October 25, 2007

Mary Ellen Kaye
The Hamilton Spectator
Brantford
(Oct 25, 2007)

Re: ‘Keep it scenic, Mountain residents tell condominium developer’ (Oct. 22)

We have the same issue in Brantford. Beautifully treed lots are being converted to apartment complexes right along the Grand River. The developer promises to put gardens on top of the buildings to convince people that green space is not being lost. Gardens on top of a highrise do not compensate for trees on the ground. Must we go up in an airplane to enjoy the landscape?

Gardens on top of a building are what we do when we are already stuck with the building. Open green spaces in an urban setting should be maintained for the good of the community. City councils in Ontario need to stop issuing building permits recklessly. It appears they are oblivious to the fact that eliminating more treed, open spaces will only work to further deteriorate the already poor air quality. Trees work against pollution. Why eliminate them? Reforestation should be on every city council’s agenda.

There is not enough money in the bank to justify removing yet more treed, open spaces within a city. Like Hamilton, Brantford has many developed lots that are places of vacant businesses, old storefronts, bellied-up bingo parlours and stores that have relocated elsewhere in the city. These lands haven’t been used for many years. Why not redevelop those spaces first? A large asphalted parking lot is the perfect place for these wall-to-wall cement development ideas.

My advice: Don’t negotiate for fewer floors on the condominiums. Once you say yes to a building, no matter how many floors it has, you have lost your forest. You will have lost your scenic route. The city should tell them to build elsewhere.