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AlvinofDiaspar
Guest
From the Star:
Fees derail Milton museum's plan
Building needed to protect rail cars
But Milton won't waive $97,000 levy
Jul. 31, 2006. 08:34 AM
RICHARD BRENNAN
GTA BUREAU CHIEF
Milton council has killed plans by a local electric railway museum to expand by refusing to waive $97,000 in commercial development fees.
"The project ... is dead," said Tom Twigge-Molecey, general manager of the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association.
And at least one local resident, John Snobelen, is spitting mad.
"This is just unconscionable ... it makes no sense to me at all," said Snobelen, a former provincial Conservative cabinet minister. "These people do not have the money to fight city hall and should not have to."
The Halton County Radial Railway museum, which draws visitors from around the world, wants to add a $350,000 structure to an existing building to house 25 artefacts now rusting and rotting outside.
"Some of the cars are right on the edge of being preservable now, others in better condition. But if they sit outside for another 10 years they will be beyond reasonable repairs," Twigge-Molecey said.
"This whole thing is symptomatic of a general disregard for our local history."
The Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association, a federally regulated charity since 1961, has been raising money for the last 20 years to make the necessary improvements. The museum, in existence since 1954, attracts 15,000 people annually.
In the early part of the 20th century, dozens of electric or radial railways dotted southern Ontario. The museum sits on an original electric line that once ran from Toronto to Guelph but was abandoned in 1930.
Snobelen said the suggestion by municipal officials that development charges must be applied equally, even to non-profit organizations, is an "absolute cop-out."
"There are all sorts of ways they could help the museum build this expansion. If they wanted to, they could simply cut them a cheque, collect the development charges and grant it back to them," he said.
"Politicians are elected to work in the best interest of the community and if this museum is not in the best interest of the community, we have a serious, serious disconnect between the politicians and the people I know in this area."
Mayor Gordon Krantz, who has met with Snobelen and others to talk about the museum's dilemma, could not be reached for comment.
But Jan Mowbray, Milton town councillor for the area and a museum supporter, said she believes some councillors dug in their heels when the matter became public and criticism was levelled at them.
Ironically, the development charges on the proposed addition have actually gone up by about $5,000 since the project was approved in January.
Should she be re-elected, Mowbray said she will push for a bylaw amendment to allow for development fees to be reduced or waived for non-profit groups.
In the past, Milton has been generous to the museum, funding various restoration projects to the tune of about $160,000 in the last five years. But it won't budge on waiving the fees.
Snobelen said Milton's treatment of the non-profit organization is just another example of how development charges have become the "crack cocaine" for local politicians.
"You are left with one of two conclusions: Either they actually believe there is nothing they can do and I find that hard to swallow, or they just don't care."
_________________________________________________
Perhaps Snobelen should have worked in the non-profit sector during the Harris years?
AoD
Fees derail Milton museum's plan
Building needed to protect rail cars
But Milton won't waive $97,000 levy
Jul. 31, 2006. 08:34 AM
RICHARD BRENNAN
GTA BUREAU CHIEF
Milton council has killed plans by a local electric railway museum to expand by refusing to waive $97,000 in commercial development fees.
"The project ... is dead," said Tom Twigge-Molecey, general manager of the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association.
And at least one local resident, John Snobelen, is spitting mad.
"This is just unconscionable ... it makes no sense to me at all," said Snobelen, a former provincial Conservative cabinet minister. "These people do not have the money to fight city hall and should not have to."
The Halton County Radial Railway museum, which draws visitors from around the world, wants to add a $350,000 structure to an existing building to house 25 artefacts now rusting and rotting outside.
"Some of the cars are right on the edge of being preservable now, others in better condition. But if they sit outside for another 10 years they will be beyond reasonable repairs," Twigge-Molecey said.
"This whole thing is symptomatic of a general disregard for our local history."
The Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association, a federally regulated charity since 1961, has been raising money for the last 20 years to make the necessary improvements. The museum, in existence since 1954, attracts 15,000 people annually.
In the early part of the 20th century, dozens of electric or radial railways dotted southern Ontario. The museum sits on an original electric line that once ran from Toronto to Guelph but was abandoned in 1930.
Snobelen said the suggestion by municipal officials that development charges must be applied equally, even to non-profit organizations, is an "absolute cop-out."
"There are all sorts of ways they could help the museum build this expansion. If they wanted to, they could simply cut them a cheque, collect the development charges and grant it back to them," he said.
"Politicians are elected to work in the best interest of the community and if this museum is not in the best interest of the community, we have a serious, serious disconnect between the politicians and the people I know in this area."
Mayor Gordon Krantz, who has met with Snobelen and others to talk about the museum's dilemma, could not be reached for comment.
But Jan Mowbray, Milton town councillor for the area and a museum supporter, said she believes some councillors dug in their heels when the matter became public and criticism was levelled at them.
Ironically, the development charges on the proposed addition have actually gone up by about $5,000 since the project was approved in January.
Should she be re-elected, Mowbray said she will push for a bylaw amendment to allow for development fees to be reduced or waived for non-profit groups.
In the past, Milton has been generous to the museum, funding various restoration projects to the tune of about $160,000 in the last five years. But it won't budge on waiving the fees.
Snobelen said Milton's treatment of the non-profit organization is just another example of how development charges have become the "crack cocaine" for local politicians.
"You are left with one of two conclusions: Either they actually believe there is nothing they can do and I find that hard to swallow, or they just don't care."
_________________________________________________
Perhaps Snobelen should have worked in the non-profit sector during the Harris years?
AoD