Recently, Fort Erie town council voted in favour of seeking out private/public partnership opportunities in the Bay Beach property by soliciting expressions of interest.To those concerned and caring individuals and organizations (in Crystal Beach and in the Town of Fort Erie at large) who may be protectionist or anti-development of Bay Beach, the vote may seem radical or rash. Nobody wants the town to relinquish control to a developer who may dramatically change the ambiance, texture and nature of the anchor attraction of Crystal Beach. Rightfully so. But the reality is that these individuals and organizations are on the same page as the mayor and councillors who voted in favour -- they are merely reading different paragraphs.
In its wisdom, the town bought the Rebstock property in 2001 for $2,050,000 and has invested about $600,000 in infrastructure (parking lot construction, grading, creating the berm, public washrooms, etc.). The town has a fiscal responsibility to its ratepayers to realize a reasonable return on investment, which it is not accomplishing by gleaning $60,000 per season parking revenues. It is necessary for the town to sell off a portion of the 4.57 acre tract to lower its debt service and appease ratepayers by replacing funds in the municipal coffers.
In soliciting expressions of interest from high-quality waterfront developers, the council and senior staff must respect the good, intelligent proposals of the Friends of Crystal Beach and the Crystal Beach Improvement Area and adhere to the tenets and principles of the Crystal Beach neighbourhood plan. These are safeguards and provisions in place:
If the town approves the Bay Beach proposal document of the FOCB and the CBIA of March requesting: a crosswalk at Erie Road, removal of the dance hall foundation, removal of the lobster house and address the snack bar facility issue of removal and/or replacement, this may engender support for moving forward in needed improvements of Bay Beach for the benefit of Crystal Beach residents, merchants, visitors, and the Town of Fort Erie. Bay Beach should be a significant destination in the Niagara Region.
Needless to say, public consultations would be fundamental during the seeking process. Development should be sensitive and of small scale. The proponent would have to be street scape sensitive. Not all development is evil and inappropriate. Perhaps a small hotel (Crystal Beach had several in its heyday) would be hugely beneficial to commerce in Crystal Beach and tax base. Perhaps a combined time-share/hotel or a large country inn. Are some residents angry and frustrated because the envisage a mega-monolith?
Overnight accommodation would be welcomed by many and partner effectively with positive visitorship to Crystal Beach.
Current zoning of Erie Road and Eastwood Avenue is C2 with a 2.5 storey plus an attic height restriction (30 feet) maximum. If a proponent were to acquire the lots north of Erie Road and leave the beach and uplands to the town, this would be, in my opinion, ideal. Then the town could create a pristine vista waterfront park, perhaps to be maintained by the FOCB and/or the CBIA.
Wouldn't Bay Beach be beautiful if it was natural and without structure, with sightlines far into Lake Erie? Wouldn't Bay Beach be more attractive to visitors without current obstructions? Not so if the town relinquishes lands between the beach and Erie Road. Council voted with guts knowing there would be flak and negative fallout. I support their decision, but warn that careful scrutiny and selling to the right proponent whose development satisfies the needs of Crystal Beach residents, merchants, the FOCB and the CBIA and the Town of Fort Erie residents at large through input and consultation is fundamental.
A sensitive and sensible development plan could be the inspirational component to improve Crystal Beach for the long-term benefit of everyone.
Stephen Oprici
Crystal Beach
I understand that Mr. Oprici ran a very successful business in Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is a wonderful, unique town, but that is where, I think, his argument draws from - his experiences in N-O-T-L. Such initiatives would work (and have) worked well in N-O-T-L, but they can't and won't work in Crystal Beach - or Fort Erie for that matter, and here is why:
Crystal Beach is a carny town; has been since the late 1880s. The Crystal Beach Amusement Park drew people from all over who came for the beach, the midway, the ballroom and the hurly-burly lifestyle. Cottages were bought or rented by people who played on the beaches all day and partied all night. Hot Dog Alley on Derby Road was busier at one o'clock in the morning than it was all day. Since the Park's closure in 1989, the village has gone through a long tortuous climb out of the sinkhole that developed when the amusement park and its attending lifestyle ended. (We're not talking about the old money people who summered on lakefront cottages or in what was called Bay Beach even if it wasn't technically in Bay Beach which traditionally started on the west side of Schooley Road and ended at Point Abino Road. That was a different world altogether.)
