Crazy plan

Dear editor:
The proposed Huffman subdivision is a completely crazy plan which, in these difficult times, will cost taxpayers millions of dollars—dollars we do not have or ought not to direct into this plan.
We were told the town had 26 interested buyers for the 16 properties when our request to acquire the former Huffman School as an add-on to the Sister Kennedy Centre was denied by council.
The next day, at 5:30 p.m., the number was at 10 and a lottery was to be held as a fair way to allocate the lots among the purchasers.
I attended the meeting where the lottery was to be held. There was no lottery. No one purchased any lot. There were only one or two people possibly interested in buying any property—but no money was committed.
Thus, the town moved to a first-come, first-served basis. As of writing this letter, not one person had purchased a lot.
To further aggravate matters, the public was told this subdivision was being developed to meet the mining boom that is coming. We do not believe this at all.
Memories are not that short. Council passed a resolution to remove the Nelson Street park for lot development, but was beaten at the OMB by residents who stood their ground against council’s action and won.
Council simply moved on to the Huffman School property.
In closing we wish to make the following points clear:
1. Stop the Huffman School subdivision now.
Have we not learned our lesson from the town’s involvement in the Front Street condos—where council said it would never get into private development again.
We can’t afford this subdivision in these difficult times.
2. Stop making decisions behind closed doors.
The public has a right to be engaged in the process while the process is going on—not after the decision is already made.
3. Roll back the tax increases implemented by council for 2013 and use the gas infrastructure money to repair our old roads, which are terrible in town.
Place a two-year freeze on any future tax increases.
4. If council can’t do this, resign and let people who can and will protect the best interests of the town.
Taxes have outstripped incomes in this community. Enough is enough.
Yours truly,
Allan T. Bedard
Chairman, SRAPEA
Fort Frances, Ont.