A NIMBY is an urban phenomenon. The word means ‘Not in my back yard’ and applies to those people who appear suddenly when a developer attempts to improve a neighbourhood by building something new or novel, or unusual. Whatever it is, they will object to it. This is so prevalent at times that if someone tries to get a building permit for a respectable doghouse in their own backyard, there is an immediate line formed of neighbours complaining about possible disruption, noise, smell or possible loss of sunshine on their homes.
At Babel City Council, the other evening, we got ourselves mistaken for a NIMBY. It was accidental. The real concern is that access and egress from where we live, which is by way of a very narrow street. It is not only narrow but the street ends at the creek in a cul-de-sac.
A developer is planning an even higher condominium tower on the other side of our narrow street. The proposed building, which looks very good, by the way, was an excellent excuse to remind City Council that we voters, who already enjoy the neighbourhood, would like to have assured access to our property for ourselves, our visitors and for emergency vehicles.
The problem is not the new development but is the tendency for tourists, when enjoying some of our lakefront events, to ignore posted restrictions when parking their vehicles. In fact, they park anywhere they damn well please. They scale fences. They fertilize our bushes. The adults and their litters, litter. We welcome them as visitors to Babel but we sometimes lack a warm feeling towards them when they are disrespectful of our laws and our sense of decency.
The presentation we made to council was light on comment about the proposed development and heavy on discussion of the parking problem. We concluded our brief dissertation with an admonishment to council to take better care of our street for us.
But you still get branded a NIMBY. It cannot be helped
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