 Returning after car accident
City councillors return Sept. 14 following the summer break, and I'll be back in action too, following my recuperation from a car accident in June. It's a busy fall, with upcoming public meetings on several downtown developments, a free art event on Old Lakeshore Road, and chance to cycle with me. Read more below, get involved and spread the word to your friends and neighbours! CONTACT
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Coming to Committee & Council
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Development applications; public meetings
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Public meeting: Sept. 23, 2015
City planning staff has received a formal planning application requesting a zoning by-law amendment for 2085 Pine St. to permit a 5-storey residential building while retaining the existing heritage home on the property.
Planning staff will be sending the application out to various city staff departments and agencies for comments over the summer and a neighbourhood meeting will take place on:
Date: Wed., Sept 23, 2015
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Burlington Seniors' Centre, Multi-Purpose Room, 2285 New St.
Details of the proposal and all of the supporting documents and studies are posted on the city's website at: www.burlington.ca/2085pinestreet. Formal written comments can be sent to the planner, Lisa Stern, with a copy to me.
The developer, Roman Home Builders, shared their most recent proposal with residents at a meeting on Apr. 29, 2015. The notes of the meeting and the presentation are available below:
Notes April 29 2015 Public Meeting 2085 Pine St.
2085 Pine Street PowerPoint Presentation April 29 2015
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Public Meeting #2: Tues., Sept. 22, 7 p.m., 760 Brant St.
Cherishome Living has submitted a formal site plan application for the redevelopment of 730 Brant St., and the southerly portion of 760 Brant St. (Site Plan - 730 & 760 Brant Street).
I will be hosting a second public meeting to give residents an opportunity to view the revised plans and provide feedback:
Date: Tues., Sept. 22, 2015
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: 760 Brant St.
The applicant will present their formal plans and city planner, Charles Mulay, will go over the planning process and timelines.
The application is similar to what residents were presented with at the April 15th public meeting: a 4-storey building with 146 residential units and 7 commercial units along Brant Street. One significant change is the driveway location has moved to Brant Street, whereas the preliminary drawings showed the driveway on Hyde Road.
The application fits within the existing Official Plan. Some minor amendments to the zoning regulations may have to go before the Committee of Adjustment for approval. Residents within 60m will receive a letter in the mail from the Committee of Adjustment if minor variances are necessary. City planning and zoning staff are still reviewing the application to determine what, if any, minor variances will be necessary.
Missed the first meeting?
View the notes and PowerPoint presentation from the first meeting:
More than 75 residents attend public meeting on 730/760 Brant redevelopment
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I have received many queries to my office about whether or not the ADI proposal for a 28 storey building at Martha & Lakeshore in downtown Burlington has been approved, following the appearance of a large billboard on the site announcing a residential project "Arriving Soon."
Emphatically and unequivocally, nothing has been approved on this property.
By way of background, the city received one development application for this property, from ADI, for an Official Plan Amendment and rezoning to permit a 28-storey residential building. The current OP and Zoning contemplate a 4-storey building here, with ability to go to 8 storeys under certain circumstances.
City planning staff rejected the proposal on the grounds that it represented overbuilding of the site and poor planning.
City council supported the staff opinion and unanimously rejected the proposal. The community is overwhelming opposed to the proposal.
ADI has appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board for a decision. A hearing is expected to take place in March 2016.
For more background read:
First OMB pre-hearing conference held for ADI development, 374 Martha St.
Councillors endorse staff refusal of 28-storey on Martha; ADI appeals to OMB
I will continue to keep residents notified here and in my monthly newsletter as this proposal proceeds through the OMB.
So what about that sign? Unfortunately, the city has no legal grounds to govern the content of signs. These types of signs that appear before an application is approved have occurred before on other development sites in the city, and we cannot stop them.
We do, however, govern the size and installation of signs. At my request, by law enforcement looked into this sign and have confirmed the sign is too large. However, ADI is arguing that the sign is hoarding to secure the vacant lot. Our bylaw is apparently silent on messages appearing on hoarding. So for now the sign remains.
This seems to me to be a significant gap in our sign regulations. There is hoarding at the corner of Brant and Blairholm, currently painted black; the owner has been asking to place a billboard for years. How long do you think it will be before we see a sign replacing the black paint on this hoarding, or elsewhere in the city? We don't want a billboard-as-hoarding free-for-all.
I have asked for a meeting with our bylaw staff to discuss how we might revise our bylaws to address the issue of oversize signs masquerading as hoarding. Stay tuned.
My Take:
Any sign or advertisement suggesting the imminent arrival of a development project that has not been approved is misleading and confusing. These signs create concern around whether a deal has been struck behind closed doors without the public's knowledge in the dog days of summer. Emphatically, no. Such signs also require an exasperating expenditure of time and resources to correct the facts.
