The citizens of Mississippi Mills and in particular the property owners in the proposed Heritage Conservation District are faced with an assault of unknown proportions on their finances and their property rights. Council is preparing to pass a bylaw to establish the above district and despite council’s protests to the contrary most of the property owners in the HCD area still do not know how it will affect them. The main reason for this being, the Guidelines and policies are just now being completed. The guidelines and policies outline how the residents and the town must interact to manage the HCD and they are crucial to the residents understanding of how it will affect them. In many municipalities where HCDs have been established (or not eg; Carleton Place) the municipalities spent years in some cases to explain the guidelines, visiting each property owner and going over the pros and cons. There will be a financial impact on all of Mississippi Mills residents and this has not yet been disclosed.
In order to get a better understanding of the Heritage Conservation District and it’s impacts please plan to attend The Public Meeting on June 23rd at 7:00 pm in the Almonte Old Town Hall. In the meantime give it some thought and be prepared to ask questions. This issue is of importance to every resident of Mississippi Mills.
Apparently they do not need the approval of all or any of the residents but surely they must feel obliged to inform us properly of what the affects will be.
Brian J. Gallagher
Representing the Concerned Property Owners Group
