posting
09-10-2006, 02:56 PM
Vicki Schmolka Blog 2006-09-10
http://vickioncouncil.blogspot.com (http://vickioncouncil.blogspot.com/)
Site plan details: Downtown Sports Centre (LVEC)
At the special meeting of Planning Committee on Thursday, September 7, Planning Committee members were asked to approve the site plan for the downtown Regional Sports and Entertainment Centre and to delegate final site plan approval to city staff.
The meeting began with presentations by the project manager and architect from the builder, Ellis Don, and from the traffic consultant, the IBI group. Committee members then had a chance to ask questions, followed by questions and comments from members of the public.
Members of the public raised these major issues:
1. Noise. How noisy will the site be for neighbours of the site, especially people living in Frontenac Village? The answer was that noise studies had been done, and that measures would be taken to reduce reverberations and noise. Mitigation measures are being considered but information about what they are and what they will cost, or who will pay, was not provided.
2. Emergency access to the site, and to Frontenac Village. Will emergency vehicles be able to get around adequately? City staff reported that police and fire services had no comment on the site plan (suggesting that they have no concerns) and that there is a second emergency access to Frontenac Village, from the Anglin Bay side.
3. Road width. Is the 3.25 m road width for Barrack Street and, I think, King Street adequate? The consultant said that this width was acceptable according to road engineering standards even if it was not ideal. Concerns that this narrow a road does not leave adequate room for cyclists was answered by saying that cyclists have other road options in the immediate vicinity so it is not a problem.
4. Parking. How many of the available spaces are on private property? The consultant reported that there is adequate parking for the site, especially given that most events will start after 6 p.m. when the downtown lots are emptied out of daytime visitors and shoppers. For an event drawing 5000 spectators, 1500 parking spaces are said to be needed. There are 1100 spaces within 400 m and 525 spaces within 600 m. However, one-third of these spaces are on privately-owned parking lots. That means that when business conditions are favourable to developing these lands for other purposes, these parking spaces would likely be lost. The consultant did not comment on the impact of this on available parking for events. As for events that are likely to draw more than 5000 spectators, the consultant's answer is that you don't design roads for the worst case scenario weather-wise, so similar logic applies here.
5. Parking spaces for people with a handicapped sticker. Where are these spaces? Because parking for the Centre is off-site parking, the available handicapped spaces in any given downtown parking lot are not close enough for handicapped spectators. The consultant's answer to this was that extra handicapped parking spaces on the west side of Barrack Street was being considered, and that the city's Access Committee was being consulted on what an acceptable number of spaces would be.
6. Fumes. How will exhaust fumes from parked buses on Place d'Armes be kept under control? The answer given to the meeting was that the city has an anti-idling by-law that can be enforced.
7. Drop off and pick up area. Where can people who cannot walk any distance (heart, lung conditions, wheelchair users, families with young children) be dropped off and picked up? The project manager said that the sidewalk is being reinforced on the Place d'Armes side of the building so that the Access Bus can pull up on the sidewalk to drop someone off, or pick someone up. The traffic consultant said that a suitable drop off area is still being discussed.
Planning Committee members were not pleased with the uncertainty of some of these answers, and wanted to see some technical reports that were not available yet -- on Health and Safety, and management of coal tar on the site. After some discussion (and an interruption by Councillor Ed Smith, who is not on Planning Committee but attended the meeting and came into the horseshoe to pass a note and speak to Councillor Patterson, who is on the Committee), the Committee voted to approve the site plan in principle (voting for: Bittu George, Beth Pater, Floyd Patterson, George Stoparczyk, George Sutherland; voting against: George Beavis, Kevin George, Sara Meers).
The Committee then decided not to delegate final approval of site plan to city staff. Instead, they want all the technical details to be resolved and to review the final site plan before providing site plan approval. (All in favour except George Sutherland.)
My comments: I think Planning Committee's decision was a responsible one by our elected representatives. Many technical issues concerning the Centre have not yet been addressed and it would have been premature to give the plans a go-ahead without further review by councillors. I am particularly concerned about the lack of any place for people to pull in and let someone out of the car before going off to find a parking place. Access to the Centre must be fair and equitable to all, and people with mobility difficulties should not be excluded, or told that they have to come two hours before an event in order to be dropped off at the door. Providing adequate handicapped parking spaces within a reasonable distance to the building, and having sufficient room for people who use a wheelchair, walker, portable oxygen, or other assistive device to be dropped off are essential to the site, and, I believe, required by human rights laws.
