"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Tuesday 19 August 2014

North Bay in the eighties... Aurora in 2014

I came down Yonge Street  again this afternoon, about 5 pm.  From Wellington.

It looked even better  to-day with a different view of the former hardware store. It's reverting back to two stores.

Aw Shucks blends in  better than ever.  The United Church parking lot has a couple of planters defining the edge. There' a friendly  banner on the site saying ..... Thank You  Aurora,

Can't help thinking if  the site  could be used. for public parking it would provide an opportunity
to discover if  off street  parking would make difference. Although the street certainly seemed busy without it. The planters and two cars in the parking lot make  it more visible.

I looked up at the dress shop window  as I passed and fervently hoped  the satire is doing well and survives until the condos are occupied.

The property that was to be a Montesori school is for sale.  Sale of the parcel immediately to the south fell through becasue iHeritage Designation made financing impossible.

The most spectacular site of all is the War Memorial Garden. At the south entrance to the business area it creates a great  gateway. Iyt speaks volumes about the town.

Macdonald'sl one side and a fish and chip restaurant on the other are set nd back so
neither detract from the green that dominates the space.

I've  always, meant to visit Gabriel's  Cafe. I hear he makes a very nice sandwich. But any time I stopped he was closed.

I might drive up from the south end to-morrow and check out the  east side. I  need to take a closer look at the construction  on Centre Street corner.

Councillor Abel made a motion directing staff to find a way to penalise owners who fail to develop
vacant sites.

There are two sites in the hollow,vacant more than fifty years. One is the old arena site. The arena burned down. The town sold the property.  I think the creek crosses Yonge Street  there and drainage pipes make. the site obviously  a difficult to build on. It would  be ironic if the town fined an owner for failing to build on a site originally sold by the town

Just north,  a long-time ago owner demolished a small old frame house  without. asking anyone.

 He was never able to re-build  because most of the site is in the flood  plain. I imagine that owner would welcome a building permit rather I than a fine.

I look forward to reading the staf report on  Councillor Abel's initiative.

I wonder if it will  refer to town owned property on the VictorIa Street side of library square

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fine for not developing? Funny when someone wants to build, the Town and handful of residents just love to put road blocks up. They make it virtually impossible to build a shed. It was embarrassing to hear Gaertner not wanting to let Bulk Barn headquarters build, because of the “quality of jobs”. Thank God those resident properties/homes in the south east quadrant didn't get slapped with that heritage designation. Councillor Abel give your head a shake. Need development money to pay off your ridicules projects? They are not your properties. Stay out of their backyards.

Anonymous said...

"I wonder if it will refer to town owned property on the VictorIa Street side of library square"

There's nothing vacant there, all are in use to some extent.

Anonymous said...

22:38
Under-used, under-producing in revenue and deteriorating,

Anonymous said...

C.W has an article on how the town website does not work and lets us less technically competent try to understand with simple examples.

Anonymous said...

9:08

Of course he does that in a very constructive manner too.

Anonymous said...

10:24
You mean instructive - I have no trouble admitting my ineptitude with computers.

Anonymous said...

No, 10:41, I think 10:24 meant to say, "constructive." Ir's called sarcasm.