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Proposed ESL designations fire up delegations at regional public meeting packed regional counâ€" A:'I] chambers heard assionate arguments for and against a proposal to designate parts of northeast Waterloo and the surroundâ€" ing townships as an Enviâ€" ronmentally Sensitive Landâ€" scape, last Thursday night. Though. it seemed a clear majority of the 37 delegaâ€" tions spoke in support of the proposal. Tying in some of what is already being done under the Province of Ontario‘s Greenbelt Plan legislation, the Region of Waterloo‘s Growth Management Strateâ€" gy is trying to designate the Laurel Creek headwaters and the Blairâ€"Bechtel and Cruickston area of Camâ€" bridge as areas in need of special protection. The areas contain natural heritage features and enviâ€" ronmental functions not found in other parts of the region. The plan would prohibit urban expansion into these areas and restrict incompatâ€" ible uses of the land to proâ€" tect the natural features that already exist there. The designation of the Laurel Creek headwaters drew the hottest response from those in attendance because of its relation to the Waterloo Moraine, which By Bos VrBanac Chronicle Staf} Discover more places that now accept the American Express* Card and treat yourself to something special. Red Papava The { arpet Store Int Mully Blonms tnsh P at Purenshings fwhsons Home me you walk by you fad yourself stonping to: admire it Now accepted in more places than ever before, so there is no b Cogghetherits that <y sh safacor your dream waraticnm. youl + Hardwned Mvul;"]wg‘\ + Futon ashins itcome of these mmerdchat Posn Trave Lease Ownership and More Smart chare Saley & supplies the region with 75 per cent of its groundwater, and the development presâ€" sures the area is undergoing as the City of Waterloo con tinues to grow against its northwest boundaries. Last week‘s meeting was a refinement of the original ESL plan presented at a public meeting in the spring which sought to clarify the definitions, map out the affected area. as well as hear public concerns about the proposal. Staff came back with three major amendments to the original proposal includâ€" ing the reâ€"designation of the northwest corner of the City of Waterloo from an urban area to nonâ€"prime agriculâ€" tural and an agricultural resource area. The â€" mapping _ also showed a sharpening up of the borders of the propasal to take in more of the enviâ€" ronmental features the new designation is trying to proâ€" tect. while refining what areas would and wouldn‘t be protected. That drew the ire of a number of the affected landowners. particularly in Wellesley and Woolwich townships, who questioned the science of the proposal that seemed to snap to lot lines and property lines more than the original plan. They‘ve even formed a new group, incorporated in online al www.americanexpress.Ca + Fair * Chopsticks Chinese Restaurant + The futan Shap Factory Fnomiag ow Acura krog uds c now welcome Amenian Express August. called the Environâ€" mentally Sensitive Property Owners, to do their own research on the proposal and challenge some of the prevailing wisdom of regionâ€" al planners. Led by president Wilhard Barth, a resident and farmer in St. Agatha, they asked the region to stop what they called a "Aawed process." Me argued, the plan amounted to expropriation without compensation. "This will not be tolerated and some have even sugâ€" gested civil disobedience," said Barth. 0 better time to treat The group of concerned landowners even trotted out their own expert. Harry Cummings of the University of Guelph, to question the validity of the region‘s planâ€" ning process, unveiling a survey of property owners affected. with the majority being against the designaâ€" tion. As for those landowners who supported the designaâ€" ute sure to find whatever it 6camarta "They are remarkable, they are glacial _ and they‘re irreplaceable." your Amere an Express â€" Susan Smith concerned citizen Quirnos Sub 420( + Wate ne abson bigt d tion, Roger â€" Roedding. another member of the upposed property owners group, challenged them to put their money where the mouths are. "Those with the cash to donate their land and property to the region, let them do so," he said. Roedding and a number of his fellow presenters drew some sharp retorts from regional council for quesâ€" tioning staff and councillors about unproven claims of conflict of interest. Regional Chair Ken Seilâ€" ing warned them to tread lightly because those accuâ€" sations could be actionable, and he invited them to prove those claims in a court of law. While that raised the iemperature of the proceedâ€" ings, landowners like Jane Schneider of Waterloo. and Susan Smith. a member of Citizens for the Protection of theWaterloo â€" Moraine {CPWM), who owns a 140â€" acre farm in the protected zone. took up Roedding‘s challenge and asked for the #SJolidoy Senon | t w C J1S As [- &A oAKâ€"Af Kitchener â€" _ 227 Manitou Dr. 519â€"896â€"9668 Waterloo â€" _ 10 Wyman Rd #8 _ 519â€"746â€"6627 Floor Covering Centre Continued on page 8 EARS M efficiently remove dust and dirt accumulations M reduce the level of bacteria on uphoistered furniture by an average of 96% STEAMATIC. _ i. ) 885â€"7145 Linda Guthro is a Graduate of Sheridan College, with over 20 years experience in helping people decorate their homes. Since 2000, she has also been teaching the Interior Decorating course at Conestoga College, which now. due to its popularity. has become a Credit Certificate Course. 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