With the acquisition of the Rebstock's Bay Beach Properties in 2001, it looked as though the village was about to make a major step towards rebranding itself as a family-friendly vacation spot, but the Fort Erie Fast Buck mentality of the day, a quick flip of the property was planned to fund the Friendship Trail. Like the village of Crystal Beach, Fort Erie itself has a lamentable history of a carny/border town, out for the fast buck. Strip joints lined the South End business district on the beautiful shores of the Niagara River and soon bingo halls sprung up and the money came rolling into the town coffers (and those of local charities.) Soon, Fort Erie was "livin' large" while places like Crystal Beach languished in blight and poverty. An opulent Town Hall; a luxurious YMCA and Leisureplex and a nearby hotel were built. then the box stores started sprouting up on Garrison Road. But the bingo money started to dry up as soon as a casino was opened in Niagara Falls, so Fort Erie sought to get back on the gambling bandwagon and put slots in the existing race track. Even the formerly very classy Friendship Festival devolved into a carnival, reaching its nadir when the event was moved to the racetrack for two years. It has still not recovered from that error several years later.
The reason for this long backstory about Fort Erie and Crystal Beach is to point out exactly why the proposal won't work. The mentality of the power brokers in Fort Erie has been for several years that of the quick fix, fast buck, worry about the consequences later variety. We've seen it time and time again where town planners have made critical judgment errors based solely on the fastest "rate of return" for the investment. Case in point: the Amusement Park lands. Enough said. One very good initiative was the Waterfront Park. That was a dream of a group of people who worked on that project for years, raising funds, monitoring its progress and then it was turned over to the town. The town got lazy. There was a rental fee for the dock usage, but that was discontinued as the town thought it was too much trouble to maintain a presence at the boat launch. The special docks were always to be stored in a town storage yard, but last year, they were stacked close to the launch site for the winter and were severely damaged in the February storm and have yet to be fully replaced. This is another example of a town that takes its assets for granted and doesn't respect or appreciate them. Even Queen's Circle, which was refurbished through donations, bingo funds and volunteer work has been stripped of its flowers and been vandalized several times. Every time there's a power outtage, people have to call town hall to get the lights turned back on in the circle at night; no one from the town just fixes it automatically.
As to the idea that a hotel would draw people; I doubt it. This is a cottage town; people come here to kick off their shoes and relax. There were many tourist homes on Queen's Circle back in the day, but that was when buses ran regularly from Buffalo and people came up for a week or two from the city; people who didn't have cars. The so-called "hotels" were bars with rooms to let upstairs to adhere to the Ontario liquor laws of the day. The thirty foot height restriction for a "building" on the north side of Erie Road is not written in stone either. Fort Erie is a town that changes zoning and by-laws at a whim. Case in point: Crystal Beach Amusement Park lands.
The bottom line is that many of us don't trust the town to do the right thing regarding the Bay Beach Properties. The town has a bad history. Case in Point: Crystal Beach Amusement Park lands. Oh, and the road to the lighthouse; oh, and the Lakewood access to the beach.
16 comments:
Just reviewed the agenda for Monday's council meeting. I sincerely hope, for everyone's sake, that many of these presenters will get together beforehand so we, the audience, do not have to listen to the same thing said 14 different ways. I see that Tom Lewis is last to speak, this will be a possible disaster erasing the positive momentum built up by the previous speakers. I hope that he is much better prepared this time around than last, and actually has an objective in mind for his presentation, besides listening to the sound of his own voice. He needs to formulate his thoughts better, use less agression when speaking, and offer alternatives and strategies rather than trying to score points with insults and conjecture. Please don't bring any partly filled boxes. Also looking forward to the entertainment that is John Papadakis. Get the popcorn, it's going to be an epic.
As far as I know, Tom Lewis will be speaking on the Ridgeway Shores Golf Club issue. Sue English was to also speak on the subject as they are co-chairs of the Ridgeway Conservation Association, but Sue will be out of town. The other speakers are all active in the Friends of Crystal Beach and, I believe have co-ordinated the presentation to a point-by-point summary of the FOCB's position - which I totally endorse.
Yeah, the Papadakis comedy show should be good. One of them GTA guys who is so smart he is going to tell the TOWN council about garbage and the hospital neither of which are controlled by the TOWN. Brilliant.
First of all, Papdakis lives in Crystal Beach. Secondly, what is it with some of you posters have against people from the GTA - or the States for that matter? If you look around, you'll find that there are a lot of new people moving into the area and they're coming in from the GTA. They're asking questions about the high taxes and services being cut. It is the town's responsibility to speak on behalf of its citizens when services are cut or affected. The town certainly got heavily involved in the Save the Track campaign, now didn't it? Or the Peace Bridge issue. Or Menthogate. None of which the town itself has any control over. If you aren't angry over the cutback in garbage collection or the possible closure of the ER at DMH, then you're in the minority. People have a right to seek redress and express their concerns. In most democratic societies, they express their concerns to their local government first. That's what Papadakis and others are doing.
