LONDON, ONT. -- A public meeting will go ahead Wednesday night to discuss a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) designation for a large portion of Port Stanley, Ont.
There was a late push to shut down both the meeting and the entire proposal at Central Elgin council Monday, but a narrow 4-3 vote against Ward 5 Coun. Fiona Wynn's motion means the public information session will go ahead as planned.
"I don't need to hear from residents, I already have," Wynn told CTV News Tuesday morning.
"The residents have received information, they know what this proposal entails, and they are still saying to us we aren't interested in it. All I have heard from is people who are dead against this so to go ahead with tomorrow night's meeting it's saying we aren't listening to you."
Wynn had Deputy Mayor Tom Marks, and Councillor Dennis Crevits on board Monday to reject the concept for the rest of this council's term. However councilors Colleen Row, Bill Fehr, Karen Cook and Mayor Sally Martyn all wanted to go ahead with the public information session.
"This doesn't have to be a deciding meeting, it can be an information meeting and give the citizens a chance to be heard, and get clear answers to be what is and what isn't allowed," Martyn said during the meeting.
Row agreed saying 'I think we owe it to the residents to at least listen to them on Wednesday."
However Wynn and many residents argue they have already been heard over the past few weeks since CTV News had the initial story on Jan. 12.
A petition submitted by Teresa McLellan has nearly 350 signatures against the HCD proposal.
"I know there are a lot of people very negative and have serious concerns," said Martyn.
"They need a chance to ask questions and get those concerns heard. But there are also people in favour and once I talked with them and explained it better, they misunderstood what we were doing. I know vast majority are saying they are opposed to it, but the public meeting will give them the chance to hear the correct information... a lot of them are basing it on assumptions from previous plan which are not in this plan at all, and it's important that they hear that."
McLellan who owns a cottage in the village wasn't impressed with the comments by the mayor.
"It’s frustrating that most of council's position is that people are uninformed," says McLellan.
"We have worked hard for 2-3 weeks to read through the complicated documents. We are well informed, and we still don't like it."
McLellan is also concerned for residents like parents who aren't tech-savvy and quotes her father as saying 'he's a boomer not a Zoom'er'.
The HCD includes nearly 180 properties in the village and centres around those just east and west of the harbour.
The proposal was brought forth by the Port Stanley Village Association (PSVA) for a third time after a HCD was previously denied twice before.
"This is not designed to stop growth, it's to respect the heritage we have and make sure what we do, be it growth or renovation is consistent with that heritage," Dan Ross, PSVA president told CTV News on Jan. 12. The PSVA has not spoken publicly since that date.
"By defining the district people know in advance they are in a HCD and they can deal with planning staff to understand the guidelines in place. If appropriate they can work with the community to make sure something comes forward that really is consistent with heritage of village."
The meeting will go ahead Wednesday with many people including McLellan logging on to voice their concerns.
Wynn believes after the meeting, council will have no choice but side with those opposed to the HCD.
"We are elected to this position because we care abbot this community, and municipality," says Wynn.
"I am not saying the councilors who are in favor don't care about residents but after tomorrow night when face-to-face with people and hearing their concerns, I don't see how council can go forward with this. I'm very hopeful that we will get an outcome to let the residents know that council is listening and that we are here with best interests at heart."
