NENa Planning and Traffic Committee Meeting
January 20 2021, 7 p.m by ZOOM
PRESENT: Andrew Robinson, Bryan Ritskes, Barbara Johnston, Elizabeth Poynter, Jennifer Hennigar-Shuh, Robert Koch; Stephen Park; Tim Owen, Werner Plessl and Herman Turkstra, Chair.
North End Traffic Study:
City traffic staff have advised the Committee that the City will be conducting a traffic analysis of the neighbourhood this spring and would like to hear from the neighbourhood on traffic problem spots. It was agreed that Annabel and Sarah would be asked to distribute this request as widely as possible among our members. Current Development Projects: There has been no significant steps reported in the last month regarding either the housing on Pier 8 nor the Jamesville development. Herman was asked to follow up. Neighbourhood Based Secondary Plan Amendment Herman reported that City Staff have responded that in order for the Staff to be involved in the NENa application to bring the Mobility Hub Study and the Corridors Study in to our secondary plan, NENa will have to pay a $1500.00 fee to cover staff costs for that help. Moved by Andrew and seconded by Barb and unanimously carried: NENa requests that the City assist our neighbourhood association in development an official plan amendment to our Secondary Plan, Setting Sail and that be done without the requested fee. 468 James Street North LPAT Appeal Bryan and Herman representing the resident appellants in this appeal reported that the hearing of the appeal was adjourned when Mr. van Nostrand sold the property to a new group. The new owners, the City and the Appellants have been assisted by a mediator who requires that the next step of the negotiations is to be confined to the parties. Herman reminded the Committee that Harbour West Neigbhours Inc, (Bryan is President of HWN) and Herman, as the appellants had negotiated a settlement with the previous buying group that required the new building to comply with the Mobility Hub Study and the Corridors Study. More news is expected before the adjourrned hearing date in May. 600 James Street North LPAT Appeal The appeal is scheduled to begin on February 8 and continue for 7 days. Harbour West Neighbours is a party to the appeal because NENa is not incorporated. Herman is acting as the lawyer for HWN. The neighourhood witnesses will include Anne McIlroy, the architect-planner who managed the Mobility Hub study, Stephen Park who will give the history of our planning work back to 2002, Elizabeth Poynter, and Werner Plessl will give evidence on behalf of neighbours living close by to the project and Barbara Johnston has delivered a witness statement as a member of the co-op. The Committee discussed the need to have residents in the neighbourhood attend at the opening of the hearing and during the neighbourhood evidence. Several members of the Committee will work on that goal. Pier 5, 6 & 7 The Committee reviewed the developments taking place on these piers and the report by the City's Waterfront Committee regarding the sale of lands on Piers 5, 6 and 7. The future development of those lands will be important to the neighbourhood and the Committee agreed that it should be involved in the process for developing those lands right from the start. Moved by Robert, Seconded by Andrew, and approved unanimously, (Werner Plessl took no part in the discussion or vote) that the City Waterfront Office be asked to make a presentation to our next committee meeting regarding the City's process for developing the lands. Parking on Pier 8 Robert asked Werner for an update on parking which indicates that some of the parking by the Marina will not be available this summer. This raised a question of the larger parking issues relating to Pier 8 and it was agreed that this should be put on our next Committee Agenda. Building on former Macdonald Marine land. Bryan asked for information regarding the planned disposition of the existing building on these lands and whether it will be available for public use when the City staff presently occupying it will move to the new City service building south of the parking lot. Herman is to ask staff at the Parks Department on that question. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.
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