[All] Wideman Road: Letter to the Chronicle

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Letter submitted: I hope it gets approved for print.

Lulu 



----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
To: BobVrbanac <BVrbanac at waterloochronicle.ca> 
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2014 2:32:18 AM
Subject: Letter to Editor or Second Opinion article. Either one. 
 


Hi Bob

I wrote this in response to Mr. Wideman proposing to pave Wilmot Line. I'd like this printed up. 

For your reference the OMB hearing specific to Wilmot Line is online here:  http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/e-decisions/pl091182-May-06-2010.pdf

Lulu 
____________________________________________________________________________


The Vista HIlls subdivisions were once known as the West Side Lands. They were subject to an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing due to insufficient environmental studies. The ruling for case PL071044 secured new studies and the expansion of buffer zones to better protect rare species, fish and water resources of the area. Soon afterwards, another OMB hearing took place regarding the Wilmot Line, a heritage roadway located beside the Vista Hills subdivisions.  

Developers of Vista Hills were required to conduct environmental studies on Wilmot Line since they wanted to use it to access the new subdivisions. There were so many issues the process was costly. Wilmot Line was created for Mennonite buggies not cars. It has poor sight lines due to the natural grading. It crosses wetlands, it floods annually, it is home to several rare species and it crosses over cold water trout fisheries.

The developers initiated an OMB hearing to bypass the need for further studies on Wilmot Line. The OMB ruling for case PL091182  allowed the road to be paved from Erb Street to the Columbia Road extension to allow access to the new subdivisions. They prohibited paving Wilmot Line beyond that and they accepted a plan to divert traffic away from the northern areas of Wilmot Line to protect the natural features. The ruling states the developer was to pay all costs of paving. 

The Greenbrook wells in Kitchener provides 5% of our Regional water supply and Vista HIlls and the Wilmot Line are in the source areas. Vista Hills subdivisions already pushes the threshold on acceptable road salt limits but if Wilmot Line is paved, those wells could close due to chloride contamination.  How much do regional taxpayers stand to lose in tax revenues if we loose 5% of our water supply in perpetuity due to road salt?

On June 6, 2006, work crews installing phone lines on Wideman Road near the Wilmot Line, hit an aquifer resulting in flooding of the area. Hundreds of wells were used to divert cold groundwater water into the warm water fisheries of Clair Creek which may or may not have resulted in fish kills. These are the kind of costly mistakes we could see repeated along Wilmot Line if construction is allowed. 

The Carmel of St. Joseph monastery is located next to Wilmot Line. Do we want traffic noise to disrupt the lives of nuns and the people who come here to pray at this retreat? 

Waterloo's Regional Representative Jim Wideman is a former land owner of Vista Hills and the Chair of Planning and Works Committee with the Region of Waterloo. He is recommending we pave Wilmot Line in spite of the OMB ruling and I hope folks remember this fact during our upcoming election.

Water is ours to protect. Protect it with your votes. 


Louisette Lanteigne
700 Star Flower Ave.
Waterloo ON
N2V 2L2
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