To build or not to build? That is the question. It’s a question that plagues municipal governments throughout cottage country.
All governments have a mandate to increase the taxpayer base by pushing development. The more development, the stronger the base. The stronger the base, the more tax revenue. The more tax revenue, the better the infrastructure and the lower the cost per taxpayer.
It makes sense, until you throw in the caveat cottage country encounters more than most other areas. Do we want more development?
Cottagers and other property owners who built and bought when over-development wasn’t an issue enjoy life on the lakeshore. But now, citing very valid reasons – such as environmental impact, aesthetic impact, traffic, etc – waterfront owners and other taxpayers are hesitating, or in the case of Georgian Bay Township, downright protesting any further growth.
This battle will continue to rage, and probably get worse, until local municipalities struggling to find the middle ground between pressure to grow and pressure to preserve tranquility and the environment find a new approach.
It’s a philosophical transition that sounds simple at first. But it’s complex. Lake capacity limits are a start, but push development to other areas where wetlands, forest and open fields face growing pressure. There’s a compromise to be found here somewhere. The recent land transaction, in which Seguin Township has offered Parry Sound a tract to keep development around an existing urban centre, is a sign of progress and cooperation. Tepid anger has a place here, motivating efforts to seek a solution, but blind anger won’t drive any search for a mix of progress and preservation. Let cool heads prevail and together we’ll find the solutions.