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Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staft Many politicians would have been distressed by the poor turnout at last Thursday‘s public hearing into the proposed widening of Erb Street. Not Waterloo‘s mayor Marjorie Carroll, a member of the region‘s engineering committee, who believes the public silence indicates support for the $3â€"million road project. "It‘s been wellâ€"advertised, letters went out to each resident because of the survey, they‘ve all been aware major work is planned,"said Carroll. "The work is necessaryâ€"that‘s what the silence means. This isn‘t Frederick Street or the University Avenue extension (regional projects which have prompted intense opposiâ€" tion from Kitchener and Waterloo residents groups.)" Aproximately 25 people attended the hearing at the Marsland Centre, which was held by the region to hear public response to a plan calling for the installation of new watermains along Erb and the widening of the street between Caroline Street and Westmount Road to four lanes. Many of those residents shared a common concernâ€"â€" that mature trees in their frontyards were going to be sacrificed because the region will be taking a fiveâ€"foot 131st Year No. 14 Small group balks at Erb St. plans Porker Books Wednesday, April 9, 1986 strip to make way for the new lanes. "Will there be any trees left standing?" asked Jerome Kurtz of 155 Erb St. W. after hearing regional engineers outline the proposal. The preferred alternative for the roadwork would result in the removal of 44 "mature trees" which regional engineers and consultants say are not in "good condition"" because of their ages and type. Landscape architect Rob Hilton, of Hiltonâ€"Foster Associates, the Kitchener firm retained by the region to draw up a tfiee replacement program, told residents in attendance that while ‘"it may be possible to save some of the trees,""‘ the majority are marked for removal because they will "become more of a liability for ratepayers and pedestrians‘" as the years go by. Not convinced, Kurtz, who stands to lose several mature maple trees from his year, told engineering committee members that consultants‘ proposals are not taking into account the ‘"aesthetic values of a mature treeâ€"they‘re only considering the usefulness." _ Nelda Schneider, of 162 Erb Street, opposed the widening because it could only increase traffic on Erb, making crossing the road even more difficult than it is now. "How are people supposed to cross four lanes when Waterioo, Ontario ‘"The best ever‘‘ is how organizers summed up last weekend‘s 22nd annual used book sale, sponsored by the Canadian Federation of University Women, Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo. The sale netted approximately $13,400, which will be returned to the community as scholarships, bursaries and support to various community groups. Melodee Martinuk photo Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff Waterloo county separate school board trustees had little to smile about Monday evening as they took their first official look at proposed 1986 spending estimates. : 72 C Lue W 40 2 cam +2 c 00 c g rwclc..l oi l""l"’"“" n m e it o c c ne io ns se ons t What they heard from superintendent of Business and Finance Bill Lavigne is, despite a "bareâ€"bones‘" "noâ€"frills" budget, Catholic school supporters in this region face a 12â€"perâ€"cent increase in the mill rate and there‘s little that can be done to cut that figure. If the budget is approved without change, separate school supporters in Waterloo would be paying approximately $38 more for elementary school share of their property taxes. To this must be added an increase of approximately $16 for secondary school taxes, a $20 increase to the regional portion and an $18 increase at the municipal level, bringing the total increase on a $1,000 tax bill to $92. Property taxes for public school supporters, on the other hand, will increase by some $76, based on a total bill of $1,000. In his threeâ€"hour presentation to trustees, Lavigne outlined requests from board administrators which, if passed, would result in only a 1.8 per cent increase over actual spending in 1985. Responsible for the lzp%er cent hike, he explained, is the fact that the board (Continued on page 5) RC spending estimates a big shock 25 cents they can barely cross two now," asked Schneider, w argues that additional traffic lights will be necessary. "I‘ve lived there for 30 years, and I‘ve seen this thing get worse day by day. It‘s a racetrack and if this plan goes through you would have to have lights at (Erb and ) Roslin or you‘d have a fourâ€"lane racetrack," added Don Clayfield of 208 Erb St. _ According toâ€" Bill Pyatt, director of design and construction in the region‘s engineering department, widening of the road will actually alleviate many of the problems people now experience when they attempt to cross the existing twoâ€"lane roadway. "Now when somebody wishes to cross Erb Street, they face a very long platoon of cars because it is only two lanesâ€"it‘s like a freight train going across. Our experience everywhere we have widened a road is that instead of having a platoon of cars, they double up. The gaps for crossing would be greater and it would be easier to cross the road,"‘ he explained. Further opposition to the plan was heard from Mike Arnold, representing Little Short Stop Stores Ltd., who told councillors that the widening would be "disastrous" for the Little Short Stop store at Erb and Roslin. Arnold argued that key to that store‘s success has been the fact (Continued on page 13) POCKETING BOOKS