Good morning all – In an exciting development, the Planning Department has recommended in a report to Council to pass the interim control by-law on Old Main Street - which means a halt on all new planning applications until our area undergoes a comprehensive study which will take one year to complete. This is exactly what we asked for on May 8 in our deputation. The vote goes before Council on Monday, May 15 @ 7:00 p.m. However, the by-law excludes the current development application at #172 Old Main Street , so our campaign continues, but this victory is a major boost to our efforts. And please see Gordon Prentice's article below which details the highlights of Planning's report. The full report is in the May 15 "Packet" on the Town's website under the Agenda/Meetings section. Cheers, Protect Historic Paddytown New Developments blocked in Paddytown Created on Thursday, 11 May 2017 21:38 Written by Gordon Prentice Paddytown campaigner, Christina Herancourt, has scored a famous victory. Coming from a standing start, she persuaded the Town's planners to recommend to Council on Monday (15 May 2017) that an "Interim Control By-law" should be slapped on Old Main Street, immediately halting development applications that were threatening to change the face of the neighbourhood. Her deputation to the Committee of the Whole earlier this week listed a string of concerns about the impact of new developments. The planners' report to Monday's Council meeting says: "Council is given power to enact Interim Control By-laws through the Planning Act. They are, in effect, a pause button, allowing Council to put a freeze on development applications, in order to take some time out and study the situation. It allows for Council to take a bigger picture view of the potential for change in an area where large scale redevelopment was not previously considered." The report goes on: "Council must have a justifiable planning rationale for enacting an Interim Control By-law. They can be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board after their passing. An Interim Control By-law can freeze development for a period of one year with a possible renewal of one more year (renewal requires Council enact another By-law); for a total of two years..." The Town's planners have a symbiotic relationship with developers, nurtured over many years. They are rarely on the side of community groups. Now, in a welcome move, they say a study of the area is required. Their report says: "An Interim Control By-law could freeze all development, including the current Development Application and prohibit the acceptance of any new applications." Councillors, who typically lean like crutches on the recommendations of the Planning Department, are certain to approve the report and impose the Interim Control By-law. This would never have happened without the Paddytown campaigners. Christina Herancourt, in particular, deserves a round of applause.