The reason people are moving here from the GTA is BECAUSE of lower taxes, lower cost of living, etc.
And yes they have the the right to seek redress if they feel there are inequitees. They should first study the political control structure and then seek redress in the proper forum. When they complain to the town about regional or hospital services they are preaching to those who already believe.
The people I talk to who have moved here from the GTA are mostly retired who want to live in a quiet, tree-lined area. They don't have to commute to jobs anymore and like the slower-paced lifestyle down here. Taxes were not the main consideration - it was mostly a lifestyle decision. The mayor of Fort Erie and the Regional Councillor, Shirley Cordiner sit at regular council. They are the representatives of the people of Fort Erie at the regional level and, as such they should take their constituents' concerns to the regional level. When people express their opinions on things like garbage collection and the hospital situation, they are expecting their representatives to the regional government to understand how important these issues are to them and act accordingly. These newcomers, for the most part, are much more involved in the process than many longtime locals. They know where to go with their concerns e.g. there is already talk about taking the Ridgeway Shores golf course issue and the Bay Beach Properties to the OMB. Oh, and BTW, the EDTC may soon find itself under investigation as a couple of these "GTA Transplants" recognize that the EDTC is a not-for-profit corporation thus eligible to be investigated by the Ombudsman's office. Trust me, these people know what they're doing. Kudos to them.
Thanks for the lesson in our political structure. It is pleasent to see someone from the the US that is so well informed on local issues while their country takes the whole world into the abyss.
AT least SOMEONE IS taking on the joke that is the mayor and town council and staff.
it would seem the only ability of the town kiss ass is to oppose any attempt to get rid of the rot that this community has suffered.
maybe the town kiss ass can explain what the race track or the Meth-peace bridge buliding have to do with town issues?
garbage is a shared regional and municipal service, our hospitals while supposedly funded by the province- still is funded by local efforts and has a SERIOUS LOCAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. this affects (the joke in fort erie known as) economic development
the way this town has and is run is a crime and a joke.
the town kiss ass ( racist) fears educated people comming here and sharing their skills and experince and more importantly exopsing the corruption and incompentence of the town and yes drawing attention of other levels of government and media.
if the kiss ass can handle peole like Lewis and Papadakis taking a stand TOO #$%$# BAD!!! i have some scary news for you, i'm one of those new visible minority GTA arrivals. i am shocked at what i have seen including the racisim of this town and if any of those two run again, me and my "GTA TYPES" will do all we ( yes more of us are moving here every day) can to get rid of the racist cancer at town hall.
at least they have the courage to do something .
maybe you should get an education and see what is going on. but the truth is you fear what is happening because you are one of those who will reap what you have sown.
Maybe that's the reason I moved to Canada?
Last night's council meeting was a disappointment. Tom Lewis acted like a spoiled child, and as I predicted, erased the little if any positive momentum built up by speakers before him. Did the crowd cheer, absolutely, was his presentation effective, no. Regardless of the energy and enthusiasm in the room, you always have to remember that 99% of the people watching will be viewing it on Cogeco. Tom's antics last night will not go over well. It is hard to predict if he has thoughts of running for Mayor again, if he does, he won't win, Ward 5 alone does not carry the vote, and those in other wards are tiring of his 'take my ball and go home attitude'. Also, what the hell is going on with John Papadakis? Does he register for every council meeting and then not show up? It's getting old. Lastly, when making a presentation to Council, there is no issue in the world that anyone should need more than 10 minutes to present on. Stand in front of the microwave, read your speech, and if the timer ticks past 10mins, take something out of the speech! It is ridiculous. After 4 minutes you start to lose peoples attention span, after 7 minutes they are drifting off, after 10 they're comatose. Congratulations to the gentleman who received the awards last night for the river rescue, it was the true highlight of the evening. Most of everything else was embarassing. Do i agree with what they said on Bay Beach, absolutely, though what you say is about 10%, how you say it is the rest.
Tom Lewis is an absolute embarassment! And this "child" was running for Mayor? Any momentum garnered from the very well thought out presentations was totally lost. Tell the genuine people that actually care about the community to stay away from that loser. He only hurts the cause, he does nothing to help it!
