From: Sent: To: Subject: marc.darby@sympatico.ca Friday, April 03, 2015 10:25 AM Town of Mono Minority Report re Island Lake Beach Stage Committee Town of Mono Council -2015 March 24 Marc Darby Delegation - Minority Report re Island Lake Beach Stage Committee Good Morning everyone. Thank you for allowing me to present my minority report relating to the preceding Island Lake Beachstage committee presentation. I'm not sure if Counsellor Nix anticipated this minority report but I believe his instincts were correct last year when he suggested that I be part of this committee. I have always felt that he thought it might be a good idea to have someone of a possible differing viewpoint participate on this committee because I believe every member of Council is always interested in hearing more than just one side of a story. The Minority Report I intend to present is driven by my response to the original motion at the IslandLake management committee in 2012 and Beach Stage Committee chair Marilyn's comments after our last meeting. At the management committee meeting in 2012, I voted to support the option of continuing to explore the possibility of constructing a stage on the island lake beach on the condition that it was not disruptive to the community. After our last Island Lake Beach Stage Committee meeting Chair Marilyn stated that the island Lake Beach stage committee's sole purpose was to support CVC in getting the stage built and that basically, if I wanted to address community, environmental, or other concerns, that I should do that through the town of mono and not through this committee. I should start by emphasizing in no uncertain terms, that I respect and admire all the members of the Island Lake Beach stage committee because it is composed of an extremely nice, motivated, intelligent, focused, and very passionate group of people. I completely understand how the Theatre Orangeville group is so passionate towards promoting and injecting arts and entertainment into the community...because I am that way towards my work, nature and the environment. I am however, disappointed in what I saw as CVC s relentless drive to get visitation numbers up and the stage built instead of zealously protecting the environment and community. This was in no way, shape, or form a fair or balanced committee because everyone just seemed driven to post some positive sound and survey results and get the stage built with absolutely no one speaking up on behalf of the negatively affected local residents or the eco system.
I will attempt now to very respectfully highlight the differences in the vision and priorities that I tried, unsuccessfully, to bring forward to the committee. When I started with this committee, I believed that we would produce a balanced report to the town with all the pros and cons related to building a beach stage. I very soon found out that this was a sole purpose committee with a predetermined outcome. They just wanted to have a professional sound monitor state that their blast event is within provincial sound limits, present some overwhelmingly positive survey results, and then get comments and a blessing from the town of mono to build the stage and have their events. At our February meeting the committee decided that, as this project is not being funded by the town of mono and was exclusively on CVC property, that they did not need any type of permission or blessing from the town of mono and that they can just go ahead and build the stage, regardless of what Mono thinks. As such, the stage is already in with just the decking to go. It is my belief that this committees desire to advance their own agendas and extremely strong focus on getting the stage built has contributed to this committee perhaps not paying the proper amount of attention to some of the very important downsides that could negatively impact some of the most important and vulnerable groups that would be affected by the building of this stage... They are local residents, wildlife creatures, and the environment. History as we all know, has shown us how 'personally easy' it is sometimes for one group that benefits from a situation, to impose their ideas and vision on others, and how horrific and painful it is when all of a sudden you find that the shoe is now on the other foot and that you yourself are now a powerless member of this negatively affected group. This is why the "Do unto others" statement is such an important moral guide...because not everyone appreciates loud performances and it shows just how easy it is to say for example, Let's have the entertainment at this location because its beautiful and doesn't affect us and our families, therefore we can attend if we want to and if we don't want to hear the loud noise we simply stay at our quiet home. It is however very important to consider the local residents, wildlife, and the environment who have no choice but to attend because they live there. No one wants to be told that, if you don t like it you can move. The stage committee sent counsel a letter stating that the results were overwhelmingly positive. I had to object to that wording in the letter because I found that such a strongly focused committee could not help but produce a biased survey by suppressing many considerations and survey questions that should've been asked... and even feel this bias may have gone so far as to affect the integrity and accuracy of the very professional Novus Environmental sound report. Please consider that in the Novus report, it states in part that, The BLAST event produced noise levels that exceeded stationary noise limits at the closest PORs (points of reception). The event also exceeded the Cavanaugh criteria selected for this event.
