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Obviously planning of this nature is long, arduous and costly but the results will be well worth the effort. The only major qualification is public response. Without the input the plan- ners are expecting the study will be nothing short of futile. The initial public meeting on the study has been scheduled for the Adult Recreation Centre next Wednesday evening tJanuary 29), Defending this approach has been easy. It's always been one of leaving planning to the planners and politics to the politicians. Certain- ly the public hasn't the knowledge and exper- tise to tell a planner how to do his job-but the public does have the right to live in an area best suited to their needs. Drydan and Smith have approached this study in superb fashion. They have accumulated every scrap of existing in- formation on the area and they intend to take it to the residents. Ultimately the success of this study is heavily dependant upon public input. That's the way it has been designed and that's the way it should be! The consultants and the city are to be con- gratulated for their approach to planning. Un- fortunately for far too long municipalities have been telling the public where and how they will live. Planners and politicians alike have been making all the decisions and with less than ade- quate public participation. The beauty of this study is the tremendous amount of public input it will allow. If ‘the plan proceeds accordingly, and there is no reason to believe ttherwipe,. the citizens of the area under study will decide what is best for their neigh- bourhood. The study, which began in August, has a long way to go before it reaches .a slate of proposals that will ultimately determine the quality of the area for a great many years. if. surtt AH)? (C IMH’WI! wthww pluurn-qur' "w Page 4 - Notedoo Chumich, Wm, January 22, 1975 Speaking to city council Monday planner Howard Smith indicated his company's analysis of existing and future land use in the downtown residential area should not experience major changes. For openers Smith contends the exist- ing services would not be able to handle a move towards higher density residential patterns or commercial encrouchment. At least that's what the residents have indicated so far. The city is currently involved in a planning study for the central residential area of Water-' loo and the results should prove interesting. To date the $40,000 study by Drydan and Smith Planning Consultants of Kitchener has been impressive-and it has only just begun! Downtown residents of Waterloo will probably answer in collective fashion over the next few months. The answer will probably be a resound- ing no and include enough input to make sure their lifestyles are not effected by large scale development. Is there really any other place you would rather be? It's a "chance to give a damn-don‘t waste it! Give a t damn! - Hawaii? By Don McCInly, Chronicle Editor Published ev v Wednesday by Fairway Press, a division of 2't7h'C',CltihPevr2f Record Ltd. 225 Fairway Rd., Kit- chener. Ontario. Address correspondence to Waterloo Square, Waterloo. Ont. Telephone 744-6364. This area's first public transit system came to Berlin in 1886. That was the year that the Ber- lin Town Council gave an American, Colonel Burt, a 20 year franchise to set-up and operate the Berlin-Waterloo Street Railway Company. Stockholder lists included the names of Breit- haupt, Miller, Anthes and Bruce. Tes at c It " I: Iv n I vi s’ tt d What will we learn at this' meeting? Well, we will see the results of the post card survey Our residents association has been asking for the secondary plan since we formed and, we are moving closer to our goal. Howard Smith and his planning associates are now ready to show us what they have been doing in the months since they were appointed by council to work on our secondary plan. On Wednesday, Janu- ary 29th, they will meet with us. Across the country Canadians are becom- tng more responsive to their past. In Port Hope, for instance, council has just decreed that no changes can be made to the main street (a unique example' of late 19th century town de- sign) without its consent. Here in Waterloo we are shaping our secondary plan for the down- town area. . Things are looking up for those of us who have chosen to live in the older parts of the city. Despite uncertainties, it's a good time to live here. It's where the action is. Ihnwntuwn ttersipt,tcttee : The Colonel laid tracks bit-by-bit, stretch-by- " WULD YOU PLEASE. TELL tllNI WE'RE WORKING RS FAST AS Ally 6altl0llqNrAitytY"' In Canada one year $8. In United States and Foreign countries: one year $10 waterloo chronicle SUBSCRIPTION RATES Editor: Don McCurdv ESTABLISHED, 1854 (“A IL, -- O [3630 Mr. Mayor is the author of This Unique Heritage and Waterloo County Diary. And that's how public transportation began in the Twin Cities. . It was in 1906 that the city took over the street railway company as a public utility. The tax- payers concurred with the purchase price of something over $82.000 and the new city-owned utility was officially in business on May lst in 1907. The first manager of the street-car system was V. S. McIntyre. In 1901 there was 20-minute service on the main-lihe between Berlin and Waterloo. The old horse-drawn cars were finally replac- ed by electric street cars, or as they were called then trolleys. In the diary of one early-day resi- dent the trolleys were truly an admirable sight as they wisked past so quietly and smoothly down the town's main thoroughfare. stretch, until there finally was street-car service in horse-drawn cars from one end of the line to the other once each hour beginning at six in the morning and ending at 10 each night. After 10 pm there was two hour service until 6 am. Some citizens of the day reported the car took just about two hours to make the trip regardless of weather or circumstance. Mr. Smith has boasted of the high degree of public participation in his project. Let's not let him down. Come with your neighbours to the meeting next Wednesday at the new Adult Recreation Centre. It starts at 7 :30 p.m. This is' not to be the final meeting between residents and planners, you will be invited to smaller neighbourhood meetings in the future, however ittis an important one. We must be realistic in our outlook, and the information presented at this meeting will give us a sound basis for the next stage in the planning pro- cess. done ag/the end of the summer. We returned cards _ tating our plans for our own hmse use and what we wished to see in our immediate neighbourhood. As well, we will be given an up to date assessment of the condition of the down- town. Can the existing servicing (including sewers,) handle higher density in the down- town? Mr. Smith will give us a picture of our liabilities and assets. CONSRUCHON CAUTION , Submitted by Rosemary Rowe Dowmwn Residents' Association By Bill Mayer sé'irgiisiriam