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3 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Saturday, April 4, 2009 Nine-storey luxury condo too high for neighbours Ann Haxell, who spoke on behalf of a number of residents at a nearby apartment building housing many seniors, expressed concern Residents of the Reynolds Road area of over the traffic she felt the building would Downtown Oakville gave a proposed 9-storey bring to the area. development a unanimous thumbs-down "We already find we have considerable trafduring a Monday session of the Planning and fic on this street generated by the hospital. It Development Council. is sometimes difficult to get out of the driveThe developer, Rosehaven Homes Ltd., and way of what is predominantly a seniors' buildMelrose Investments Inc., has called on coun- ing," said Haxell. cil to alter the zoning at 153 & 157 Reynolds "It seems that the standards have fallen Rd., to permit the construction of a 9-storey considerably and Oakville is losing its charm apartment building, which would house 28 with a building of this proposed height and luxury units. construction. I'd also like to mention it bor"These units will be a ders on the old Oakville luxury size, 2,000 to 3,000 "It seems that the standards heritage area. We do feel square feet and up and we have fallen considerably the modern project really will certainly be in the doesn't fit into the area at financial range $1.5 mil- and Oakville is losing its all." lion per unit," said Clifford charm with a building of Steve Harrigan had a Korman, architect for this proposed height and number of problems with Melrose/Rosehaven. the building noting area construction." "All the parking is residents would lose both below ground, visitor and Potential neighbour privacy and sunlight owner." through its construction. Ann Haxell The description of the "This proposed building building did little to ease the concerns of will allow its residents to view our rooftop ternearby residents who took to the podium one races and not only will they be able to view us after another and blasted the developer's pro- in our private times, but they will also create posal noting that such a structure would a shadow that will be there for most of the cause a host of problems. afternoon," said Harrigan. Area resident Lorne Spark is trying to sell "A lot of our residents have wonderful garhis home, but said the process has become dens and those gardens will be destroyed by much more difficult in the face of the loom- the amount of shade they will receive." ing development. Korman addressed the shadow issue earli"When they (potential buyers) hear of er in the meeting noting that due to the plans to build a massive structure within very design and size of the building, nearby resifew feet of my premises, in fact in front of my dents would only experience an hour to hour front door, they tend to run in the opposite and a half period where there homes would be direction and if I was in their place I would do in shadow. the same thing," said Spark. Harrigan did not believe this argument "It doesn't belong shoehorned into a resi- and called on council to keep the zoning for dential neighbourhood." the area as it is. Reynolds Road resident Don Lawson called "It seems to me the only reason the develon council to enforce the existing bylaws and oper wants to have the site density increased restrict the developer to building a two-storey is pure greed," said Harrigan. building on the site. "The developer knew the zoning when the Other residents also brought this issue for- property was purchased and should have to ward with some expressing confusion and live and develop the property with the existing anger over council even listening to the devel- bylaws and zoning as any good corporate citioper's presentation. zen would. The maximization of profits is not Councillors explained that all proposals, a compelling enough reason for change." no matter how ridiculous, must be given a With all opinions on the development hearing under Ontario law. heard the town voted to accept the comments With that legal reality grudgingly accepted and directed staff to take them into account area residents continued to approach the when deciding whether to endorse the develpodium and present their objections. oper's proposal. OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF By David Lea LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER TEAM WITH A VISION: Toshiba representative Melissa Moore (far left) and Toshiba President and CEO Kiyofumi Kakudo (far right) honoured a Grade 8 W. H. Morden Public School team for being one of 24 regional winners in the 2009 ExploraVision competition. Receiving the presentation were team members (l-r) Manjot Sangha, Carmen Kruk, Tristan Walker, Vicky Mendonca and teacher Ingrid Munson. Morden team honoured for its scientific vision A team of Grade 8 students from W.H. Morden public school are among 24 North American 2009 ExploraVision regional winners. The Exploravision program, sponsored by Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association honours students for their creative ideas for beneficial future technologies. It is one of the world's largest K to 12 science and technology competitions. This year, the program received 4,388 team entries representing the participation of 13,774 students from across Canada and the US. The Morden team envisioned SIHINS: Self Implanting Hemostasis Inducing Nano System, in the hopes of changing the lives of millions of people around the world who suffer from a thrombocytopenic or hemorrhage inducing disease. Through the application of nanotechnology to a complex network of protein-based intrasystem signaling they have proposed injecting a self implanting artificial organ which can release artificial platelets involved with biosynthetic processes. The Morden team received a Toshiba laptop computer with webdesign software to develop a project website -- a requirement for the next phase of the competition -- and each team member and their supervisor will receive a portable Toshiba DVD player. A panel of judges will select eight finalist teams from the 24 regional winners, who will receive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor, and coach to Washington, DC for a gala awards weekend in June 2009. The eight teams' activities will include a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress, a Science Showcase during which the students will display and demonstrate their winning ideas, and enjoy sightseeing around the nation's capital. The highlight of ExploraVision weekend will be a gala awards banquet and ceremony at the Grant Hyatt where students will be formally recognized for their creativity and accomplishments. The program selects winners based on how they combine imagination with the tools of real scientific research to envision future technologies that could exist in 20 years. Students learn by presenting their project ideas in ways that reflect modern scientific methods, examining problems and deriving solutions much the same way scientists do in the field. At the regional judging level, a panel of 68 judges -- including science educators, scientists and engineers -- evaluates the written entries and chooses the 24 Regional Winners. OPENING SOON 2195 Wyecroft Rd., Oakville across Bronte GO station Ages 0-9