Guelph Tribune
Editorial
Sep 11, 2009
The new conceptual plan for upgrading the parking lot in Goldie Mill Park near the Guelph Youth Music Centre, which was endorsed this week, appears to be a big victory for the passion that Guelph residents bring to civic affairs, especially when environmental issues are concerned.
The first chance that people had to weigh in on the issue came at an outdoor meeting hastily called by Ward 2 councillor Ian Findlay, which took place in the parking lot late in the afternoon of Aug. 5.There were groans from the crowd when a city planner said tender bids had already been received from contractors for the project, which involved cutting down big, healthy trees to make room for an expanded parking lot. But the people didn’t roll over. They kept expressing many objections, long past when the meeting was supposed to end. When a revised plan presented by staff at a subsequent meeting on Aug. 13 failed to satisfy people, a focus group of residents chaired by Findlay was set up to try to resolve the issue along with city staff. They met about twice a week for a month to come up with the new plan, which is detailed in today’s Tribune.
The fears expressed Aug. 5 –about the trees, about excessive lighting, about whether a storm sewer is really needed, about whether so many extra parking spaces are really needed –have all been addressed. The people who stood up to city hall on this issue should be proud.
