The Editor,

I would like to start by thanking George Claydon for taking on the Vision Chelsea project at the request of the previous Chelsea, Quebec council. After Chelsea Creek and Meredith Centre, I can’t imagine why anyone would do so, but I can’t think of a better person.

Now for the constructive criticism. The terms of reference for the visioning lacks four important things: 1. visioning timeline; 2. municipal capacity, 3. budget for implementation and 4. a source of funds. It’s nice to dream a dream, but without a clear scope for the actual vision implementation plan, that dream could turn into a nightmare.

The committee’s representatives ask for our vision for 2020. We will be at our municipal staff, volunteer and financial limits until 2015 if we manage to clean up the sewer mess at Mill Rd, do Farm Point (sewer) right, do the sewer for Old Chelsea Rd west of Hwy 5 and build the Meredith Centre, maybe even on budget. That leaves us five years to build the vision. Not the usual vision timeline. Perhaps 2030 would be more appropriate for a vision and budget to go with it. The federal and provincial governments are tapped out with huge deficits. We are unlikely to see the spending spree that gave us the sewers (but not Old Chelsea’s yet) and the Meredith Centre, before 2020. I suggest the new council address these four gaps in the terms of reference before we invest too much effort in the wrong direction.

Second criticism relates to the doubling of the “centre-village” area to include all property bounded by Hwy 105, Old Chelsea Rd and Scott Rd. Two businesses at the corner of the 105 and Scott Rd do not a Centre-Village extension make.

There are currently five different zones in this area, one of which is residential. What are the implications of this expansion to the residents of the area and to Chelsea residents both near to the area and far from it? The last time something was passed by council, that Chelsea residents did not understand, we got Chelsea Creek.

I look forward to an open invitation to participate in the planning charette in January.

Brenda Brulotte

Chelsea

Tagged as: chelsea quebec, George Claydon, Letters, Vision Chelsea