Letter to the Editor - Don O'Neill

Editor:

How did this happen? Who was the first Whetstone person contacted on the Evergreen project? How did this unacceptable project get underway? Why was it kept secret for so long? The Evergreen Development Proposal is met with widespread opposition by Whetstone residents and the Whetstone Homes Corporation (WHC).

The Whetstone Board is timid in its opposition in search of how best to represent its opposition. On the other hand, Whetstone Residents are more bold and less restrained in their opposition and express it more genuinely in viewing Evergreen simply as an unwanted uninvited intruder who rudely refused to answer questions at the November 7 telecom meeting and failed to respond to residents’ letters afterwards. Beyond that, the Evergreen lawyer was presumptuous and exhibited a demeaning, arrogant, and demanding attitude towards Whetstone residents. It was her way or the highway throughout the call.

One resident said it best at Residents Time at the 13 January 2022 meeting in stating:

The Evergreen proposal was surprising and out of the blue.
We expected a small commercial building.
The seven story 180-unit rental business was way beyond expectation.
Traffic safety is the key issue in terms of turning onto Montgomery Village Avenue, accommodating 230 extra cars, and the additional traffic from other new residential development further up Montgomery Village Avenue.
Parking on Whetstone streets in Lakeside by apartment people and their visitors will be a problem.
There will be increased foot traffic within Whetstone and with it the prospect for increased crime.
Schools are already over capacity and accommodating more students is not in the plan
Green space belongs to Whetstone which is responsible for its maintenance and will be overrun by apartment dwellers operating as free riders on Whetstone amenities.
The infrastructure will be stressed including the high power rate line and the impact on Lake Whetstone.
A seven story apartment building is incompatible with the design for Montgomery Village especially the community of Whetstone.

The flaw in the Evergreen Development Proposal lies in the type of project being considered. Instead of an apartment building, Whetstone residents are looking for services, shops, and restaurants.

In short, Whetstone needs to defeat the Evergreen Development Proposal!

Don O’Neill
Whetstone