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Source : The Bradford Witness
Media Type : Photograph
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Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
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Description : He Helps Plan Area Growth
Art Kneeshaw was appointed to the Bradford planning board in 1969, just when growth began to surge in town.
The appointment to the Bradford board was followed two years later by his being named to head the joint planning board with West Gwillimbury.
"The idea behind joint planning is to make Bradford and West Gwillimbury work together," Mr. Kneeshaw said recently in an interview.
The pressure on the town of Bradford to develop never lets up, he said.
"With gas prices so high, commuters to the north are suffering," he said. "People are moving closer to Toronto. Because we're not that far away, we're getting hit by that."
The Simcoe-Georgian Task Force has suggested that the population of the town of Bradford should grow to 12,000 by 1991.
"Even at the present rate it's going to be ahrd to hold it," Mr. Kneeshaw said. "Right now we have enough development approved to take us up to 7,800 people."
The official population for Bradford in 1975 was 4,566. "We're still in the process of going from 5,000 to 7,500," he said. "It's going to be busy for the next two or three years anyhow."
The main limit to growth right now is the delay in approval of the proposed sewage plant extension. Council asked the Ministry of Housing for approval 18 months ago.
"It appears we're getting in more industry than we should," Mr. Kneeshaw said. "The plan is set up for 75 percent residential and 25 percent industrial."
"This town can someday handle 20,000. We're very fortunate that we'll never have to annex for years."
When asked what has been the toughest problem he has faced while sitting on the planning board, Mr. Kneeshaw replied:
"The time element. A developer always feels there is a time delay from the time he makes application until he get approval to go ahead."
An area resident all his life, Mr. Kneeshaw is the Land Registrar and Master of Titles for the County of Simcoe.
He has worked for the county for 25 years.
He and his wife, Ruth, have two grown children, Brian and Faye.
Mr. Kneeshaw's numerous interested include curling, golf and the Bradford Lions Club.