Gateway proposal leaves councillors cold

BY KIRK STARRATT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

A number of Kings County councillors aren’t satisfied with a Farm Market Gateway proposal presented recently to the committee of the whole.

Following the presentation of the proposal to councillors by Kings Community Economic Development Agency (Kings CED) development officer Marianne Gates, Deputy Warden Diana Brothers said she understands the intention is to use Greenwich as a starting point, but she thought the matter was being looked at as a county-wide initiative. She said “Farm Market Gateway” signage should be placed on Highway 101 at the borders with Hants and Annapolis counties.

“I think this is really good work, but this needs to be a Kings County issue,” she said. “I feel this has turned into a Greenwich issue… I will not be supporting anything that’s isolated.”

Councillor Wayne Atwater concurred. He thought council had made it loud and clear that signage should be placed at both ends of the county. Councillor Ted Palmer said he would rather see the initiative carried out all at once rather than in phases because, under the proposal, there wouldn’t be any signage placed in the western end of the county until later on.

Councillor Barry Peterson said three of the four Greenwich farms involved in the original proposal are trying to get their land rezoned for cluster housing. “I don’t see how they can have both,” he said.

Councillor Madonna Spinazola said council can’t get territorial, and pointed out that council commissioned the planning study for Greenwich that recommended the cluster housing concept and the farm market promotion. She said the farmers didn’t ask for cluster housing, but did ask for rezoning to keep their businesses viable.

“We’re talking ‘buy local’, so let’s do something concrete,” she said. “This would be one step in branding the county.”

Councillor John Fuller said he’s concerned with farm markets to the east being overlooked and pointed out there’s a lot more going on in Kings County than the Greenwich planning study.



Nonsensical and upsetting

In an attempt to address concerns, councillor Chris Parker moved to accept all recommendations presented by Gates with the exception that all the phases would be completed within one year; that appropriate tag boards recognizing the county as a farm market destination be added to the county’s two existing “Orchards and Tides” highway signs; and that the municipality’s recently-established “Buy Local” website be used to promote county farm markets, replacing the website element of the proposal.

Warden Fred Whalen said there’s probably enough in the county’s economic development budget to complete all phases of the proposal within one year.

However, this didn’t alleviate the concerns. Fuller said farms would be bypassed and that is nonsensical and upsetting.

“This is really going to create a problem in the farming community,” he said.

Spinazola said there was a plan established, but now council is changing it. She said the motion had been clear and concise in the beginning, but no longer is.

“I think we should tear this up and throw it in the garbage because that’s what the farmers are going to want to do with it,” she said, pointing out there are agendas and personalities at play among councillors. “This is not looking at the big picture for Kings County.”

Atwater said the only agenda he has is helping the farming community.

Chief Administrative Officer Brian Smith suggested that councillors refer the proposal back to the Kings CED committee that drafted it for further review. Councillors approved a motion to do so. Councillors were directed to put their concerns with the proposal on paper and forward them to Gates within two weeks.