The article below is well written and has a great picture of Paula and Linda to boot. I hope you all take the opportunity to read it.
Farm group wants better options for highway
By Tim Murphy, Independent Staff
Mar 04, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
February Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
February 12, 2009
Highway 7 and 8 Corridor Study
On February 6, 2009 the Agricultural Business Communities (ABC) of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West submitted a second Brief to the MTO. The Brief makes 15 recommendations from immediate to long terms directions, including our disapproval of the selection criteria used for the development of the Short List of Corridor Alternatives presented at three Public Information Centers in November and December 2008. The ABC recommends immediate collaboration on the development of the traffic volume numbers that are driving this process as well as the need for paid professional help to municipalities and affected landowners when it comes to the drainage implications of the chosen route. We also recommend a new form of public presentation for future planned events.
The ABC wants the plan to recognize agriculture as a business, protect prime agricultural land (Canada Land Inventory Class 1, 2 3) for the business of agriculture, minimize the impact on agricultural business enterprises, acknowledge and protect our rural heritage and for the MTO to assume financial responsibility for all drainage costs of highway development before and after construction.
The ABC believes the present corridors are based on subjective and questionable data and a weighting system with flagrant biases against the agricultural sector. Information on heritage buildings and landscapes is also biased in favour of the urban environment.
Furthermore, municipal and agricultural drainage and associated costs are missing in the consultant’s list of criteria. The taxpayers will be paying for the road development. Individual taxpayers along the chosen route should not also be asked to carry the financial liability resulting from highway development.
The ABC group formed in the summer of 2008 and works on behalf of over 300 property owners to ensure adequate input into the planning of the Highway 7 and 8 corridor. For More Information please contact:
Linda Dietrich 519-655- 2613 or http://www.hwy7and8.blogspot.com/
February 12, 2009
Highway 7 and 8 Corridor Study
On February 6, 2009 the Agricultural Business Communities (ABC) of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West submitted a second Brief to the MTO. The Brief makes 15 recommendations from immediate to long terms directions, including our disapproval of the selection criteria used for the development of the Short List of Corridor Alternatives presented at three Public Information Centers in November and December 2008. The ABC recommends immediate collaboration on the development of the traffic volume numbers that are driving this process as well as the need for paid professional help to municipalities and affected landowners when it comes to the drainage implications of the chosen route. We also recommend a new form of public presentation for future planned events.
The ABC wants the plan to recognize agriculture as a business, protect prime agricultural land (Canada Land Inventory Class 1, 2 3) for the business of agriculture, minimize the impact on agricultural business enterprises, acknowledge and protect our rural heritage and for the MTO to assume financial responsibility for all drainage costs of highway development before and after construction.
The ABC believes the present corridors are based on subjective and questionable data and a weighting system with flagrant biases against the agricultural sector. Information on heritage buildings and landscapes is also biased in favour of the urban environment.
Furthermore, municipal and agricultural drainage and associated costs are missing in the consultant’s list of criteria. The taxpayers will be paying for the road development. Individual taxpayers along the chosen route should not also be asked to carry the financial liability resulting from highway development.
The ABC group formed in the summer of 2008 and works on behalf of over 300 property owners to ensure adequate input into the planning of the Highway 7 and 8 corridor. For More Information please contact:
Linda Dietrich 519-655- 2613 or http://www.hwy7and8.blogspot.com/
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