BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter was sent in response to an article about an upcoming public meeting about the public space portion of the Terminals Point development plans on Nov. 27.
Collingwood is blessed to be located on an exceptionally beautiful site.
It is located on a freshwater harbour that is part of Georgian Bay, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a harbour that is embraced by the Niagara Escarpment also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The beauty of the site has been diligently protected and preserved by the caretakers of the site, our elected council.
This is about to change.
The Terminal Points project includes the construction of a 24-storey luxury condominium that will shroud the 10-storey terminals and the conversion of the terminals into a hotel both to be privately owned.
The amenities open to the public inside the luxury condominium and on the top floor, the Bin floor, of the terminal hotel the vast majority of Collingwood residents, their relatives and friends will not be able to afford, let alone a condominium or a hotel room.
They will be on the outside looking in.
The terminals are the most visually prominent iconic structure in Collingwood that depict a significant aspect of the history of Collingwood. There are strongly held divergent opinions as to whether they should be demolished or preserved in some form.
What cannot be disputed and is not subject to opinion is that the terminals are the subject of countless paintings and photographs that are ubiquitously on display in public and private settings. There is no other iconic structure in Collingwood that is appreciated as much as the terminals.
The 24-storey luxury condominium adjacent to the terminals will have a severe impact not only on the view of the terminals it will also have a severe impact on the the profile of Collingwood Harbour and the Niagara Escarpment.
It will be the most prominent structure, highly visible from all approaches to Collingwood and from many of the walkways in the Collingwood area.
It will be the first highrise structure allowed in Collingwood with a height three times higher than the maximum height set out in the zoning bylaw limiting the height of structures in Collingwood.
The Terminals Point project is to take place on the most prominent public land in Collingwood, a section of which is a public park.
It is estimated that the public will be called upon to pay $11 million.
The 24-storey luxury condominium will severely impact the appearance of not only the terminals, it will severely impact the profile of the entire beautiful site on which Collingwood is located.
We the public are being denied the opportunity for any input or consultation as to whether we are in favour of paying this price to preserve the terminals. Public consultation is limited to the amenities that may be considered disproportionate to the severe impact on our beautiful site by the 24-storey luxury condominium.
We are denied any consultation, any input as to the structures in the terminals point project
The developers will realize their dream and we will be left with visual consequences for time unlimited.
Rino Stradiotto
Collingwood
