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123rd Year No. 37 Voelker report claims By Geoff Hoile Ald. Charles Voelker told Waterloo council they should ‘‘not spend quite so much time debating the merits of noâ€"smoking signs and stoop and scoop byâ€"laws" but rather "first and foremost...should be concerned with the quality of life of our citizens." In a threeâ€"page report, as chairman of the city‘s planâ€" ning and civic development committee, Ald. Voelker called for a little more daring and innovative thinking. He suggested that ‘"if some of our local environmentalists had been around in the 1800s, we‘d be up to our behinds in buffalo. There are other ways to preserve our good farmâ€" lands and wildlife."‘ The report, tabled Monday night, expressed major conâ€" cern over what Ald. Voelker termed the city‘s bulldozing Fiftyâ€"nine competitive trail riders took to the hills surrounding Waterloo last Sunday to raise money for the Central Ontario Development Riding Program. The riders voluntarily collected sponsors for the 35 mile courâ€" se and organizers expected to raise between $850 and $1,000 for the physically disabled riding program. Narrow roads, no sidewalks can improve quality of life style of planning, which led in all directions from the city core, using _ up all land whether it was good or bad. ‘"If we can buy a lot next to the last sewer connection, we are then privileged to pay about $25,000 for it, then build a $20,000 house on it. Since we had to buy it from a builder or developer, we also have to let him build it for us with not much chance of a competitive price. Next, we must pray that we live long enough to pay off a exorbitant interest mortgage over thirty years and still accumulate enough money to send our kids to college and finally get buried." Ald. Voelker claimed that with our present methods, home ownership by our young married couples has been all but eliminated. If they want a house they must Wednesday, September 13, 1978 Waterloo Historical Society both work to pay for it with litle thought to raising a family for some time to come. ‘"No wonder they are closing schoolrooms and firâ€" ing _ teachers all over the province!" he said. He suggested that new subâ€" divisions could be built with fewer amenities. No curbs, gutters or sidewalks, much reduced street lighting, more natural drainage and narâ€" rower pavement were some of the cutbacks he felt would improve residential planning and reduce costs. ‘"Colonial Acres, Maple Hill Acres, Beachwood, parts of Lexingâ€" ton Rd. and Country Squire subdivision lack most or all of these amenities and are the most beautiful subdivisions in our city‘"‘ he said. ‘"The people most able to afford all theseâ€" things are the very ones who don‘t have them and don‘t things came out during Monâ€" day night‘s Waterioo council would bave been a straight tee report, commenting on the fact that Waterloo is already twinned with its namesake in Quebec, â€"recommended that "It‘s not too soon for you to ask, but it‘s too soon for me to answer‘"‘ quipped Waterloo no action be taken in response _In view of the announceâ€" ment Monday by Wilmot want them. And what‘s more, we don‘t require them to have them." The report went on to criticise the new orange, sodiâ€" um â€" lights council recently approved for the new streets in Lincolin _ Village, as an energyâ€"saving move, because they are proving more costly to install. Ald. Voelker would By comparison, Ald. Voelker pointed out that ‘"it seems the person who scrapes up his last dime to buy a 40â€"foot lot in other, more modest subdivisions has to have all of them. Translatâ€" ed into lot levies and prepaid services, all added to the cost of the lot, it means that in the life of his mortgage he is paying at least three times over for things he doesn‘t want. The least we could do is give him a choice." An administrative commitâ€" it‘s to 0 S oon to S a Y To go, or not to go to a query about his historical insight comment view beyond the pew habitation Waterioo, Ontario someone to the conference. Ald. Walter McLean didn‘t agree with the intent of the edministrative report and ta bled a motion to have someâ€" ane sent. The McLean motion not to approve the adminisâ€" trative report, which in turn recommended that no action be taken, temporarily conâ€" fused Mayor Marjorie Carâ€" roll. She realised her mistake;, having her vote counted as part of a 4 to 3 majority against the report‘s recomâ€" Township Mayor Ernie Ritz that he is hoping to step up to the office of regional chairâ€" man, Ald. Turnbull was asked if he was still interested in holding that position. He reâ€" plied that he was not seeking to replace the retiring chairâ€" like to see a more ornamental or decorative type of street lighting with much reduced candlepower instead. "If a person wants to read his newspaper, he should go into his house and not have us produce enough illumination on his front lawn." During the presentation to council, Ald. Voelker comâ€" mented â€" that many of the improved planning concepts he would like to see incorâ€" porated into the future develâ€" opment of Waterloo can be fornd in sectors of Rochester, N.Y. "When I can visit our neighbors to the south and find serviced lots for sale at twice the size and half the price, I feel they must be perhips we should try to find out what"‘ he said. In order to find out first hand what was being done Inside cil voted 4 to 3 against that. appropriate representative to the Oftawa conference. Counâ€" Ald. Blake Hull asked counâ€" cil in general how they could there had been a misupderâ€" considered to attend the fourâ€" motion to have the mayor select an alderman and that Council voted unanimously to approve the trip. mayor of Waterioo prompted the alderman to say ‘"it‘s too man, Jack Young. Mayor Marjorie Carroll suggested that as many memâ€" bers of council as possible should try to make the trip. Ald. Voelker said that if a second trip would make it possible for some mgmbqrs prove the cost of an explorâ€" atory trip there for at least ed officials see it, we can‘t accomplish much. It‘s up to the developers and architects to make the changes." Many local builders, develâ€" opers and real estate brokers have made the trip, replied Ald. Voelker, and they have even some cases. A lot of them have come back wanting to try out the ideas here, he right in Rochester, N.Y., the The question of whether he 9â€"14 16 (Continued on page 4)