There is much work still to be done before the building gets a building permit and work can start on the site. Given the tight schedule for this project, Planning Committee will likely be asked to give final approval to the site plan at their regular meeting on Thursday, September 21. Start time: 6:30 p.m.
http://vickioncouncil.blogspot.com (http://vickioncouncil.blogspot.com/)
Site plan details: Downtown Sports Centre (LVEC)
At the special meeting of Planning Committee on Thursday, September 7, Planning Committee members were asked to approve the site plan for the downtown Regional Sports and Entertainment Centre and to delegate final site plan approval to city staff.
The meeting began with presentations by the project manager and architect from the builder, Ellis Don, and from the traffic consultant, the IBI group. Committee members then had a chance to ask questions, followed by questions and comments from members of the public.
Members of the public raised these major issues:
1. Noise. How noisy will the site be for neighbours of the site, especially people living in Frontenac Village? The answer was that noise studies had been done, and that measures would be taken to reduce reverberations and noise. Mitigation measures are being considered but information about what they are and what they will cost, or who will pay, was not provided.
2. Emergency access to the site, and to Frontenac Village. Will emergency vehicles be able to get around adequately? City staff reported that police and fire services had no comment on the site plan (suggesting that they have no concerns) and that there is a second emergency access to Frontenac Village, from the Anglin Bay side.
3. Road width. Is the 3.25 m road width for Barrack Street and, I think, King Street adequate? The consultant said that this width was acceptable according to road engineering standards even if it was not ideal. Concerns that this narrow a road does not leave adequate room for cyclists was answered by saying that cyclists have other road options in the immediate vicinity so it is not a problem.
4. Parking. How many of the available spaces are on private property? The consultant reported that there is adequate parking for the site, especially given that most events will start after 6 p.m. when the downtown lots are emptied out of daytime visitors and shoppers. For an event drawing 5000 spectators, 1500 parking spaces are said to be needed. There are 1100 spaces within 400 m and 525 spaces within 600 m. However, one-third of these spaces are on privately-owned parking lots. That means that when business conditions are favourable to developing these lands for other purposes, these parking spaces would likely be lost. The consultant did not comment on the impact of this on available parking for events. As for events that are likely to draw more than 5000 spectators, the consultant's answer is that you don't design roads for the worst case scenario weather-wise, so similar logic applies here.
5. Parking spaces for people with a handicapped sticker. Where are these spaces? Because parking for the Centre is off-site parking, the available handicapped spaces in any given downtown parking lot are not close enough for handicapped spectators. The consultant's answer to this was that extra handicapped parking spaces on the west side of Barrack Street was being considered, and that the city's Access Committee was being consulted on what an acceptable number of spaces would be.
6. Fumes. How will exhaust fumes from parked buses on Place d'Armes be kept under control? The answer given to the meeting was that the city has an anti-idling by-law that can be enforced.
7. Drop off and pick up area. Where can people who cannot walk any distance (heart, lung conditions, wheelchair users, families with young children) be dropped off and picked up? The project manager said that the sidewalk is being reinforced on the Place d'Armes side of the building so that the Access Bus can pull up on the sidewalk to drop someone off, or pick someone up. The traffic consultant said that a suitable drop off area is still being discussed.
Planning Committee members were not pleased with the uncertainty of some of these answers, and wanted to see some technical reports that were not available yet -- on Health and Safety, and management of coal tar on the site. After some discussion (and an interruption by Councillor Ed Smith, who is not on Planning Committee but attended the meeting and came into the horseshoe to pass a note and speak to Councillor Patterson, who is on the Committee), the Committee voted to approve the site plan in principle (voting for: Bittu George, Beth Pater, Floyd Patterson, George Stoparczyk, George Sutherland; voting against: George Beavis, Kevin George, Sara Meers).
The Committee then decided not to delegate final approval of site plan to city staff. Instead, they want all the technical details to be resolved and to review the final site plan before providing site plan approval. (All in favour except George Sutherland.)
My comments: I think Planning Committee's decision was a responsible one by our elected representatives. Many technical issues concerning the Centre have not yet been addressed and it would have been premature to give the plans a go-ahead without further review by councillors. I am particularly concerned about the lack of any place for people to pull in and let someone out of the car before going off to find a parking place. Access to the Centre must be fair and equitable to all, and people with mobility difficulties should not be excluded, or told that they have to come two hours before an event in order to be dropped off at the door. Providing adequate handicapped parking spaces within a reasonable distance to the building, and having sufficient room for people who use a wheelchair, walker, portable oxygen, or other assistive device to be dropped off are essential to the site, and, I believe, required by human rights laws.
There is much work still to be done before the building gets a building permit and work can start on the site. Given the tight schedule for this project, Planning Committee will likely be asked to give final approval to the site plan at their regular meeting on Thursday, September 21. Start time: 6:30 p.m.