The residents of Teal street could face a $50,000 dollar fine by the Hamilton Conservation Authority for putting up cement blocks to prevent the pond which inhabits wildlife from draining into Lake Ontario. A poll/survey was done in the neighborhood on June 10th, followed by a letter stating that an overwhelming majority were in favor of the cement blocks being placed to protect wildlife, health, safety, home value and overall enjoyment of the scenery.
The Hamilton Conservation Authority then sent a letter to all residents of the area threatening legal action, with the maximum collective fine of $50,000, which would calculate to $483 per registered land owner.
Below is the letter sent to residents:
 |
| Letter to Residents Part 1 |
 |
| Letter to Residents Part 2 |
Below is an explanation from a resident in regards to the letter from the Hamilton Conservation Authority. I hope that the Hamilton Conservation Authority and the residents involved can all meet and come to a positive conclusion to this matter.
 |
| Pond Explanation Part1 |
|
 |
| Pond Explanation Part2 |
 |
Pond Explanation Part3
|
It's funny how the HCA sent out the registered threat letter to only about 56 homes and only on Teal Ave. There are 100+ owners of the park/pond land all over the neighbourhood and figuring out who actually does own is like a needle in a haystack not to mention thousands of dollars.
ReplyDeleteI live on Teal and I was not approached by anyone, nor did I hear or see anything until I got letters in the mail in June 2010 and November 2010.
How can someone legally sue someone without proof or evidence? Also I do not live near the end of the pond so how would I know what is going on down there? I am not the pond police. There is no fence and the place is not monitored.
If the HCA felt bad about the pond or even wanted to do thier job they should have sent out a notice to the neighbourhood in July 2009 and also stepped in and monitored the situation - but they didn't. They sat back and did nothing, letting the entire pond drain out. How is that conservation?
The HCA is very selective as to when they get involved in the issues concerning this area. I am a long time homeowner on this pond. The HCA wanted nothing to do with the pond when raw sewage was being directly funnelled into it. Nor were they in attendance the Summer of 2009 when the whole pond emptied, yet Church St. was flooded. We did not receive a copy of the letter from the HCA even though it will be MY backyard they will be reducing to a stinky, mosquito infested mud pit. The Hamilton Conservation Authority should be renamed the "Hamilton Concrete Authority". The entire HCA web-site is about money, money, money. As a point of interest, check out the latest permits that have been approved by the HCA in "protected conservation lands".
ReplyDeleteDundas your NEXT!!!!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone taken into consideration the affects this will have on future home buying and selling in our community? Any potential new home buyers will not want to get involved with a home that has pending leagl issues against it - full disclosure will be necessary. The actions of a few are causing grief and heartache for many.
ReplyDeleteI live on the Oceanic Drive side of the pond and have no ownership in the park where the blocks were placed, so I would not be named in any potential lawsuit. I'm still happy to see that both the residents and the HCA all want the same thing: for the pond to be preserved.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the water level went down, it never drained completely. In fact, at it's lowest level, probably less than 5% of the pond bed became visible (at least from where I could see from my back yard). If the blocks brought the level back up, that great. It seems like the HCA just disagrees with HOW the problem was solved. Either they will drop the whole thing or they will find another solution. I'm personally just looking forward to the pond thawing and I can feed the turtles again!