On behalf of the BCO, please consider becoming part of the proposed Committee. Your help is needed.
Spring is sprung, ORB is in orbit, and its now or never that Belfountain residents must decide how to meet ORBâs plan to increase the population of our hamlet by 50%+, thus potentially putting the water supply of every resident at risk.
On the evening of January 16, an unprecedented turnout of approx. 150 local residents flooded the Community Hall to voice their opposition to the proposed 77 or so-house development on 174 acres encircling the southern flank of Belfountain from Mississauga Road to Shawâs Creek Road.At the annual general meeting of the BCO on Wednesday evening last week, the proposed development triggered impassioned discussion among a much smaller crowd in attendance. Councillors Richard Paterak and Doug Beffort were among those at the meeting. They emphasized that ORB has the right to develop its property mostly because it falls within the village boundary.One hotly debated option was the purchase of the ORB property by concerned citizens. But we project ORB might net some $20 million from the development, an impossible price to pay.It was decided that a committee must be struck to focus exclusively on dealing with ORBâs plan.
Belfountain residentâs virtually unanimous opposition to the ORB proposal is divided into two campsâthose who want to stop even one house going in, and those who believe Belfountain (the BCO), with the Niagara Escarpment Commission and the Town of Caledon, will have to negotiate a reduced total of housing lots. The latter group advocating compromise varies between targets of 20 to 40 houses. It is hoped that the committee to be formed will be representative of both groups. The best chance for the complete abolition of the proposed development almost certainly relies on water issues. Under an approved development application the Region of Peel sanctions the development permit and Peel becomes responsible if wells dry up anywhere in the Hamletâa risk carrying tremendous expense. Region of Peel water officials will be following this very closely. So, one of the first tasks of the Committee will be to research the water issue.
A second early task for the Committee will be the reviewing of the documentation from the 1990âs Joint Board hearing on the original proposed development. Those historical papers are currently stored at Wade Dometâs home. David Jobe, V-P of the BCO, will be sending everyone access to a copy of the Boardâs ruling on the hearingâa hearing for which the then BCPO raised and disbursed some $150,000.
Accordingly, this notice is a cry for help. We need people to join Grecia Mayers on this Committee. Such a commitment will require some of your time over the next couple of years, but will be rewarding in that you made a difference. If you are interested, please phone Grecia at 519-927-3204 or e-mail her at inkarri28@yahoo.ca. Up to the present, the BCO has served as a conduit of actions and reports from the developer and from The Town of Caledon, the Region of Peel and the Niagara Escarpment Commission. It is time now for Belfountain residents to take action!! Looking forward to hearing from you.