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Joint headquarters talks underway Federated Appeal qtominates board Directors representing the community at large include Michael Benton, Elaine Cole, Jake Driedger, Ralph Forbes, Ron Gage, Ross Hahn, George Kenney, Owen Lackenbauer, Robert Liddy, Lloyd Lougheed, Hemi Mitic and James Steele. Directors representing participating agencies include Graeme Allwood. Clif Bilyea, Wilfred French, David E. Graham, W.R. Greenwood, Ivan Hurlbut, Jean Kroetsch, Heather Lackner, David McIntosh, Brian Ruby, Ron Sills and John Zupko. Terry James cm» M Writer The Region of Waterloo and the Waterloo County Board of Education are “working in a spirit of cooperation," said Lynne Woolstencroft. chairman of the board of education: Mrs. Woolstencmft was referring to the first combined sub-committee meeting between regional council represen- . es and school board trustees todiscuss the possibility of tIE": a common headquarters. While neither Jim Gray, al chairman nor Mrs. Woolstencroft are prepared to speak out on the results of Friday's meeting, Mrs. Wool- stencroit said both political bodies are taking the matter seriously. _ The decision to meet with regional representatives came about following a recommendation put forth by trustee Dr. Honorary directors include Mayors Morley Rosenberg, Marjorie Carroll and Waterloo Regional Chairman Jim Gray. Alderman Richard Biggs, Waterloo and Kitchener Alder- men, Dominic Cardillo and Don Travers were appointed as ex-officio directors. By Geoff Hoile Chronicle stall writer The plan to beautify the downtown business sector of Waterloo could drive away any as 90 customers a , according to one King . merchant. Ed Bergman whose je- welry store at 42 King St. S. The school board chairman has met with Mr. Gray on previous occasions to discuss the matter. She said the big- gest stumbling block the committee is facing is just how to meld two operations which have very few overlapping func- tions and responsibilities. . Chronicle-staff Writer At their annual meeting last Wednesday, the Kitchener Waterloo and Area Federated Appeal nominated their board of directors for 1979-80. The number of directors has been cut from ts to 27 to “make it more workable," said Lloyd Lougheed, president. "The wholé thing may just come to nothing but it's a real pleasure working with such an amicable group." said Mrs. Woolstencroft. Local merchant angered by parking problem . b Minus one club presents cheque George Rodda, yica-president of the Waterloo Minus One Club presented the Adult Recrea- tion Centre with a cheque worth $150 in ap- preciation for the club’s use of their facilities. Accepting the cheque are Centre staff members. Kathy Durst, left and Chris Barker. Waterloo at a glance will have new sidewalks, period street lamps, trees, planters and sidewalk benches out front under the redevelopment project - is not happy with the parking spaces that will be taken away. He estimates the average customer parks less than half an hour along King St. while shopping. By multiplying this over an eight-hour day for six days a week, Mr. Bergman figures the five parking spaces given up in each city block to accommodate the decora- tive planters represent over 90 customers lost because there was no place to park. Don Baker at a board of education meeting on lurch 8. Speaking to his recommendation suggesting that discus- sions with the Region specifically include the possibility of sharing a 05m headquarters, Dr. Baker said he had been pursuaded by the Palmer Report that sharing a facility could involve "savings of some signitigartee." He said it was time government bodies made every effort to econo- mize by reducing overlapping services or functions and sharing physical resources and support services wherever Who said, "most people think communities grow on their own and that de- velopers build mostly for- tunes?" The Ontario Minister of Housing. Claude Bennett made the statement while addressing the Hamilton and District Home Builders Association. Mr. Bennett vi- sited Waterloo last week to speak at the University of Waterloo and assist in the local federal PC election Bruce Burns, chairman of the Downtown Business Im- provement Association ad- mitted that there has been a general concern among the more than 200 members that there is not enough parking in the core area, but says he feels "the 900-odd parking spaces that might be planned for in the next five years are more important." Mr. Burns stated that by far the wide majority of the as- sociation's 200 members Region and Bd. of Ed; le Residents lose walks = saVe money Bennett defends developers By Geoff Hoile Chronicle sun unite! favor the revitalization pro- gram. Some are not in favor, he said, but they do not even represent a large minority. Waterloo Ald. Richard Riggs, a former member of the Downtown Area Board ot Management and an out- spoken critic of the city's approach to parking, calls the problem " contentious item at any