 I'm also not persuaded the sign is "hoarding." The sign is only in one corner of the lot - the part facing traffic; the entire other side is wide open. Most hoarding runs the perimeter of a property. The sign also appears to be about 2-storeys high - you'd need rapelling equipment to get over it. but you can walk through the slats on the other side. This construction effort is not securing the site. I'm concerned about pubic safety and the security and installation of this massive billboard. I will be doing some further investigating with staff.
I will be sending correspondence to the developer asking that they show more respect for the community, remove the existing sign, and state in any future communication that this project is proposed only and subject to an OMB decision next year.
I will also ask that they not to use hoarding as an opportunity for an oversize billboard, but erect a sign more in keeping with our sign bylaw.
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From Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga September newsletter:
We're making some great progress on our Plains Road build site. All the concrete is finally poured and the first floor is nearing completion in all 13 units. The building is really starting to take shape, thanks to lots of help from local volunteers like A & M Masonry. Michael Alves and his team graciously volunteered to help build the 1st floor cinder block wall. The wall is the core of the 2-hour fire separator for the housing structure, a critical component of our build. Their skillsets have played a crucial role in completing the 1st floor of our build, and we're so very grateful for their help.
We've still got a long way to go and we're looking for local companies and businesses to help us out. The pressure is on to get everything closed in for the winter months, so please contact Nneka Onwualu, our Gift-In-Kind Manager, today at nonwualu@habitathalton.ca or call 289-983-0587.
From the Councillor:
Habitat is also proposing a new townhouse development at 2384 Queensway Drive, but are in the process of revising plans based on feedback from staff. Once the plans are finalized I will be calling a public meeting likely before the end of the year. Watch for details here and in my monthly newsletter.
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Thanks to the more than 100 people who attend the Destination Downtown series of workshops that brought developers, residents, city staff, community groups and organizations together to find common ground on how best to develop our downtown going forward:
what do we want? what don't we want? What can we agree on?
Workshop #1 provided an overview of existing Official Plan & Zoning policies on land use; where development is likely to occur, and started the conversation on developing shared principles on design, compatibility, height, density, heritage, jobs, office/retail, green space, parking, affordability and more.
Workshop #2 provided an opportunity for residents to roll up our sleeves and discuss "what should go where" on various development parcels downtown, including specific feedback on the Molinaro-owned properties on the Northeast and Southeast sides of Brant & Ghent, and Welwyn-owned properties on Maple Ave and on Burlington Ave. at Lakeshore.
Workshop #3 focused on finding consensus on development principles so we can develop draft recommendations for staff who are updating the city's Official Plan & Zoning Bylaw.
Workshop #4: Our next workshop, which has yet to be scheduled, will report back to the community with a consolidation of all the feedback from the first three workshops, both on development principles, as well as on the specific parcels where feedback was requested. We are hoping to set a date in October or November.
Workshop #5: The final workshop will take place some time in the new year once staff have developed what's called a draft "directions report" outlining a series of recommendations for council's approval for updating the Official Plan & Zoning. When the directions report is ready, I'll call a final meeting giving everyone a chance to comment and provide feedback before the report is ultimately sent to council.
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 The city has installed an electric vehicle charging station in the parking garage at 414 Locust St. in downtown Burlington – the first EV charging station in a municipal parking lot in the city.
Located on floor 1A of the parking garage, the recharging station allows electric vehicle owners to recharge their cars in a central downtown location. Two electric vehicles can be charged at one time. Charging will be free to the user, but they will need to pay for their parking spot during paid times. It costs about $1 to fully charge a vehicle, which takes about four hours.
The station installation came out of the Community Energy Plan budget, as one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
My Take:
I support the installation of the charger to assist residents who use electric vehicles as a way to reduce their own contribution to pollution. That said, electric vehicles won't solve our larger transportation issues. If all cars on the highway were electric, we would still have congestion and time and productivity lost commuting. Our longer term goal must be supporting transit, building walkable communities, and bringing jobs closer to home so people don't need to commute long distances.
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 The city has launched the Think Outside the Car Challenge to encourage Burlington residents to leave the car at home and choose active and alternative transportation. The challenge runs Sept. 15 – Oct. 30.
According to Vito Tolone, acting director of transportation at the City of Burlington, 90% of all trips within our city are made with an automobile.
To participate in the challenge:
- Ask a friend or family member to take a photo or video of you using alternative transportation when you would have normally taken your vehicle. Share on social media using #ThinkOutsidetheCar.
- Challenge three friends, family members or co-workers to choose alternative transportation instead of using their vehicle.
- Be part of the change.
To learn more about the Think Outside the Car Challenge and how you can get involved, visit www.burlington.ca/outsidethecar or connect on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/thinkoutsidethecar, on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/OutsidetheCar and on Instagram atwww.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidetheCar.
