My reaction to the editorial piece is this: please consider that some people may have legitimate concerns, and please don’t lump everyone together without investigating these concerns.
The concerns might be traffic or safety related. There might be economic issues tied to their concerns. There is also a concern with privacy. In some cases, all these things apply.
Who decides that people are just NIMBYs? Who decides that some concerns are not valid?
When a 10-plex was built on the street behind us I had concerns. A 10-plex really did not fit with the neighbourhood, but we hoped it would be built with care and consideration for the rest of the neighbourhood .
The two storey 10-plex is nearing completion. Our lot is fairly wide so we will have about 15 windows and five patio doors from the 10-plex directly facing our home. So what, you say? Well, the bottoms of their patio doors are about two feet below the top of our eight-foot fence. If people sit on their decks they will be peering directly over the fence into our yard and windows. All 15 windows are above fence height.
Now I understand the concerns of the people you might label NIMBY. I believe that homeowners are entitled to some semblance of privacy. These issues should be part of planning for harmony in a neighbourhood. Maybe we will be lucky and they will have patios instead of the high decks being built on the building directly beside it.
I know intensification is the new norm in most municipalities, but if you travel down Wallace Avenue South and tour around you will see that this area is certainly doing its part.
Wendy Freeman
Listowel
