J' Accuse

Councillor Gaertner is taking a pounding for her comments on the merits of the  sale of 22 aces of  town property..
Tha Aurora Banner editorialised on the Councillor's comments. 
The Aurora Citizen  re-printed the editorial and joined  the public flogging. 
Chris Watts  stepped up to take his turn with the barbed whip this morning .
I do not agree with the Councillor's position and said so during the public debate..
But the Councillor's view is not entirely without merit.
Twenty-two acres is  twenty five per cent of the parcel.. A substantial part of the building is warehouse space. Warehousing does not provide the number of jobs as other uses.
400 jobs cited are not new jobs.Employees will transfer with the operation. 
The numbers will swell town employment  statistics. Future opportunities are possible.New employment opportunities are welcome. 
But I am mindful of the size of the parcel. Job numbers are not the best they could be.
I have since learned a trail link on the edge of the property has been removed. Apparently Bulk Barn insisted.
My enthusiasm is somewhat dampened. 
I do not believe the town is a supplicant.
I resent  Council was not consulted. 
This property deal is not a simple transaction. Over six million dollars are estimated  to service the entire parcel of eighty acres.There is  a sharing of costs with Bulk Barn.
Land contours are having to be changed substantially
Part of the property is in the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The servicing plan  requires  the parks department to be turfed out 
once again. . 
Part of the  property has been used by  parks department for years. To turn trees into mulch, compost grass clippings, ,accommodate a  small tree nursery and sundry other parks functions.
We no longer have the former Hydro building yard. Need for a new location is critical.
So the big brave fellows out there beating  drums and Councillor Gaertner mercilessly, need to get hold of few more  facts before  charging  to the top of the knoll  with swords  and voices raised .(mixed metaphors be damned)
Bulk Barn is welcome. It's good news. It's not spectacular. 
22 acres is a sizable chunk out of 80 acres.
6 million (estimate) for servicing is a substantial amount.
The only advantage is jobs.We need to ensure the objective is realized to the full. Benefit is measured against cost. 
Otherwise, we  shall have surrendered land  needed  for our own purposes for a scheme that's a dud. 
I'm not yet dancing  around the Maypole on the village green. I hope we are managing things properly.
Councillor Gaertner  exercised her authority and took a position. 
I commend her for that.
   
Now to change the subject let me pose a  new question.
At what concentration and decibel level  does fair comment  turn into bullying and intimidation?