time." He feels the city isn't doing enough to provide parking, and places part of the blame for the lack of King St. parking on employees who use spaces the customers could have. Ald. Biggs sees the overall benefit of making the down- town business area more at- tractive, but feels there is need for a "sawoff as park- ing becomes more and more jammed up." campaign The Housing Minister told developers they must educa- te the public and the poli- ticians on the positive aspects of their role. He said it disturbs him that the developer is generally viewed as the outsider in community planning __ as the person plans are meant to control, “It's my feeling that the developer is set up now to play the role of whipping . l. Dr; Baker also sttggested a committee consisting of trus- tees and ottieiaig he stuck to enter into discussion with the separate school board, the two universities and Conestoga College to explore ways in which the above could be carried out. Mrs. Woolstencmlt said an admiriistrative study is pre- sently underway between the public bpard and the separate The city's representative on the management board, Aid. Charlie Voelker agrees that there' is "certainly not 100 ‘per cent agreement" on the question of downtown revitalization and the resul- tant loss of parking spaces. The alderman though not a downtown merchant is "not loo-wild about the loss of parking" himself. He points out that "in Toronto motorists will pay $2 an hour to park, but here they don't want to pay any- thing. They want to park right out in front of the store." Ald. Voelker says if we want to compete with the malls, the city must provide more downtown parking. "If you can't find a parking space, you might as well keep on driving to a mall Mr. Bennett observed that it is not a major asset for a politician to be considered a friend of developers. "No- body knows that better than boy," he said. "And unless you do something to change the public perception of the industry. you will certainly receive that whipping. ,. “At the same time nobody knows better than I do what a positive story the de- veloper has to tell the poli- Mr. Lemon said that had project been‘submitted under section 8 of the Act any objection by ho- meowners would send the matter before the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) for arbitrtion. 'Tm not con- fident we would have won the case under section 8 with that number ot, names on the petition," he said,, "when you consider that these people opposing the sidewalk construction are the ones who are supposed Bridge St. is currently torn up between University Ave. W. and the Kitchener boundary for sanitary' sewer installation under a regional road project. Wa- terloo engineering department viewed this as an ideal time to construct a new sidewalk on the street's west side, but 70 per cent of the residents didn't think it was such good idea. Gordon Lemon, Waterloo's deputy city engineer can't envision going too1ong without sidewalks on one side or the other because school children will be for- ced to walk along the side of the road. The engineering department submitted the pro- posed sidewalk contract under section It of the Muni- cipal Act, which states that a petition of a majority of adjacent property owners having 50. per cent of the as- sessed value of the lots is enough to stop the work. The Bridge St. Residents fulfilled that requirement, thus the project has been dropped. to benefit from it." l "We don't need roadwork. We don't need sewers. And we don’t need sidewalks. What we need is a reas- sessment of our taxes." _ While Josef Minke stipulated the opinion was his own and not necessarily the views of fellow Bridge St. residents, the general opposition by the 25 ho- meowners convinced Waterloo council to drop plans for, sidewalk construction along the west side of the street. In a iietition to council the homeowners criticized the extra expense and the impact it would have on their taxes. ' Mr. Bennett pointed out that it is the developer who risks everything time and time again in the building of our communities. Some pro- jects have made profits, but others have not been finan- cial successes he developer seems to be heard from only When he is called upon to defend his plan or work, the minister said, where there is parking." Aid. Voelker sympathies with the merchants who are not directly across from the Waterloo Square parking lot. He suggests the City take a look aepmperties in the Regina and Erb St. area as potential parking lots. . "There has been a con- trast in retailing views," ac- cording to Bruce Burns. 'The shopping area has to be attractive, but there is the further view that there has to be parking when the additional‘customers are at- tracted to the area." The as- sociation viewed the ques- tion of whether to beautify or try to solve the parking problem, he said. "Since the parking seems to be slower coming, we've decided to do what we can now." ticians and the voters -- if he will make the effort."