WOOLWICH RESIDENTS TAKE IT IN THE EAR TWICE

Yesterday's Elmira Independent carrys this story "OMB costs surpass $300,000". Apparently last year Woolwich Township paid $338,236 in legal fees, the bulk of which revolved around several Ontario Municipal Board hearings (OMB) such as the Hawk Ridge Homes and Jigs Hollow Pit hearings.

Although the rationale for refusing the Hawk Ridge Homes development to go ahead was pretty weird, at least it was denied. The Jigs Hollow Pit went ahead with a really sketchy hearing in which the OMB Chair clearly was biased against the citizens and all the evidence they presented. This led to an Editorial on December 13/12 in the Independent bu Gail Martin suggesting that the OMB needs to be reviewed. Aside from the legislation itself and several failings, there simply appears to be no common sense whatsoever involved in these hearings.

This year there will probably be more OMB hearings involving gravel pits as both the Capitol Pit in West Montrose and the Hunder Pit in Conestogo come up to bat. While the legal costs are disgraceful, politically Woolwich Council are up against it. They had better fight tooth and nail for their Woolwich citizens or the pack of them can kiss reelection chances down the drain. Of course Councillor Bauman from St. Jacobs can once again keep his head down and stay out of the fray as the folks in St Jacobs can hardly feel as passionate about gravel pits that are in everybody else's backyard.