MidlandToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to Midland council's decision to choose a developer for the Midland Bay Landing site, something that was also addressed in a recent column.
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Dear Editor,
As the decision by Midland council and senior staff to sell the development rights to a Barrie development company gets ever closer, more and more people are realizing what they no longer will have.
The opportunity for a beautiful more natural waterfront park will be gone!
Many area residents were dealing with concerns related to COVID and were not focused on the evolving MBL plan over the last few years.
Many, too, are not particularly computer savvy and thus are challenged to fully benefit from websites and opportunities for input.
An informal meeting of largely longtime Midland seniors and dedicated Midland councillor Bill Gordon took place at MBL.
These too often forgotten individuals and hundreds of others have enjoyed the daily use of this prime Midland-owned piece of waterfront property.
They talk, walk, fish and meet with friends and family in this quiet restful setting. Many have done so all their lives. It is for them a very special place.
Soon it will be fenced and forever closed to all unless there is an immediate halt to the current plan of sale by current Midland councillors.
The picture of the possible condo development plan stands in stark contrast to what the area should and could be.
No more truly natural, public use as construction activities will begin in the foreseeable future.
How terribly sad that this remarkable publicly owned space will be another series of condos and commercial structures for the most affluent of the community and from elsewhere.
The people of Midland need to get out and vote for councillors who will commit to defer the decision to sell the property. In short, the purchase agreement must not be drafted until the newly installed council can ensure greater public input.
Further, a significant part of the plan must include large, public waterfront access void of buildings.
Only in that way can this treasure of open space be available for all to enjoy for all time!
Sincerely,
Jim Wilgar
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