My Take:
It's always worthwhile to think of ways to reduce our reliance on the car - carpooling with friends; running multiple errands to reduce our number of trips; walking, cycling or taking transit when we can.
These steps will help in the short run, but will ultimately make only a marginal impact on auto use in Burlington because of why our residents use cars and how our community is designed. People drive long distances to work; use the car for transporting heavy items or in bad weather; to transport children; to get from A to B quickly when transit won't; and more.
What will help curb auto use in the long term is the "un-big-boxing" of our communities, designing neighbourhoods where daily amenities are within walking distance, and most importantly, jobs are close by.
Burlington has developed as a commuter suburban big box heaven. Until we build mixed use communities (including on some of our employment lands); attract good local jobs; keep neighbourhood schools in our neighbourhoods; and develop a fast, cheap reliable transit system (preferably regional) alternative transportation will remain a challenge for us.
These larger issues are for various levels of government to tackle. So as we challenge residents to see what you can do to ditch the car, we have our own work cut out for us.
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A group of volunteers in Burlington is raising funds for a monument to mark the location and distance that Terry Fox had run by the time he arrived in Burlington on his cross-country Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research.
 City staff, myself and Councillor Rick Craven worked together with organizers to find an appropriate location in the city for the monument. The six foot granite structure will be erected in Spencer Smith Park near the flower beds at the Maple and Lakeshore intersection. It seemed a fitting location, as Terry's run came through this intersection, and the annual fundraising run is along Beachway Park.
The monument will include the date Terry reached Burlington and the mile marker: 3,582
No money donated to the Terry Fox Foundation or the Burlington Terry Fox Run Committee will go towards this project. Fundraising is independent. To donate contact Greg Costa at 905-335-1909, or costagreg@cogeco.ca.
This year's run takes place Sept. 20. For more information, visit the Burlington Terry Fox Run Community on Facebook.
My Take:
This is an exciting project for our community, and reminds us of our connection to a national story. Terry Fox is an inspiration to volunteers and everybody who sees a need in their community and steps up to do something about it despite the obstacles. This monument is our way to say we’ve personally been touched and benefited by what he did and we continue to be inspired as a community.
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Veterans can now park free year-round in downtown Burlington if they have a veterans license plate - they don't need to apply for a hanging tag for their rear view mirror in addition to having the plate. This change was supported by the Royal Canadian Legion which issues veterans license plates, and the city's Downtown Parking Committee. Council approved the change in July following a motion I brought to eliminate this second step of applying for a hanging tag for veterans who already have a license plate.
Background:
Prior to the change, veterans could park free in downtown Burlington with the display of a parking permit tag in their windshield, renewed annually with the city at no cost. Veterans could also park free with a valid veteran’s license plate, but only on select days: five days per year tied to memorial services for specific battles.
I received a request from a veteran in my ward to extend free parking to veterans with a veteran’s license plate from the five days to year round, to eliminate the need for someone who has a veterans license plate to also fill out the paperwork to get an annual parking permit for their vehicle.
The criteria to qualify for a city veterans parking tag and for a veteran’s license plate are almost identical.
Veterans who do not have a veterans license plate would still need to apply for a rear window parking tag in order to park free downtown.
Read my memo to committee on this issue here: Parking for Veterans
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 Thank you to my city and regional council colleagues, co-workers, city staff, community groups and many, many constituents for your outpouring of support, cards, flowers and well wishes following my car accident June 12. You kept me going and have sped my recovery along.
For those who don't know, I was rear-ended by an SUV into another SUV as I was stopped on Brant Street due to congestion. The driver who hit me was charged with careless driving. Our van was a write-off.
At the time it seemed like a relatively minor accident, and I was more annoyed than anything. But the next day, at the urging of friends, I attended a walk-in clinic because I felt something wasn't right. I learned I had sustained whiplash, and tissue damage in my back. Worse, I was diagnosed with concussion. The double impact had snapped my head forward and back with such force my brain hit my skull on both sides - a common injury for this type of motor vehicle accident.
The result: headache, sensitivity to light and sound, extreme fatigue, nausea. The feeling like your head is full of sawdust.
I took the week off work and mostly slept. I thought I'd be fine to return the next week. Big mistake. I got walloped by the symptoms and realized I needed to learn more about what was happening. I reached out to a concussion specialist. Thus began my education about concussion.
Among the things I learned: You don't need to hit your head to suffer concussion; forceful shaking will do it. This type of injury won't show up on a brain scan. There is no permanent damage in my case. And the only cure is rest, lots of it.
 - Boston, my resting companion.
Rest isn't something I'm good at. But I took the doctor's advice after she told me I could either rest over the summer and be fully recovered by the fall, or maintain my usual pace and delay my recovery by six months to a year. So I took the summer off.
