PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, MAY 2KS 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS Rural development being kiled:C arsn Some desirable develop- ment in tbe rural areas may bave been unnecessarily killed because of the strict enforcement of bylaws by tbe town's planning depar- tment according to North Ward Councillor Bob Car- son. At the last meeting of tbe administrative committee, Carson beavily criticized town planners for being overly "hard and fast" with the present rules. Specifically, Carson was unhappy with a planning departnient recommen- dation that the town appear before the Ontario Municipal Board to figbt an appeal by an Anderson Street resident because the departinent said that a bouse could not be construc- ted on bis property because the land severance required was contrary to town policY. K.H. Leong bas applied to sever a 12 acre section from a 24 acre lot in order to build a new home. The appeal to 0MB came after tbe land division com- mittee of Durham Region turned down bis request. Bob Short, tbe director of planning, told tbe committee tbat the department is making its recommen- dations on tbe advice of the town's legal experts. He told the committee that tbe land is presently zoned as agricultural and tbat there is mucb bazard land in the area that could suffer damage if tbere was residential development. Carson said tbat there were many bomes near the site and asked wbat tbe practical advantage was in denying the severance. "IWhy are we always fighting tbese severances," be asked. "You have got the roads tbere and tbe bouses are tbere, so why be so bloody bard and fast? " The committee bas given its approval to the town's !awyers to appear before tbe 0MB and support the position of the land division committee. In a later interview, Car- son said that he did not know wben or why tbat council policy was introduced. He believes that tbe idea originally came because some people were afraid that the severance of land in the rural areas for residen- tial developmnent would be a burden on the taxpayers. "That's a buncb of bogwasb, " Carson said. Since tbe town already spends a great deal of money in tbe plougbing and maintaining of concession roads, he ..doesn't see any reason why bouses sbould not be built along tbem. it wouid be a way to get back some of the money the town was spending, be in- dicated. ,Carson also said that the owners of tbese large lands pay big taxes and should be given tbe rigbt to develop- ment of their own land. He was also critical of the town's no severance policy, saying, 111 think we've been mislead somewhere along tbe line. " Carson said that land severance in tbese areas is desirable because the small farmer is no longer making a good living and that bis survival is always in question. He also maintained that if there was no other use for the land, then a severance sbold he allowed. Because of tbe no- severance rule, Carson said that large farmers are ren- ting many of the old farmn bouses and after a time tbey become run down. "If they were allowed to' sever, the property would be better maintained," bhe said. "Instead of being a bligbt on again become a thing of beauty." "We've got to take a look at it again. " Carson also said that many of these property owners are paying realty taxes as higb as $4,000 a year and getting notbing in return as tbese areas are not sup- plied witb sucb services as water and sewer. Allowing severances would bring more people in- to tbe rural areas of town, bringing more business to Brooklin and increasing tbe town's tax revenue, lie said. 'There is a certain to have a country lot and a country home." "IWhy not take advantagC of it? " CArson asked. These large lots also have the space to build more homes on them, he said, admîtting that while most of it is zoned farmn land it is not farmed. He also noted that most Of the time it Ildoesn't make sense to farm lt.'1 Carson said that he bas visited other communities in the province that allow rural land severance and tbey do not appear to be having any major problems. CBC may be lu violation of bylaws says Drunnu BRUCE V. MACKEY, OC and EARL G. BAILEY, Barristers and Solicitors are pieased ta announce thai TYLER P. HIGGINS, B.A., L.L.B. la naw assoclatod wth them in the practice af law ntho areasoafcrimInel, famlly and civil ltlgation. at 17 Slmcoe St. N. Oshawa 723-1107 A