Comment 55908

By Serendipity (registered) | Posted January 12, 2011 at 09:51:29

@HamiltonFan, I agree, Jason Farr is not profoundly "visionary" yet miles apart from the vitriolling councillors responding to the new news re IWS. Farr made a big boo-boo erroneously confirming outdoor concerts; however, to fly through the EA process, as BY has stated IWS will pass EA, a clause has perhaps already been written outlining in fine detail that there will be no outdoor concerts, save one or two a year perhaps and only with the Prior Consent of the neighbourhood.

@mrjanitor, there were many residents who stuck with the years-long process - 9 years and counting as North End traffic issues, stemming from Setting Sail, are still being decided at OMB (which began early November 2010 for three weeks and returns for a further two weeks on January 24).

The truth is, the Setting Sail planning process was open to all interested from '02-'05. I was interested, became involved, learned a lot about environmental assessments, government funding, and the highs and lows of working with the City. It was an arduous process at times, but overall very satisfying as well because the City listened to all residents who voiced their concerns and in '05 almost everyone was pretty much happy with the results and the plan was complete and approved by Council. Some, like the residents of the North End, Cp, and a few others, were not so happy with some aspects; the residents issues related solely to traffic, both current and future uses. The North End, it was decided (to avoid an OMB hearing) would have a City initiated North End Traffic Management Study, beginning in January 2006. Things were looking up for the North End because traffic is indeed a horrendous problem here. First proof: go to Pier 4 or Bayfront Park any day after school, or after dinner in the summer and you can count the kids from the North End, 1200 beautiful children presently, on one, maybe two hands. Some days, most days, even in the summer mornings, there are no kids. No parent in the North End is crazy enough to have their kids walk to these "jewel" parks here at the West Harbour. We had, and have, a problem.

North End residents, the spunky people we are, came up with a traffic plan that they felt suited their neighbourhood more than what the City was coming up with, primarily because we live and breathe the traffic here every day, live here day and night, and not one of the City side did. We had the knowledge on this one and we were quick to use it.

What made sense was to calm and civilize the traffic in the North End, which in turn would make it a beautiful and unique gateway to the West Harbour, parks, boat clubs, and all businesses that encompass our extremely high-density neighbourhood. The residents came up with a Pilot Project that would see the North End as Canada's first CHild and Family Friendly Neighbourhood with max speeds of 30k. A real head-turner for North America but a given in Europe and Asia.

The City agreed to the CFFN/30k, immediately, back in August of 2006 when it was first presented at a Community Advisory Group comprised of City and stakeholders; in reality, the residents hung it out while stakeholders, a very long list, barely, if ever, made it to the table. But, the City had a hook, James and Burlington would remain at 50k. The residents disagreed and for good reason - every expert the residents could find, going back half a century, stated that the calmed zone must be a whole zone, not a fragmented one like the City wanted. Why, with James and Burlington remaining at 50 (real speeds much higher), our parks would still stay vacant because the very large residential neighbourhood east of James and south of Burlington would still be faced with the same problem we've always had...we can't cross, won't cross, are too scared or young to cross, James and/or Burlington.

The residents and City sparred for 4 1/2 long years over the James/Burlington issues , street classification, traffic calming and traffic management measures (calming deals with speed, management deals with volume)...James and Burlington were to stay at 50 and the holistic (City used to love this word) nature of the Pilot Project would be lost completely.

So, a dedicated team of people, NOrth End residents, are at the OMB to fight for what every expert, other than City traffic engineers, states is best to have a successful, safe and extremely healthy CHild and Family Friendly Neighborhood. Yes, OMB hearing is open to the public.

@breeze and @zephyr...It's rather sad and absurd that you both scream so much about issues and planning processes and a lot of volunteer work that you both seem to have missed out on for the last 8 years. Where were you? I remember a few dissenters back then but the "loudest voices" were overwhelmingly (over 90% in a large neighbourhood poll) happy that the North End could be home to a fabulous initiative that will put our City in a beautiful light. I'm gobsmacked, yes gobsmacked, that you don't see it, don't get it, and, disturbingly, come out knocking and fighting the visionary initiatives residents came up with; after long, hard and steady volunteer activity, and duty I may add, you're now coming to the table...to do what?

I would encourage all residents of every neighbourhood to dream big and then get involved in making your neighbourhood better, more civilized, safer, healthier. Don't wait for the City because it ain't gonna happen.

BUT, don't sit on your duffs for close to a decade and then cause deliberate and harmful upset by screaming blue murder at the closing arguments.

Now, I wish Jason Farr would get just a thread past his small talk about Setting Sail and start gushing about Setting Sail's visionary pilot project that's coming down the pike soon - the North End's Child and Family Friendly Neighbourhood. I hope Jason knows that the CFFN is part of Setting Sail.

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