Thankfully council takes a summer recess from committee meetings, and constituent calls go down because of holidays. If it was going to happen, this was the best timing.
I want to thank my colleagues and constituents for your understanding and patience during my recovery and a special thanks to my assistant Georgie Gartside who carried extra weight during this period.
So what's the long term prognosis? I've got the lyrics to a Chumbawamba song in my head: "I get knocked down. But I get up again!"
I'm 95% recovered, with a few remaining physiotherapy and concussion appointments. I expect to be fully recovered very soon. The goal is to be symptom free while maintaining my usual work pace. So far so good, but I am monitoring to make sure.
Aside from its healing factor, this forced rest provided lots of time for thought and reflection. I was reminded of what's most important - our health and the people we love. I learned not to be a hero and power through the pain like I usually do, but take the symptoms seriously, get them checked, and get help so I can recover faster. That's working.
When your health takes a hit you have to lean on those around you - it's a good reminder of how dependent and interdependent we are, how caring for each other makes us human.
Every day I had a chance to be grateful and inspired by the kindness and generosity of Burlington residents and my constituents whose first thought was for my health.
I did a lot of reflecting on our fast paced world where we're all in a hurry, behind schedule, overloaded and distracted - which contributes to motor vehicle accidents in the first place. We all need to slow down a little, enjoy the moment, spend more time doing nothing surrounded by the people we love, and get some rest because it's good for us.
(And I acknowledge my own irony as I write this at 4:30am trying to meet my self imposed deadline). This will take some practise for me, but these are goals worth shooting for.
So there you have it. I'm back and here to serve. Thank you for supporting me during this journey.
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 City council is returning to the business of the city following a six-week break from city and regional standing committee and citizen committee meetings. The break was instituted in part because citizens don't like when council conducts significant business while you're away on holidays and can't participate.
Regional meetings began Sept. 2, (all members of Burlington City Council sit on Halton Regional Council.) City standing committee meetings begin Sept. 14.
Agendas for these meetings are available online below, and residents can attend to speak to any of the agenda items by registering in advance as a delegation. You can also sign up for alerts to be notified when new agendas are posted.
Agendas & Minutes
Register to speak at a meeting
Subscribe to Agendas & Minutes alerts (Top Right Corner)
Coming to Committee & Council
Some highlights of items coming to city standing committee meetings include:
- Confidential discussion on downtown real estate (Sept. 14)
- Proposed bylaw prohibiting feeding wildlife (Sept. 14)
- Financial status & operating budget performance (Sept. 15)
- State of the downtown & recommended performance measures (Sept. 15)
- Confidential updates on OMB hearing re 374 Martha St. development (ADI) and Burlington Airpark (Sept. 15)
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Committee of the Whole Meeting
Date: September 14, 2015
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Council Chambers, Level 2, City Hall
City council sitting as the Committee of the Whole will receive a confidential presentation on downtown real estate by Scott Stewart, General Manager of Development & Infrastructure, Allan Magi, Executive Director of Corporate Works and Ron Steiginga, Manager of Realty Services.
The presentation will include an assessment of development options for each of the city’s surface parking lots, including employment uses.
 The city owns a number of land parcels downtown, including parking lots and public buildings (for example City Hall) and council periodically reviews their best use.
For example, several council terms ago, the city issued a Request for Expressions of Interest in developing the Elizabeth Street parking lot across from Village Square. There were a number of responses, but all were set aside when McMaster expressed an interest in locating a teaching campus here. Ultimately, McMaster decided to locate on the North Service Road.
My vision for this lot is an office development, with possibly public uses in the ground floor. Economic professional development is key to the long term health and vibrancy of the downtown. The city can assist in a number of ways, including providing land as well as providing parking, via the parking reserve built up through a levy on downtown businesses, monthly and daily permit fees, and fines.
As of this writing, we had not received any advance materials for the workshop, however, my goal will be to work with staff to release whatever information we can so the public can participate in this important conversation on how best to leverage our publicly-owned downtown real estate for economic development and public benefit.
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Development and Infrastructure Committee Meeting
Date: September 14, 2015
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Council Chambers, Level 2, City Hall
 City staff are recommending that council amend the city's Animal Control bylaw to prohibit feeding of wildlife in public parks, except in a designated area, as one way to control the coyote population. An example of a designated area for a specific purpose or use could be the Trumpeter Swans overwintering grounds in Lasalle Park.
Staff considered an amendment to the Property Standards by-law and determined it would not be feasible as this by-law addresses animal feed storage rather than the feeding of animals.
Council will consider the recommendation at the D&I meeting Monday Sept. 14. Read the staff report, Item #3 on the D&I Sept. 14 Agenda. You can also register as a delegation to speak at the meeting.