Obviously, you saw the meeting differently than I did. For starters, John Papdakis called me earlier in the day and said that due to a prior work commitment, he may not be able to attend, depending how long his teleconference would take. Tom Lewis was angry, but not in a spoiled brat kinda way; he was angry that something that he fought very hard for is in danger of being lost. Sometimes that level of outrage at an injustice can provoke behaviour that some find unacceptable. When he was on council, he put up with slights and outright disrespect from his peers and from others who sought to destroy his reputation. He became involved in local politics because of the Bay Beach issue and this was his legacy to the community he represented. He is furious that the Ward 5 representative is so out of touch with what her constituency want that she has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to their concerns. She has sold herself to the developers in exchange for a job or some kind of perk, IMHO. She is a disgrace. If you think that Paul Lewis was up there wasting time with his presentation, then so be it. He deserved the respect of being allowed to continue and the fact that Lockwood and the rest of the Failed Five went against tradition and denied Lewis the extra time, shows a pettiness and lack of respect - and a (b)VERY BIG CLUE THAT THE BAY BEACH PROPERTIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROMISED TO A DEVELOPER(/b) (as yet known only to a few.) I predict that this issue will bring down the current administration. There are many people working behind the scenes with other levels of government to "follow the money" and prove what has been rumoured for several years: that the planning department has elicited and accepted bribes from developers (allegedly.) Fort Erie town hall is corrupt, as corrupt as any town administration in a much bigger city. If delegations don't act as respectfully as you'd like them to act, stay tuned. It will get worse. BTW, DVDs of the council meeting that will be aired tonight (July 22, 2008) at 5:00 p.m. on Cogeco 10 will be available shortly. I must give kudos to you for attending the meeting and saying your piece here. I respect your opinion; it was well thought-out. And I agree that the presentation of the award to the men who saved the woman's life was the highlight of the evening. The rest was an angry display over something that never should have been an issue in the first place - if council and staff had listened to the people.
I'm sure you'll do your part to tell people to stay away from Tom Lewis; you've been doing it for years. If you weren't at the meeting, you might not understand the level of frustration that had been reached by the time that Tom got to the podium. It's true that he has no respect for the present council; neither do I. The only councillors who even dared to ask questions of the presenters on the Bay Beach issue were Ann-Marie Noyes and Bob Steckley and even Bob was interrupted rudely by the mayor as he asked Paul Lewis if he had ever been to Barry, Ontario. In his travels with his candy company, Bob saw the beautiful public beach in Barry and has talked to town officials all over Ontario and was impressed by other cities and towns that bought beachfront property and made it a recreational area for its people. The mayor cut him short saying, "now is not the time for a re-election campaign," but Bob did get his point across. This is the kind of disrespect that was shown to presenters by the mayor. The other members of the Failed Five DID NOT ASK ONE QUESTION, except one from Lockwood who said to Paul Lewis, "Are you aware that there are people in Crystal Beach who are in favour of developing the Bay Beach Properties?" Paul answered that there probably were (of course Martha would be their head cheerleader and her BFFs Loud-ass Wilson and Whinnie Smarm were there to show they were there.
(Aside to the Princess & Queen Gardner: must be tough now that flower funds have dwindled - no more expense account for lunches and other perks.) Yes, we know, girls. Maybe Lois could use one of her nearly daily phone calls to town hall to complain about everyone else to get the by-law officer out to the run-down townhouses that remain unfinished on Cambridge that she's associated with - and the old Ontario Hotel that is full of by-law violations. Great job they're doing as the board members of the CBIA along with Miss Martha herself. (Sorry, I digress. I'm still angry at the way the delegations were treated by council. Even the town and PBA's pit bull did not attend until after the beach presentations were nearly over. He'd probably been warned to stay away, given his volatile nature when he drinks - which is always. Damn. He couldn't even eat his lunch that he brings in his important briefcase. Probably a mickey in there too - or not. He has a tab at Madison's. "Will do character assassinations for booze.")
PBA pit bull? who is that?
Guess. There's also the pit bull-bitch-in-heat, his soulmate. Or should I say Rottweilers?
To the editor,
Please tell the idiot that stated that people move here from the GTA area because the taxes and services are much cheaper that he should learn to read more news papers than the rags they print in this town.
We move here because of what was once a nice little town but that is not the case any more, as time goes on we become more educated to the local scene and the corruption on town council and the arrogance of most town hall staffers, like they are doing us a big favour by helping us out.
To the idiot that supports and lies about the cheap taxes he should read the sat. Toronto Star
and in the section on real estate he will see what they are asking for properties, what they sold for
which is usually more than the asking price and most importantly what the taxes are.
I sold my home in the GTA four years ago and made enough money to by a new home in Ridgeway By the Lake and small home in Fla.to winter in, but my taxes in this town are at this point higher in this town than they were in T.O. for a property that was valued at 3 1/2 times the value of my mistake in this town
So to the idiot that made such a ridiculous statement please get your pinhead out of the sand and educate yourself,read the sat. star
before you make more of a fool of yourself. One who knows.
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