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130th Year No. 9 Wednesday, February 27, 1985 Waterioo, Ontario 25 cents at the Newstand Backyard beauties Selfâ€"contained Granny Flats to test in Waterioo Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staft You can call them Granny Flats. Or you can call them Grampy Flats. You can even use the more official Portable Living Units for Seniors. Whatever name you use, it is a new form of alternative housing for seniors, and it is coming to Waterloo this summer. Signs were left outside when some 50 area peace activists crammed Waterioo MP Walter MclLean‘s constituency office to protest policies of the Mulroney government, and McLean‘s gjlence on the peace issue. Melodee Martinuk photo Last Friday, more than 50 Kitchenerâ€"Waâ€" terioo residents converged on the Secretary of State‘s constituency office in Waterloo Town Square to protest cruise missile testing and McLean‘s "silence" on the disarmament issue. ‘‘These are all things we know Walter is opposed to â€" we need within the Conservaâ€" tive party a group of people, including Walter, who will speak out against the stance the Conservatives have taken." Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff Local peace activists have called on Waterioo MP Walter McLean to act on his *‘convictions‘‘ and renew his public camâ€" paign for nuclear disarmament. *‘*We‘re asking Walter to act on his convictions â€" speak out against the stand of the Progressive Conservatives: their supâ€" port of Star Wars, cruise missile testing and their rejection of a nuclear freeze at the United Nations," said Waterloo Peace Network spokesman Doug Mohr. "If these are wrong under the Liberals, they‘re wrong under the Conservatives." McLean was not at his office to meet with McLean‘s silence irks peace activists the demonstrators, who left their names and messages with his secretary before leaving for the office of Kitchener MP John Reimer . In a telephone interview, McLean stressed that he continues to be "very sympathetic‘‘ to the cause of the peace acâ€" tivists. The Waterloo MP said he continues to work within the cabinet to ensure Canada is a *‘positive force" working for disarmaâ€" ment, and has utilized opportunities open to him a Secretary of State to promote peace. He rejected claims that the Mulroney government‘s policies are contrary to disarmament initiatives, stressing that the government has "fundamental commitâ€" ment to the deâ€"escalation of the nuclear buildâ€"up. *‘The question is not the commitment. The question is the best strategy to achieve that end. Canada‘s highest priority is to keep pressure on the superpowers to make sure the discussion continues, that the discussion is meaningful and the governâ€" ment will do that." ‘"I haven‘t changed my views about the nuclear threat one iota," he said. Popular in Australia, the Granny Flat is a detached, selfâ€"contained housing unit, much like a oneâ€" bedroom apartment, which is portable and can be placed in the backyard of an existing single family home. The 500 to 600â€"squareâ€"foot units are designed solely for use by elderly parents of the "host household." The search is now on in Waterioo for suitable sites for each of the four units allocated to this city through a Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housingâ€"sponsored e ‘‘I would like to see it stick as SR3 and not make any exceptions, because if you start making excepâ€" gions now it gets easier and easier each time," he said. Chronicle Staff Speaking at a formal public hearing into the zone change reâ€" quested by landowner Evelyn McLaughlin of 568 Bridge Street, residents told council that, because of the smaller lot sizes, the subdiviâ€" sion would be "out of character‘ with the surrounding community. Despite protests from neighborâ€" ing residents, a committee of Waâ€" terloo city council Monday apâ€" proved the plans for a new 12â€"unit subdivision on Bridge Street. Planning consultant Gary Wright, representing McLaughlin, Monday unveiled a ‘"compromise‘" subdivision plan, which dropped one lot from the original proposal but he said, even with this, three lots would still not meet yard reâ€" quirements. He told council that elimination of yet another lot would make the project ‘"‘uneconomical", adding that because of the size and quality of the homes, the compromise is *‘protecting what the residents want for this subdivision." Moving approval of the developâ€" er‘s request, Alderman John Shorâ€" treed argued the subdivision will ‘"‘enhance‘‘ the area and the city. ‘‘They‘re talking bigger houses than what are already out there, but they‘re also talking smaller lots," said Ross Wells, of 360 Grant Cres. ‘"We keep getting these proâ€" posals coming up, but all they want are concessions." City planners had recommended that the property be rezoned single residence 3, which has a required minimum frontage of 65 feet. Bridge street homeowner Jim Forsythe asked the city to stick with existing zoning requirements, because by approving smaller lots, aldermen could be setting an undeâ€" sirable precedent for future develâ€" opments. ‘ City shows concern for developers demonstration project to test the applicability of the Granny Flat concept to this province. "It‘s starting to move into high gear ... we‘re moving into the phase where we‘re looking for people interested in locating a Granny Flat on their land, said Waterioo planner Greg Romanick, at a press conference Monday. Romanick explained that because it is a pilot project, selection of unit sites cannot be done on a "firstâ€"come, (Continued on page 3) "It‘s on large lots for this day and age and in this city; the houses are of a larger size. I understand the people‘s concerns, but we have to pay attention to the economics of developers in this city." He added that Waterloo could be facing a "great need‘" for housing in the near future, and council must *‘*work with developers to maintain the quality of houses being built." Oh, no! â€" Page 10