Editor:
While developer shakedowns aren’t specific to the Sunshine Coast, anyone who has lived here a while knows to listen for the moment when a proposal’s front person slides forward the actions the development corporation could legally take in the regrettable event that the local government doesn’t fork over the desired concessions. Usually, the threat will have been made quietly first to planning officials, so that when it’s tearfully unveiled at a public meeting, they can confirm its technical validity.
For Stonehurst, the stick behind the carrot was wiped off at the March 30 special committee of the whole meeting. The front person of the moment wanted all to know that it would cost less to demolish the house and build a modern structure of similar size than to retain anything of the old building and the Town planner in attendance confirmed the absence of any heritage barrier to a demolition permit.
The Town has been clear all along about only wanting to hear yeas or nays on the project from its own voters, so I will limit myself to asking these voters “Do any of you know of anyone who has lived in any part of that building, or who has visited anyone who has lived in any part of that building, who considers the building itself to be a treasure?”
To my knowledge the heritage value of Stonehurst is the stories that go with it, and the Town gets to keep those stories whether the structure comes down or not. And should the Town blow off the development extortion attempt, it also gets to keep the entirety of the neighbouring lot it currently uses as green space and parking.
David Stow, Elphinstone
