This letter is being sent by my wife and me, who have been longtime residents of the Festival area.
We have seen many changes in the area of the Festival Theatre over the years. In spite of the Festival with its extended seasons, the area has retained its quiet, unruffled atmosphere.
Let us say from the start, that we are 100 per cent behind the Performing Arts Lodge and support them wherever we can. It seems that the “developers” (of a condo proposal on Water Street) are using PAL as a “front” or “pawn.” We feel that this is an unfortunate situation to put PAL into – shame!!! (As a note of interest to all of Stratford – there is a PAL fundraiser concert at the Avon Theatre at 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6. Let’s all get out to support this worthy cause.)
As a note of interest, to our friends in Stratford, prior to the Avon Maitland School Board’s administrative office move from Stratford, the then-administrator called a meeting of the neighbours to discuss the proposed sale of the building and its future use. The neighbours agreed to the longtime existing special zoned use as office space on a 9 to 5 daily basis. Our voices were ignored and the building was sold to be a residential school. The meeting was in vain!
When the current owner of 210 Water St. applied for a zone change to allow a 24/7/365 residential school, the neighbours objected as did the city council and eventually the OMB agreed that there should be NO zone change.
Recently, in meetings, the “would-be developers” and in an editorial in the Beacon Herald, the same comment is used and I quote from the last sentence of the half page editorial titled “Another White Elephant?” which states: “We wonder just what use the neighbours would find acceptable.”
In answer, we say we find the zoning as it is, is quite acceptable; that is, offices for doctors, lawyers, real estate, dentists, insurance agents, etc. or basically a 9 to 5 type of office similar to what has been in the building prior to the purchase by the present owner.
We also wish to add comments about retirement residences in former schools. In Stratford some older schools have been closed. When young couples purchase homes in any neighbourhood they do so in proximity of schools that their children could attend. In that circumstance the property owner knows about the noise and traffic that a school yard produces.
The “would-be developers” are saying that the neighbours in the area of the retirement home in a former school property are quite pleased with the present lack of noise and traffic and with that point we would agree. Since the former school had setbacks from roads, a big yard and usually some parking as well. The buildings were large and substantially built and could be easily converted to their current usage. The 210 Water St. property does not fall into this category.
At a recent meeting of “would-be developers” the neighbours have been told that the 1950s’ addition to the rear of the Trow House (Mansion) would be demolished and replaced with a three-storey addition which would cover the property down to Ballantyne Avenue, with the roofline at the same elevation as the roofline of the existing mansion roof. With the slope of the land down to Ballantyne Avenue this would mean about five stories of building fronting on Ballantyne! This addition would house between 74 and 120 units plus 12 to 13 for PAL in the original house.
A proposed building of this size would also require industrial grade heating, air conditioning, kitchen equipment, electrical, water services and sewage, as well as back-up power supply. The daily trucks to service food, garbage, snow removal, etc., not to forget parking for staff and visitors as well as service vehicles would certainly add to the traffic on the present narrow streets of Water and Ballantyne.
Do we want THIS adjoining our beautiful parkland and the Festival Theatre area?
WE THINK NOT!
Ross and Barbara Penton
Stratford