Research indicates that coyotes are attracted by wildlife feeding and typically hunt and eat smaller wild animals. At a recent town hall, staff from Coyote Watch Canada advised that the number one driver for the presence of coyotes and increased human confrontations is the availability of food. This includes overflowing garbage bins, picnic remnants and scattered birdseed.
Coyote Watch Canada has been working with staff to investigate why coyotes are more prevalent in some areas and sometimes have bold interactions with their human neighbours. They have also assisted the city in developing management strategies. Steps taken to date include: enforcing Lot Maintenance and Property Standards By-Laws to reduce the presence of potential food sources or den locations on private property; warning signs in areas, such as parks, that have seen an increase in coyote sightings; online reporting of coyotes through See Click Fix (more than 500 sightings and 98 phone calls logged); removal of a sick or injured coyote to a rehabilitation centre; vigilant cleaning of waste containers at city parks; advising residents to put out garbage and compost containers only on the morning of garbage day, not the night before, and to ensure they are tightly closed to prevent scavenging.
Residents have asked if coyotes can be trapped, relocated or even culled. Under the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, it is illegal to trap and relocate any wild animal beyond the immediate area in which it was captured. The MNRF also states that culling coyotes is not an effective means of reducing a coyote population, as other coyotes typically will take their place. Research suggests that when aggressively controlled (e.g. through culling), coyotes can increase their reproductive rate by breeding at a younger age and having larger litters with a higher survival rate among the young. This allows coyote populations to quickly bounce back even when as much as 70 percent of the coyote population is removed.
Residents are advised to call 911 if they feel threatened.
The following guiding principles are incorporated into staff's recommended coyote management approach:
1. Human safety is the priority in managing human-coyote interactions.
2. Coyotes serve an important role in ecosystems by helping to control the populations of other species, such as rodents and other urban mammals.
3. Preventive practices can minimize potential interactions with coyotes, such as removal of available food, habitat modification and responding appropriately when interacting with wildlife.
4. Solutions for coyote conflicts must address both problematic coyote behaviors (such as aggression towards people and attacks on pets) and problematic human behaviors (such as intentionally or unintentionally feeding coyotes and letting pets outside unattended).
5. Culling programs are ineffective for reducing coyote population sizes or preventing human-coyote conflicts.
6. Community-wide programs that involve residents are key to successful coyote management programs.
Staff are developing a series of videos on coyotes in urban areas, the first on how to wildlife proof your home and property.
My Take:
Based on what we have learned about coyotes through staff's research and public consultation - including what works and doesn't to control their population - it appears the ban on wildlife feeding in public parks will assist in keeping the population low. I'm pleased that there can be exceptions, for example the Trumpeter Swan feeding at LaSalle Park.
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Community and Corporate Services Committee Meeting
Date: September 15, 2015
Time: 1:00 PM and reconvening at 6:30 PM, if required
Location: Council Chambers, Level 2, City Hall
City staff report to council on variances from budget that are greater than $100,000, either favourable (under budget) or unfavourable (over budget). Some highlights as of June 30, 2015, with year-end projections, include:
Winter Maintenance $(232k) Unfavourable - largely due to extreme weather conditions
 Transit $440k Favourable (year-end projection is $133k F) - largely due to savings from staff gapping and diesel costs as a result of timing of expanded services and lower fuel prices. This is partially offset by lower transit revenues resulting from lower than anticipated ridership
Transit fare revenue $271k Unfavourable (year-end projection is $ 603k U) - Lower than anticipated ridership for early 2015 has resulted in lower fare revenues collected.This trend is anticipated to continue for the remainder of the year.
Interest Earned $1.445m Favourable (year-end projection $250k) - result of capital gains realized offset by a low interest rate environment.
Overall, staff are projecting a year-end budget surplus of $981k.
Once the final amount is quantified, staff will provide recommendations to council for allocating any surplus to: the 2016 Operating Budget to help finance one-time expenditures; and to replenish Reserve and Reserve Funds.
To read the staff report, visit the C&CS Sept. 15 Agenda, Item #5.
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Community & C0rporate Services Committee Meeting
Date: Tues. Sept. 15, 2015
Time: 1 & 6:30 PM
Location: Council Chambers, Level 2, City Hall
Each year, city council receives an update on the State of the Downtown, and how progress is being made toward ensuring a vibrant, viable downtown. This summary is collected in a document called "Core Commitment." The current Core Commitment includes more than 40 recommendations that arose from two years of research and public input organized by the Downtown Task Group, of which I was a member. The task group explored where we're at, what other successful downtowns do, the role of the city, what the public wants downtown and more.
The resulting Core Commitment outlines progress toward existing initiatives, as well as new initiatives. A summary of both is below and includes attracting office uses downtown, 3D modelling to assist with development planning, updated streetscape design guidelines, a multiuse path from Martha Street through downtown (Elgin promenade) and a pop-up patio pilot project. New initiatives include exploring seasonal road closures.
