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The Brampton Guardian
A sorry saga
The Brampton Guardian
Friday July 18 2008
 
BRAMPTON - The Carpet Palace saga— and that’s what a supposedly simple plan to demolish an outdated store and put a new one in its place has turned into— may at last be heading to a conclusion.
However, what seemed to be a relatively innocuous idea borne roughly four years ago is a shining example of bureaucracy run amuck.
In a nutshell, store owners George Kanichis and Steve Klintsaris wanted to demolish their 150-year-old Norval shop and build a new one in the same location.
Of course, any such a venture is expected to entail some red tape, but this matter has resulted in what Kanichis described as a “stressful rollercoaster”.
There have been multiple presentations to Halton Hills Heritage, the Town’s Committee of Adjustment, Town council, Regional council, and even an impending Ontario Municipal Board date.
Hours have been put in by lawyers, Town staff, Region staff, and local and regional councillors on this proposal.
The plan also caused a rift among some residents in the normally somnolent village with vitriol replacing the normal calm and even an unnecessary (and, dare we say, unfair) protest staged.
Look, we understand that any business/home owner simply can’t level a building willy-nilly and erect a monstrosity and there are guidelines in place to protect against that type of thing happening— guidelines those business/home owners should follow.
But, just because Lucy Maud Montgomery picked up her mail at this building when it was a post office decades ago doesn’t make it a “historic” structure.
Just because the shop’s owners want a new building doesn’t mean the Region should use that an excuse to expand a road many residents don’t want expanded.
Somehow, a simple business renovation project became a multi-headed monster.
Those involved at the bureaucratic level should take a hard look at this case and make sure steps are in place to ensure it is not repeated.