Dear Editor:
RE: Recent letters from Toni Ellis (Conserve trees, March 7) and J. Alexander (Bad decision, Feb. 22).
Both of these issues apply to Centre Wellington council’s declaration of Strathallen park in Fergus as surplus. Putting a high school on this lot is not in anyone’s best interest.
The issues of traffic congestion, unsuitable size to build all that a high school should provide (library, cafeteria, class rooms, parking and athletic fields) are all too true. If there is any sort of athletic field available, there will be practices and games and spectators. This increases the volume and length of times for an increase in traffic. The mayor declaring that residents can access the park after school hours and on weekends becomes less meaningful.
To that point, there is a sign at the entrance to the current school forbidding use of Wellington Catholic District School Board property from dusk to dawn without permission of the landowner. So to whom do we listen? I know this does not seem to be important, but consider what it represents. No complete analysis of the proposal.
Another issue to consider is the loss of over two dozen trees. There are eight beautiful large trees separating the elementary school from the park land. There are also 16 or so “memorial trees” planted at the east end of the park. Green space lost and the benefit of all these trees should be considered.
Three schools within two blocks of an established residential area, loss of green space, loss of trees, major traffic congestion at the beginning and end of school hours, increased risk to students with that increase in numbers of cars and buses, and the list goes on.
There must be a better, more suitable and appropriate location for this school.
Bernice Robinet,
Fergus