Well, did it again... Upset this person.
http://www.woolwichobserver.com/headline_news.htm#news1
Township threatens end of local rink
By Casey Lessard
OBSERVER STAFF
It’s been featured on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, but Woolwich Township could close Rod Townsend’s rink on Listowel Road this winter.
For Townsend’s part, it won’t close without a fight.
“This is something community people use,” he said. “If [they] want to make a big deal out of it, bring it on, because I would have so many thousands of people in this town that would be all over them.”
Townsend and Woolwich planner Jeremy Vink have seen a lot of each other for the last five months because of zoning issues. First, there was concern over a minor variance for converting a shed into a pool house. Then there was concern about his parking transport trailers on one of his properties. Now the rink on his residential property east of Floradale Road is an issue.
“We advised the owner (Townsend) that the ice rink must remain accessory to the dwelling unit,” Vink said, “and shall not be used as a community ice rink, basically similar to an arena, where it’s open to the public. Minor hockey teams shouldn’t be practicing out there.”
“I asked him (Vink) to write down the definition of a community rink,” Townsend said, “and he said there is no definition that currently exists on the township books. This isn’t being logical anymore; I believe it’s a personal vendetta from my other zoning issues. I asked him to put what he told me in writing, and he told me he could not do that without his boss’ permission.”
The rink has been used for various community events over the five years that the Townsends have had it.
“We have different teams come out and practice,” he said, “the fire department has been out there, a couple of church groups have been out there for skates. We do the 3-on-3 tournaments twice a year. Those are always a success.
“We’ve never had any trouble; we’ve only had good things said about it.”
He said he does all this for the community, and spends thousands of dollars of his own money for maintenance and insurance.
“One year it cost me an extra $3,000 for insurance just to have the rink. And when we did make some money in a couple of the tournaments, I donated to the defibrillator fund in Elmira, as well as Woolwich Minor Hockey.”
These are the rules set out to Townsend by Vink: no more than two or three neighbourhood kids at a time; can’t have enough kids to play a game of hockey; parking and traffic must not become concerns; Woolwich Minor Hockey is not allowed to use the rink; and community members, such as Beavers, Brownies, Woolwich Fire Department, and church youth groups, can’t use the rink.
“I said I guess we’ll have to close down the Three Bridges school rink and the other Mennonite rinks that exist in the township,” Townsend said, “and he wasn’t aware that Three Bridges even existed.”
“When you change it from your typical backyard ice rink,” Vink said, “where you, the residents, use the rink and some of the neighbours’ kids come over once in a while, when you go beyond that – where you have change rooms, a zamboni, you let community teams use the ice rink or you’re renting it out – that goes beyond what is typical to someone’s backyard.”
“I take pride in the rink,” Townsend said, “and I’m proud that I can provide some extra ice time for people or hockey players or whatever. It just makes me sick – it’s ridiculous as far as I’m concerned,” he said of the township’s issues.
So what will he do this winter?
“I’ll put my rink up and carry on. What are they going to do? Come and melt my ice?”
http://www.woolwichobserver.com/headline_news.htm#news1
Township threatens end of local rink
By Casey Lessard
OBSERVER STAFF
It’s been featured on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, but Woolwich Township could close Rod Townsend’s rink on Listowel Road this winter.
For Townsend’s part, it won’t close without a fight.
“This is something community people use,” he said. “If [they] want to make a big deal out of it, bring it on, because I would have so many thousands of people in this town that would be all over them.”
Townsend and Woolwich planner Jeremy Vink have seen a lot of each other for the last five months because of zoning issues. First, there was concern over a minor variance for converting a shed into a pool house. Then there was concern about his parking transport trailers on one of his properties. Now the rink on his residential property east of Floradale Road is an issue.
“We advised the owner (Townsend) that the ice rink must remain accessory to the dwelling unit,” Vink said, “and shall not be used as a community ice rink, basically similar to an arena, where it’s open to the public. Minor hockey teams shouldn’t be practicing out there.”
“I asked him (Vink) to write down the definition of a community rink,” Townsend said, “and he said there is no definition that currently exists on the township books. This isn’t being logical anymore; I believe it’s a personal vendetta from my other zoning issues. I asked him to put what he told me in writing, and he told me he could not do that without his boss’ permission.”
The rink has been used for various community events over the five years that the Townsends have had it.
“We have different teams come out and practice,” he said, “the fire department has been out there, a couple of church groups have been out there for skates. We do the 3-on-3 tournaments twice a year. Those are always a success.
“We’ve never had any trouble; we’ve only had good things said about it.”
He said he does all this for the community, and spends thousands of dollars of his own money for maintenance and insurance.
“One year it cost me an extra $3,000 for insurance just to have the rink. And when we did make some money in a couple of the tournaments, I donated to the defibrillator fund in Elmira, as well as Woolwich Minor Hockey.”
These are the rules set out to Townsend by Vink: no more than two or three neighbourhood kids at a time; can’t have enough kids to play a game of hockey; parking and traffic must not become concerns; Woolwich Minor Hockey is not allowed to use the rink; and community members, such as Beavers, Brownies, Woolwich Fire Department, and church youth groups, can’t use the rink.
“I said I guess we’ll have to close down the Three Bridges school rink and the other Mennonite rinks that exist in the township,” Townsend said, “and he wasn’t aware that Three Bridges even existed.”
“When you change it from your typical backyard ice rink,” Vink said, “where you, the residents, use the rink and some of the neighbours’ kids come over once in a while, when you go beyond that – where you have change rooms, a zamboni, you let community teams use the ice rink or you’re renting it out – that goes beyond what is typical to someone’s backyard.”
“I take pride in the rink,” Townsend said, “and I’m proud that I can provide some extra ice time for people or hockey players or whatever. It just makes me sick – it’s ridiculous as far as I’m concerned,” he said of the township’s issues.
So what will he do this winter?
“I’ll put my rink up and carry on. What are they going to do? Come and melt my ice?”