Please also consider that in answering Blast Neighbor Survey question 2, 71% of those affected found the noise beyond their comfort level and in question 3, 50% of those affected found the noise level unacceptable. It is also very important to consider the unsolicited and serious issues raised in section 5 where it asks, Is there is there anything else you would like to add? The heartfelt concerns raised in this section by the residents are an absolute must read where 90% recorded serious negative comments. Do I think this committee has bad people on it? Absolutely not...they are dedicated professionals, respected, hi-profile valuable members of our community. Do I think that loud electronically amplified concerts will have a permanent negative effect on wildlife wanting to live and nest in the area? Yes I do. Do I think that the committee's strong focus on getting this stage built has perhaps clouded their objectivity in considering other various implications and reactions to this project? Yes I do. The one thing that almost everyone in the committee has agreed on is that the town of mono is going to be able to have some influence on the events that take place on the island Lake Beachstage. As a determining body and in order to help you make an informed decision, I am hoping that you will please consider some of the alternate vision and priority options that I have presented with respect to my experiences, expectations, and the evolution of the beach stage committee. We are approaching the fork in the road where we have to decide which way to proceed, so please consider, do the desires of a non-affected group of people for loud amplified entertainment in a beautiful setting, override the rights of the large group of people and trail users who want to maintain the island lake conservation area as a peaceful, pristine, and educational sanctuary for nature, for present and future generations, override the rights of all the residents affected by noise, traffic and other concerns, and override the rights of all the creatures and their ability to nest, live and flourish in a protected environment? I feel we have a fantastic treasure here, and like the visionaries of the past who set aside and protected areas like the provincial Parks, feel that this unique treasure should be vigorously protected. Considering that there are so many provincial projects like gravel pits, fill dumping, and other projects that we have no control over, I think we should stand together as a Council and a community to ensure that we enhance and protect the environmental beauty and value of this treasure and ensure we do not commercialize or industrialize the Island Lake conservation area for the sake of entertainment and increased attendance numbers. Solution - I believe there are other intensified areas close by where a stage with loud entertainment would be more suitable and less disruptive.
If we got together and wanted to select one really particularly beautiful, educational and sensitive place in this lovely town to protect for future generations, would it not be this natural and environmentally diverse waterfront and area around the lake? I remain in favour of a non-disruptive stage that would host non-electronically amplified performances of poetry, plays, weddings, children's story telling sessions, and other quiet venues, as initially suggested by the Theatre Orangeville group and do not believe that a group of people from other places, should have the right to unilaterally impose their desire for loud entertainment at this location on the local residents, the environment, and affected fauna. My hope is that the town will strike a committee or initiate some other formal process, with an independent and unbiased chair to start an open, transparent, democratic, and respectful debate, and continuing discussion, where all the information and everyone's viewpoints are considered in a fair and just manner, to articulate what is best for all the residents of this town, the island lake conservation area, the local residents, and the environment with respect to noise and other environmental issues affecting our town. Thanks to Kim. Thank you for your attention and consideration of this alternate view point. I am available to clarify any of my comments and answer any questions on this topic
Question/ Comment Summary Councilor Nix there were negative aspects in survey and reports. With appropriate controls, the concerts could be within Provincial and Cavanaugh limits? Marc Darby with significant noise reduction at the soundboard the concerts could be reduced so as to meet the absolute maximum allowable Provincial sound limits for people. Report should be thoroughly studied. I do not feel we should reduce by just enough to meet the max allowable noise limit. We should be ultra conservative with respect to noise limits in our conservation areas for not just the residents but also for our ecosystems. Councilor Nix 50 acres of Town purchased land, lots of noise from gravel pit beepers and crushers but wildlife seems tolerant. Marc Darby survey says people in the area and on the trails want to hear nature; wind in the trees, birds, leaves crushing under their feet, waves lapping the shore, not loud noise. I respect others desire for loud entertainment but feel we should bias this area more towards peace, quiet, nature and protection. Deputy Mayor McGhee we should accept this Minority Report. CVC has a mandate to protect the park. non amplified outdoor Hyde park theatre was nice. Many questions raised today, need to be answered to make best decision. Sent from my ipad