As I understand it, the business model that is being proposed for the Brantford Airport Aviation Park outcompetes other Ontario airports in both location and affordability. The hope is to draw in small, midsize and possibly some larger aircraft from around the Golden Horseshoe, who currently use other more expensive or less repair capable airports for their repair and maintenance.
Assuming the model being proposed is viable and will be successful, it is not at all apparent why Brantford City Council is acting as if this competitive advantage will suddenly disappear were a large-scale annexation of Brant County not completed within the next couple of months. What is currently happening appears to be a cynical use of the Ontario Special Economic Zone (SEZ) legislation, designed purely to block or reduce democratic input and prevent Brantford and Brant County citizens from having a proper vote regarding this matter. There is no urgency to the airport expansion that cannot wait a few months until after the scheduled fall elections of two new Councils.
I would propose the following alternative proposal that would prevent the destruction of valuable and precious farmland and greenspace:
1) Annex the Long, McNight and McNeil properties south of Robinson Road, as planned.
2) Run sewer and water hook-ups for those properties and extend them to the airport.
3) Instead of annexing the farmland north of Robinson Road, annex the exact same amount of land directly south of Colborne Street West, right across from York Road and Airport Road (both roads lead directly into the airport). The lots there are currently occupied by Fort Henry Self Storage and Bluebird. As this would be a major inconvenience to them they would require financial support in order to minimize their losses as they move to new locations. Because the total area of the lots to the south of Colborne Street West is less than the area north of Robinson Road that is planned for warehouse and supply distribution centres, some land directly to the south of the Colborne Street West lots would also have to be annexed. This would involve using a very small sliver of Bell Aggregate quarry and Kerr Tract 1. The result is that in total, about a quarter of the amount of agricultural land would be sacrificed compared to the area north of Robinson Road.
4) The connection of water and sewer to supply the new warehouse and supply distribution centers could then be an extension of the airport water and sewer hook-ups.
5) An overpass or tunnel could be built to expedite movement across Colborne Street West between the airport and the Aviation Park warehouse and supply distribution centres.
Further, two years ago, Brantford City Council proposed the widening of County Road 18 and the extension of Shellard Lane to Highway 24 as the best solution to the Southwest Brantford housing problem. Brant County Council rejected this proposal at the time. I would ask both Councils to put this proposal back on the table and cooperate. No one likes disruption and the County Road 18/Shellard Lane extension combined with my proposal to leave the area north of Robinson Road as productive farmland by annexing less fertile land to the south of Colborne Street West could be the least disruptive and most prosperous choice with regard to agriculture and local food supply.
Brant County and the City of Brantford are two different parts of the same animal. Both economic efficiency and aesthetic beauty need to be thought of as common and cooperative goals as we move forward into the future.
Annexation of County land is being unnecessarily rushed and needs to be delayed until after the next election so the public can truly have a voice in these matters. Please contact your Councillors and let them know this matter has importance to you.
Sincerely,
Ian Munroe.