Staff were also directed to report back to council on ways to measure and evaluate the success in achieving the objectives of the Core Commitment. The process included a number of workshops which I attended, and resulted in a set of performance measures outlined in a staff report that will be considered by council sitting as the Community & Corporate Services Committee Sept. 15. The report is Item #6 on the C&CS Agenda Sept. 15. Residents can register as a delegation to speak to the item at committee.
Staff have explored collecting data on land use mix, percentage of businesses that meet profit targets/business plans, year over year percentage increase in event attendance by event type and season, ratio of public investment to capital investment in the downtown, and year over year Satisfaction Rate with the downtown experience by residents and visitors.
However, staff have cautioned that there will be difficulty collecting and interpreting the data, it will require additional staff and resources and in the end may be of limited value to evaluating the downtown experience.
As staff note in the report, "measuring the “health” of a downtown is not a science."
"The vibrancy and activity of a downtown area is difficult to quantify because downtowns are experienced by the people who use them. The successful experiences of a downtown’s residents and visitors cannot be measured solely by the number of building permits issued or the assessment value of the properties. There is an experiential quality to a downtown environment ...[and] downtowns are constantly evolving experiences.
"It can take years to observe improvements in downtown environments and year over year data may not be helpful until multi-year trends become available."
Should council wish to proceed with data collection, staff will prepare a business case for consideration during the 2016 budget to collect data regarding land use mix, sidewalk activity, year over year satisfaction rates of downtown visitors and percentage of businesses that meet their profit targets/business plans.
Downtown Initiatives
Attracting employment downtown:
We know from our Downtown Task Group research that one of the keys to a successful downtown is a vibrant professional, office sector. We need more of that downtown and one of my goals will be attracting office, preferably on one of the vacant parking lots in downtown Burlington, such as the Elizabeth Street lot across from Village Square.
A downtown employment strategy has yet to be completed. The employment strategy is the responsibility of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). BEDC has advised that it intends to develop a strategy for the QEW Prosperity Corridor and use it as a template for a future downtown plan.
I do have concerns about this approach which I will share with BEDC and at committee. The downtown is unique in a number of ways, including our compact built form and the fact that new surface parking is prohibited. We have walkable amenities, access to the waterfront, and a Downtown Business Association (along with associated levies, including a parking levy and a BIA levy). The QEW corridor is more stand alone office park with lots of parking, at cheaper real estate and business rates than downtown, along with different amenities. The kind of client attracted to that environment will be different than the office employer who wants to be downtown. As such a strategy developed for the QEW corridor won't necessarily be applicable in the downtown environment.
Other initiatives currently underway, but not identified explicitly in Core Commitment, include exploring opportunities to enhance employment growth in the downtown.
Leveraging city-owned real estate for jobs downtown:
A strategic review of downtown real estate, led by Capital Works has included an assessment of development options for each of the city’s surface parking lots, including employment uses. This work is the topic of a confidential Council workshop scheduled for September 14, 2015. Additionally, as part of the Official Plan Review, Planning and Building staff is considering potential policy approaches to encourage more office space in the downtown. These findings will help inform the BEDC’s employment strategy.
I will work with staff to publicly release as much of this information as we can, so the public can participate in this important discussion.
Development of a Computer 3D model:
Working with the Special Business Area Coordinator, Capital Works staff has prepared a Request for Proposals to develop a 3D computer model of the downtown. The model is intended to capture existing conditions and be continuously updated as new developments are approved and built. The model will provide an excellent tool for community engagement and visioning exercises for the downtown and will assist staff and Council in assessing development proposals and options.
Updated Streetscape Design Guidelines
The current downtown streetscape guidelines were approved in the 1980s and are outdated. The guidelines establish standards for sidewalks, street furniture and lighting. A consulting team has been retained to prepare new guidelines reflective of contemporary design standards. Standards for sidewalk and pop-up patios are also included in the scope of the study. Final recommendations are expected later this fall.
Residents are invited to a workshop focused on updating these guidelines on:
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 30
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Burlington Lions’ Club Hall, 471 Pearl St.
Elgin Promenade
This proposed multi-use path takes advantages of the existing TransNorthern Pipeline/Trunk Sanitary easement which runs east-west through the downtown from the Centennial Bike Trail at Martha ultimately through to Brant Street. Preliminary designs have been completed in-house and the first phase of the project is tentatively scheduled for completion in the spring of 2016, in association with the rehabilitation of the surface parking lot between Pearl and Elizabeth Streets. Funding for the path enhancements will be included in the 2016 Capital Budget for Council’s consideration. The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) is committed to providing additional funding for beautification elements such as benches in keeping with its mandate to beautify publicly owned spaces in the downtown. Through the Canada150, the Government of Canada has approved a non-repayable contribution of $36,979 towards the project. An application for funding was also made in August 2015 through the Ontario Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program.
