GuelphToday received the following letter in response to a recent city decision that a partially-collapsed, historic stone barn in the city's south end must be repaired or a demolition permit sought for it through the regular process.
Good morning,
The article above is just another example of the endless many that shows that our city council and subsequent committees continue to speak out of both sides of their mouth.
We continually hear about the need for more housing, and more importantly, affordable housing for our families to be able to try and realize a dream of home ownership.
But as displayed here, we as a city continue to get in the way of efficient progress.
Who do we think is going to end up paying for the final outcome of these requests?
The end user will!
If the city gets their way, and the builder repairs the mess, then the end user will eventually pay for this.
If the city fights this, and the builder eventually gets their way through litigation, the cost to the city is still going to be downloaded to the tax payers.
So lets get use common sense, and make sure that there is a simple path forward at the least amount of cost possible.
We cannot continue to hug every tree in this city! We need to progress quickly! Stop talking and start doing!
If the the city was so concerned about historic status of buildings such as this, they should be proactive in finding every one of them and identifying what limitations exist ahead of time.
I have no skin in this particular instance outside of paying my taxes. But I do know that many other young people looking for a simple path forward do. It is our responsibility to make every attempt to help them find a clear and unobstructed path!
Paul Dal Bello
