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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday June 28, 2008 - 9 Bronte Road property owner feeling fenced in By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Patrick Murphy, 80, has seen the view in front of his Bronte Road home change for the worse over the years moving from a green field with trees to the busy intersection it is today. Well, now Murphy doesn't have to look at it any more, but not for the reason he'd like. Halton Region has just finished erecting a 10-foot privacy wall across the front of his home on 1120 Bronte Rd. Patrick Murphy The purpose behind the wall is to protect Murphy's home from being impacted by the headlights, noise and exhaust from vehicles idling at the new intersection of Bronte Road and North Service Road. Regardless of its purpose, Murphy noted, the confining feeling the wall brings is just as severe. "I think of it as a penitentiary wall," he said. "All it needs is barbed wire on top of it and we're completely secure." Murphy and his wife Barbara moved to the Bronte Road property in 1992. They were drawn by the spectacular view of Bronte Creek, which is available from the Murphys' backyard. Five years ago, with the increased traffic on Bronte Road, discussions began focusing on a proposed intersection near the Region building and the building of the wall on his property. "There wasn't a choice," said Murphy. "We were consulted on various aspects of it, but in the end it was, `We're going to do it anyway and if we can accommodate you we will.'" The Halton Region denies that Murphy had no choice in the matter. "There is no legal requirement for the wall," said Tim Dennis, director of engineering services, Halton Region. "We've been dealing with Mr. Murphy since 2002 and he's been intimately involved in the design of the wall. He's indicated from the start that the wall wasn't preferred, but it certainly is a situation where we've worked with him closely and we feel that in working with Mr. Murphy and his neighbours that the wall is needed to mitigate the impact of the headlights from the intersection." Murphy has been allowed to pick the texture and colour of the wall, plus, at his insistence, the wall was built just over his property line so the Region will be responsible for its upkeep. As far as having a say in whether the wall was built in the first place, the Murphys answer with a definitive, `No.' "If it's not legally required to be there, then why's it there," said Barbara. "We completely opposed this." With the wall in place, Region employees are now making landscaping improvements to the Murphys' property. Dennis said this will ensure the appearance of the wall doesn't impact their property, but Murphy believes its further landscaping to his property. A positive response to this request has not been forthcoming. "We feel that we've been very fair in our dealings with Mr. Murphy," said Dennis. Murphy is currently considering litigation. DAVID LEA / OAKVILLE BEAVER WALLED IN: New entrance to Patrick Murphy's property on Bronte Road. being done out of some kind of guilt as the Region knows the wall has decreased his property value. Proving a property value decrease, however, is a problem as an accredited appraisal would cost around $2,000, said Murphy. Murphy is also unhappy with the wall because it has practically hidden his home and caused problems in mail service and other deliveries. For these reasons, Murphy is asking for around $6,000 in compensation from the Region, which he said will be used for 1959 2008 Oakville Autohaus Proud of our heritage Excited by our future