 Pop-up Patio Pilot
A pilot to allow a patio within on-street parking spaces is currently underway at one location in the downtown, Test Kitchen. At the end of the summer season, staff will consider feedback from the public and stakeholders as well as the restaurant operator and report back to Council with recommendations for continuation of the pilot.
New Initiatives
Seasonal Street Closures
One of the goals of the Core Commitment was to explore opportunities for temporary and seasonal road closures with the goal of increasing activity and animation in the downtown. To be successful, road closures must be accompanied by programmed activity, whether formal or informal, provided by the City, private businesses, community groups or other organizations. The BDBA currently runs several successful programs that benefit from road closures. This includes Downtown Streetfest, in conjunction with the Sound of Music Festival, which includes street closures of Brant Street from Lakeshore to Caroline and John Street south of Pine. The BDBA also executes an on-street musical/cultural program in the summer, called Saturdays in the Street, which closes the leg of Elgin Street from Brant to Locust for a fixed three-hour period. Building on this success, the BDBA has recently become aware of business owners along Pine Street between Pearl and Elizabeth Streets interested in considering a seasonal road closure program for the summer of 2016. The BDBA is pursuing this potential initiative with its members.
BDBA is currently canvassing members on their interest in seasonal road closures. Staff will report back to Council with recommendations for a broader street closure program for 2016, as part of the Pop-Up Patio pilot reporting this fall. In addition, the Events Strategy will engage both residents and businesses on the topic of seasonal street closures.
My Take:
Though I believe data can help to inform and guide decisions, I don't support data collection for the sake of it. We need to heed staff's cautions on the limited value coupled with the cost of collecting all of the data outlined. That said, the one measure I do believe is worth collecting is the land use mix. Our research has found that a downtown too heavily weighted to commercial uses, or to residential uses, struggles. We need to know what the ideal residential/commercial mix is, know where we stand, and strive to achieve our goal through development permits and incentives if need be.
My personal view is we need more office development downtown to balance the ongoing residential development and to bring a more varied, year-round, demographic of people downtown, including young professionals. More jobs downtown would also help our residents live and work closer to home rather than commuting far afield for employment.
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Community & C0rporate Services Committee Meeting
Date: Tues. Sept. 15, 2015
Time: 1 & 6:30 PM
Location: Council Chambers, Level 2, City Hall
 City Council will receive confidential updates on the Ontario Municipal Board hearing regarding the proposed 28-storey development at Martha & Lakeshore, and on the ongoing efforts to enforce the city's site alteration bylaw at the Burlington Airpark.
To learn more about both click the links below:
First OMB pre-hearing conference held for ADI development, 374 Martha St.
Airpark compliance with city's site alteration bylaw to court in November, with constitutional challenge
I will work with staff to try to release some sort of public statement or update regarding both matters, if feasible. These are items of significant public interest, and some update is warranted.
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Resident E. C. asks: I'm wondering when my street - Courtland Drive - is going to get the speed bumps. They seem long overdue.
Response: Rubber speed humps were going to be placed temporarily on Courtland Drive, Deyncourt Drive and George Street until concrete speed humps could be installed. Staff was hoping to have a contractor hired in June and speed humps installed over the summer. However, the tendering process at that time came back with bids 400% over budget. Staff retendered the project and recently hired a contractor to install concrete speed humps.
However, staff recently received comments from the City’s Roads and Parks Maintenance Department that they will no longer support any rubber traffic calming measures during the winter months.
Therefore, staff is now in the process of determining if the Burlington Fire Department will support the installation of concrete speed humps on these three streets. If they do, then the speed humps will be installed permanently in October or sooner. As soon as staff hear back from the Fire Department an update letter will be sent to all residents in this area.
In the meantime, I will ask Halton Regional Police to consider enforcement of the speeding happening on George Street, Deyncourt Drive and Courtland Drive.
Resident H.K. asks: I have been watching/listening to the new traffic rules that are coming into effect and am particularly concerned about the new pedestrian crossing rule as it may pertain to intersections. If cars have to wait until pedestrians totally clear intersections it may be impossible to make left-hand turns at some of the busier intersections in the city. Is the traffic department looking at things like this?
Response: Our understanding of the amendments to the Highway Traffic Act as it relates to pedestrians is that drivers are now required to remain stopped at a pedestrian crossover (which Burlington has none) or school crossing until the person crossing the street and the school crossing guard are off the roadway. The current Act allows drivers to proceed once the person crossing and the school crossing guard are no longer on the driver’s half of the roadway.
In summary, these amendments will apply to school crossing locations only when the crossing guard is on duty. While this may slightly increase delays at those locations during schools times, the safety benefit derived outweighs the inconvenience.
