PRESERVE OUR SPECIAL TOWN
POST is a group of Niagara on the Lake residents and neighbours, enraged and inspired to action by the inappropriate development proposal for the historic Parliament Oak school site, as we have been losing the neighbourhoods and streetscapes of our special Town one insensitive development at a time. It is time to stop that. We are not opposed to growth and development, but it must be responsible and respectful of the unique history, culture and character of the Old Town of Niagara on the Lake.
Our mission is to advocate that any development of the Parliament Oak site must respect the tree-lined streetscapes and low density residential neighbourhood surrounding it on all four sides. This neighbourhood is composed of a rhythm of built form (one and two storey houses of varying architectural styles) and open space (gardens and side yards) that is the syncopation that creates the charm of our Town. Any redevelopment must achieve a harmonious design, integrate with and not negatively impact this well-established community.
The current proposal for the site by Liberty Developments is an affront to our values and all the qualities that make our Town so appealing. It flies in the face of Niagara on the Lake’s Official Plan and Official Plan Review. It does not respond to the existing context and is inconsistent with the urban fabric, shape and form of not only the immediate streetscapes, but that of the entire
Old Town.
Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of our community is not. We have been motivated to action by our belief that this proposal, if allowed, would sound a death knell
for not only our neighbourhood, but for many other vulnerable sites and neighbourhoods in one of the few truly historic towns
in Canada.
Because this proposal raises an alarm for the whole of the Old Town, we hope to enlist support and galvanize others within our community, so that we can co-ordinate our efforts and deploy resources to support the values that we share in protecting and preserving the treasure that is Niagara on the Lake.
