I wish to express my opposition to the immanent expansion of the 6 & 7 property and the Wal-Mart Store ( proposed zoning amendment 0 Woodland Rd. West ).
I have been involved in the discussions regarding this property for the last ten years as a member of RSD, the Guelph Ministerial, as a Roman Catholic Chaplain and as part of an interfaith Initiative. I do not speak for these groups but am well aware of the serious concerns of each.
My Concerns:
TRAFFIC
The traffic has increased considerably on that part of Woodlawn Rd. There are more lights, in fact I have never experienced so many lights in such a short area. The noise of traffic, the din of brakes and the noise of a constant whiz or roar is severally impacting on peoples ability to grieve in the Cemeteries. As well it is extremely difficult to perform a Committal because of the loud racket.The city needs to conduct a new traffic study. And the two large stores Wal- Mart and Home Depot need to provide for a better sound wall at least at the North side of Woodlawn Cemetery. I understand there are suitable walls such as a type of glass brick. I understand that 6 & 7 has not completed previous agreed upon mitigations. This should be achieved before further expansion.
The people in the Woodlawn Rd condos and apartments were previously supportive of Wal- Mart and voiced interest in a grocery store. Now what I hear is their complaints that the traffic is so bad it is extremely difficult to turn left out of their driveway. As well it too far and too dangerous to walk to Wal-Mart.
Pollution Protection
There is an existing Berm built and other mitigation factors towards light, noise, water. In some ways these are very basic. Will there be further protections on both sides of the property re the Jesuit Centre and the Merrymount Cemetery ? Again these need time to be discussed by all interested parties. Agreements and perhaps created mitigators need to happen before the change in Zoning and the commencement of building.City Development
There is policy and planning directives in place and being discussed. It does not seem logical to allow further immanent development of the North where there is less population, less need, and already there exists a long line of industry and commercial all along the length of Woodlawn Rd to the western limits of the city.Our city, the Royal City, the City in Bloom, the City of Music has a draw for people and is a treasure in this part of the province. I would think that unbalanced perhaps unnecessary development would prohibit further tourists and potential residents.
Please continue to protect our beautiful and wonderful city and provide for sound logical planning and development,. CS
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Guelph fought the implantation of a Wal-Mart at Highway 6 & 7 for 10 years. In spite of the 10 year battle and a petition signed by 12,000 citizens, Wal-Mart won. Now, only three years after that battle was won, they want to simply expand, doubling the size of their store to include groceries. The Staff of the City of Guelph is ready to give it to them without a fight. Why? Does City Staff believe that it is inevitable? Do they truly believe that a Wal-Mart grocery store will be good for the citizens?
I am opposed to the expansion of Wal-Mart for the following reasons:
1. Food should be bought and distributed locally. This reduces our dependency on fossil fuel and also insures the quality and freshness of our food.
2. Expanding Wal-Mart does not fit with sustainable development: it will encourage people to drive great distances to save a few dollars on groceries. It is a drain on our taxes since we have to expand our road system to accommodate the additional traffic. This in turn further deteriorates the quality of air which is already very poor.
3. Wal-Mart is not good for employees. This corporation is currently subject to billions of dollars of class-action lawsuits for discrimination against female employees, anti-union actions and illegal hiring practices. WalMarts typically pays employees less than the competition. Wal-Mart’s growth negatively impact worker’s wages. They also force employees to work overtime, skip lunches and give up breaks without compensation.
4. In order to keep prices down, Wal-Mart engages in price gouging, discrimination, exploitative labour practices, local community destruction, environmental degradation and shiftless profiteering.
5. The way Wal-Mart operates is by increasing corporate control of the food and agriculture systems. Wal-Mart long ago eliminated the “middle-man”, so the corporation deals directly with the producer. The power imbalance which this creates between the Corporation and primary producers means that in order to survive farmers are under ever increasing pressure to intensify production and become ‘more efficient’: more animals in the same space, more milk output from the same number of cows or more tonnes per acre, cutting environmental and animal welfare corners to get more out of their land and animals.
I ask City Council not to accord Wal-Mart this expansion. I ask City Staff to reconsider their support for this expansion. JA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would like to register my several concerns about the report on expansion of the Walmart development which is to come before Council tomorrow evening.
1. I am dismayed by the haste with which this is to be decided. I do realize that City staff have been studying the issue for many months; however their report has been available to the public for less than two weeks. That period has included two weekends and a statutory holiday, and it has come at a time when many people who might otherwise wish to comment or to attend the relevant council meeting are away for extended periods.
2. I have serious doubts about the need for this expansion at this time. It is my understanding that the Places to Grow legislation mandates city core development before development of this kind which can only be described as suburban ‘sprawl’. I would hope that the current City Council would feel obligated to formulate City development plans based on their own wisdom and insight, and that they would not feel that they must be bound by the questionable development decisions of the previous council.
3. Finally, I think the plans now in process concerning the redevelopment of the Baker Street parking lot area are both exciting and absolutely right for Guelph at this time. A new Library is long overdue, and the rest of the planned development, as has been proven repeatedly in other cities, will bring residents, jobs, commerce and tax revenue into the downtown core. I am most reluctant to see the Walmart development proceed before the Baker Street development if there is the slightest possibility that energy and/or attention devoted to Walmart would delay or dilute activity focussed on Baker Street.
It is my sincere hope that members of council will vote against the Walmart motion in its current form , and that action in support of the Baker Street development will become the first such priority.
Thank you for considering this input. VG