Letter to the Editor #2

We Hafiz and Shelina Makani, of Shop N’ Save, Kinmount are responding to your one sided article titled “Kinmount Streetscape Delayed” on Thursday, February 11th, 2010. Firstly, to be very clear, we are not against the project as
mentioned in the article. The only thing that we are disputing is that the City of Kawartha Lakes eliminate high- curb and put drivable curbs in front of our store (Shop N’ Save Discount Store and Convenience). Our disabled and seniors can have easy access to the store and not try to climb the curb and it will eliminate a
choke point for the 53 foot trucks coming off of County Rd 45 West. In the article Stata states that we built a small addition to the north side and eliminated some of the parking. Maybe Stata should take a closer look at our building and realize that the north side was already there when we purchased the building 13 years ago. The addition was built at the back of the store three years ago. Stata states about safety concerns perhaps he should practice what he preaches, and stop feeding the bears. This puts the community at risk all year round. Our back parking lot ground is well settled now and is ready to be paved this year and is to be used by the community as a whole for long term parking and not keeping restrictions on time limit as the post office parking lot does, which belongs to the tax
payers. Now coming to the front parking, we are a discount and a convenience store. Customers come in to get a pack of cigarettes or a coffee or other baked goods which take less then 5 minutes, this requires short term parking, which is provided in the front of the store. If the City takes away our 5 short term parking spaces in the front, it is going to be difficult for seniors and disabled
to have easy access to the store and also would a devastating loss to our business. Like all conveniences stores short term parking is ABSOLUTELY necessary. This short term parking was approved by the City of Kawartha Lakes and stamped on our blueprint of our building. About the trucks, Stata states that the delivery trucks should go to the rear of the building. We have tried that and concluded that the trucks have damaged our eaves trough as well as the building next to us. There is not enough room, because it is only a one way lane, which is very narrow, fit for cars and vans only. A few months ago, Stata called the cops as well as the bylaw officer on us, telling them that the delivery trucks are parked on
the sidewalks, which don’t exist. Both officers were confused, questioning themselves on why they were here. We are sorry that a lot of the merchants are upset at us, but this project is not going to affect their business as it will affect ours. Sit back and put yourselves in our shoes. According to Diane Austin, we are the only merchant opposing this project. Once again, we will be the only merchant who will be badly affected and once again WE ARE NOT AGAINST THE PROJECT!
We would love to have a sidewalk in front of our store WITH a drivable curb and not a high curb. Diane Austin talks about selfless spirit of cooperation, maybe she should practice what she preaches. She says that she is the chair person for the
Planning and Economic Development of Kinmount, who puts plants and hanging baskets in downtown Kinmount and the stores. Let us ask her in the last 13 years, has she EVER put any hanging flower baskets at our store. The answer is NO, and she talks about spirit of cooperation! Diane Austin states that one person should not have the power, shouldn’t she practice what she preaches. We have been recently told that she is employed by the City of Kawartha Lakes?
There are four signs that say “Welcome to Kinmount” located at the 4 County
roads entering Kinmount. The funds for those signs were generated from Shop
N’ Save through the sales of Nevada Tickets and money was given to the
Planning and Economic Development Committee. We think that is the spirit of
cooperation. In the article it states that some of the merchants accused us of “brow beating” our customers into signing the petitions. Our customers have appreciated the fact they have been able to make their own independent decisions. We have learned to make an effort to know our customers and how loyal, intelligent and caring they can be; perhaps other merchants can learn from this.
In the letter by Stata e-mailed to the MOE’s Adam Sanzo, Stata states quote “Darrell Darling from the City drove up to meet with me to see if I would approve Hafiz’s requests and talk with the others to see if there was some common ground. I said it was possible if Hafiz finished his parking at the back.” end of quote. We wonder who the project manager really is. Is it Darrell Darling
from the City or Keith Stata? As it states in the article, getting satisfactory results depends on who you are. Let us rephrase a sentence quoted in the article, quote. “Makani has suggested that he would stop the injunction if the City goes back to square one and the City holds another public meeting” end quote. What we
meant was that if the City could go back to the drawing board and accommodate our requests as they have accommodated other requests from other merchants, in the best interest of their businesses. In conclusion, we want to clarify again to my fellow merchants and the community on the whole. WE ARE NOT AGAINST THE
PROJECT AND WE ARE NOT AGAINST THE SIDEWALKS. The only thing that we are against is that the City not put highcurbs, but put drivable curbs in front of our store.

Yours Sincerely,
Hafiz & Shelina Makani
Shop N’ Save Discount Store & Convenience
Kinmount, Ontario