The Port Elgin Beach Preservers were a busy group before and during the regular Saugeen Shores Committee of the Whole meeting.
The Preservers were out in force an hour before the council meeting Monday night, demonstrating outside the Plex with signs calling for any development on the Port Elgin beach to be done right and without a multi-story event centre.
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Spokesperson Dan Frank says the draft plans they've seen will not be a good fit for the beach area.
However, Frank says the group is good with an event centre, as long as it's kept low and small, and fits into the beachside area.
Plans call for a multi-story event centre that could handle up to 300 people at a time.
Frank fears council will come up with a deal with the local investors and fast-track the issue through three readings at council to become a bylaw.
He says, “If this gets passed the town is going to have to jump through provincial hoops and we'll be lobbying those folks.”
If that doesn't work, he says “They might find us out on our beach blankets on the beach in front of road graders and so on.”
Mayor Luke Charbonneau urges everyone to take what they're reading on social media with a grain of salt.
He says a deal is being negotiated and when it's done, it will be made public before council makes a decision.
Port Elgin Beach Preservers group demonstrating in front of The Plex prior to their delegation at Saugeen Shores Council to talk about proposed Waterfront Revitalization. @98thebeach @NewsBayshore pic.twitter.com/ZlAlB9SIfo
— John Divinski (@JDivinski) November 25, 2019