Thank you for attending the community meeting held last night regarding the house and property. The meeting was very helpful in clarifying a great deal of points for us. I think the biggest point that we came away with was that the issue is not really about the heritage designation, but more so about selling the property on the open market. I think the community in general would much rather maintain the heritage designation, deal with the house appropriately to mitigate the current hazards it poses for children playing in the area and make it more aesthetically appealing, but more importantly maintain the property as community owned and part of the park for the whole community to enjoy. I also believe that there are many options available to maintain the heritage components while creating a usable space for the community in a manner that is economically feasible for the city – such as a ruins garden with a plaque.
One other point that I wanted to draw to your attention was regarding the tribune. You indicated that the Tribune was a primary communication tool for disseminating information to the public. We live on Kinlock St. and have been here for 3 years now. Since moving here we have not received an issue of the Tribune. I initially looked into trying to receive it when we first moved, but the only option I had was to pay for a subscription which I felt was not an option for us since we had previously received the publication for free. We do try to stay current and informed with what is going on with the city by subscribing to the city newsletter and checking the website when possible. However, with 2 small children we don’t have as much time to actively seek out information as we’d like. I wanted you to be aware that, especially in new subdivisions, the Tribune is not received by everyone.
Again, I want to thank you for attending the meeting last night. I hope that council will continue to work with the community to ensure that this property is used to help build a stronger community and maintain the heritage value of the property itself for all to enjoy rather than for one to enjoy. Our kids are looking forward to continuing to enjoy this park in the future!LB