Cycling Questions:
Q.Does a bicycle rider require a bell?
A. Yes, covered in Highway Traffic Act Section 75 (5)
Q. Are bicycle riders required to indicate their turns and are they required to stop at stop signs and traffic signals?
A. Yes, covered in HTA Section 142
Q. Does a bicycle rider have to identify themselves if they are stopped by a police officer?
A. Yes, regardless of age, under Highway Traffic Act Section 218 cyclists must identify themselves to the police.
Resident R.G. asks: In my neighbourhood they were cleaning the streets and making alot of noise and dust!! Why would they do this on a beautiful Sunday afternoon?
Response: The street clean-up program is Council approved to run continuously 24/7 for the 14 day duration, to try and cut down the amount of times it takes to get through the city. We do our best not to inconvenience residents. The good weather this year has people outside more and leaving their windows open at night. In the past we haven’t had any noise calls because the weather has been cold and people have the windows closed.
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Cycle with the Councillor (Sept. 17)
 Join me, local resident Jackie Lodder, and members of the Burlington Cycling Committee for a free cycle through downtown Burlington, followed by refreshments and screening of Bike City, Great City, a documentary by David Chernushenko, at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Bike Ride: Meet at 6:30pm, Thurs. Sept. 17, at City Hall by the clock. We'll end our ride at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre with light refreshments, and take in the movie together.
Movie: Begins at 7:30 pm, at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust Street. 40 minute run time.
Drop in with Councillor (Sept. 17)
Are you a member of the Burlington Seniors Centre? Drop by the Bistro on Thurs. Sept. 17 between 12:30-1:30 to say hi and share what's on your mind. I'll be there to meet with you individually; no appointment necessary.
Supernova (Sept. 18)
 Prepare for a mind-blowing experience featuring contemporary art installations, film, music, and multimedia as artists take over Old Lakeshore Road from 7pm to midnight Fri. Sept. 18 to showcase their work. Brought to you by No Vacancy, the folks who welcomed approximately 3,500 people to Cirque at Village Square last year. No Vacancy hopes Supernova will be double in size as they animate Old Lakeshore Road with a variety of contemporary art for one magical evening.
Amazing Bed Race (Sept. 20)
Decorate a bed, form a team and join the spirit of the 6th annual Amazing Bed Race on Brant Street in downtown Burlington, Sun. Sept. 20, 11am-3pm. The event raises funds for Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation and Rotary Club of Burlington North. Teams of five raise funds and race "beds" on a course through downtown Burlington. In its first five years, the Amazing Bed Race raised over $400,000!
 Volunteer to restore Freeman Station (Sept. 19, Oct. 17)
Following a very successful Volunteer Day in August, Friends of Freeman Station has scheduled additional volunteer dates this fall:
Dates: Sept. 19 and Oct. 17
Time: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: 1285 Fairview St. (please use driveway on east side of the Burlington Fire Department Headquarters)
No special skills are required to volunteer. There are several areas where assistance is needed, such as paint scraping and sanding, old wood floor board restoration, site clean-up, rubbish and scrub grass removal, and more. Please wear sturdy shoes and bring work gloves. As it is a construction site, children under the age of 14 and pets are not permitted. Volunteers will get a personally guided tour of the station and a close up view of some of the artifacts that have been donated. Visit the Friends of Freeman Station at www.freemanstation.ca.
Downtown Dash (Sept. 19)
The Downtown Dash has a new day, time and route. It will take place Sat. Sept. 19 9:30-11am. There are 5k run/walk and 10k options available.
 Culture Days (Sept. 25-27)
Got culture? Burlington needs you. After the success of Burlington Culture Days in 2014, local creative organizations, venues, professionals and businesses are again invited to host events during the sixth annual Culture Days weekend from Sept. 25 to 27, 2015. Find out what's near you here: Culture Days Event Schedule:
This national initiative aims to raise awareness, provide accessibility and encourage participation and engagement in the arts and cultural life of Burlington. For more information or to participate in Culture Days, contact Adam Belovari, culture co-ordinator, atadam.belovari@burlington.ca or 905-335-7600, ext. 7335. If you would like to host a Culture Days event, make sure to register your event now with Culture Days.
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Contact Me:
Marianne Meed Ward
City/Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Burlington
marianne.meedward@burlington.ca
905-335-7600, x 7588
Facebook
Twitter
Website: ward2news.ca
Georgie Gartside
Councillor's Assistant
georgie.gartside@burlington.ca
905-335-7600, ext. 7368
Facsimile: 905-335-7881
To subscribe to the newsletter, email me at marianne.meedward@burlington.ca or signup here.
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Laying wreath at 9/11 memorial ceremony in Hamilton with U.S. legion veterans, Councillor Aidan Johnson, honouring Canadian victims.
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