the Neighbourhood Plan, their plan also added a privately owned, 12 story condo (or two) to be “integrated” into the property.

As you read this a well developed plan exists and is currently being executed to achieve the above.

Speaking for myself, I have a new found respect for “The Pros”. While I was running around wearing a funny hat, helping out with silly community parades and such, THEY were doing what needed to be done to make SURE… “Their Focus was Our Future”.

Yeah, you have to give credit where credit is do.

Thanks for your comments,

John

In response to Mr. Prestie’s letter in Saturday’s (12.19.2009) Fort Erie Time’s.

Sir.
While you state “you try to understand”  those of us opposed to the Molinaro Plan for Bay Beach, you seem to do so with some rather negative and preconceived notions about your fellow residents. Proclaiming  we  “…could care less about progress…” nor share in the excitement about Crystal Beach’s future, seems to follow a standard “script” for those writing in support of the Bay Beach project.
 
According to you, our motivation is based in an effort “…to hurt Crystal Beach in it’s golden moment to move forward…”.
 
That is simply ridiculous.
 
Despite your insulting and baseless statements, about fellow residents in opposition to the project, you claim we are the one’s engaged in attacking people.
Frankly sir, that seems to be a contradiction.
 
I do agree with your assessment, in regards to our being motivated by fear, though it’s not the result of the miserable existence you suggest we all share.
What we fear is the transfer of a significant portion of a publicly owned, waterfront park  to a private developer.
 
Respectfully,  I suggest you reconsider your position that those of us choosing to express our view by posting a “yellow sign” in front of our homes are some kind of “lesser citizen”.
 
Need I remind you of the number of those signs?
 
Finally, I also share your hope that Council keeps it’s focus on a brighter future.
A future that is influenced not only by the requirements of the private sector, but by the wishes of the residents of Fort Erie.
 
John McCarthy
Crystal Beach