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At the AGM we approved a motion to continue to fund our activities through the donation model. Please remember to send us your donation to support the ongoing communication and administrative costs of the association. You can drop a cheque made out to JCRA at any directors home: see addresses at Who We Are or mail it to us at 531 Blenheim L6J6P5 attention Jeff Wigle
Becoming a member is easy! Email us your name, address, email address and phone number( optional) at membership@joshuacreek.org
What else is happening?
JOSHUA CREEK RESIDENTS ASSCOIATION joined with 8 other resident associations in delegating for the approval of the Plan with amendments, relating to how the Hospital site plan will be developed. JCRA did this for 2 key reasons: 1) the density on the Hospital Lands being proposed is 4 times greater than the current immediate neighbourhood and 2 times greater than many people’s view of the definition of site hectare. If this was Chisholm we would not accept greater density than the Official Plan or something being built that was not consistent with the character of the neighbourhood. This is a critical principle in Livable Oakville and one that we needed to stand up to protect. Our delegation (attached below), along with the amendments discussed with the Mayor and our Councillors, ensure that NO decisions on the number of units and building type will occur for the Hospital Lands until a fulsome consultation is completed. The size of the Community Centre, the inclusion of a Medical Facility and parking garage are all areas that require further review and impact the size of the land available for development. The coalition wants to ensure that the final plan respects the character of the neighbourhood: something we would all expect.
Our delegation is below along with the important amendments passed.
What is happening with Linbrook?
A decision on the Linbrook land use was deferred so that Planning could provide Council with the details of an offer to purchase by an independent Boys elementary school. It will most likely return to Council by late April or early May for a decision.
Delegation to Town Council, April 8th, 2012 re: South Central Lands Study
Good evening, My name is Janet Haslett-Theall I am delegating tonight on behalf of Joshua Creek Residents Association, Chartwell MapleGrove Residents Association, West River Residents Association, Oakville Lakeside Residents Association, Clearview Oakville Community Alliance, Coronation Park Residents Association, West Kerr Village Residents Association and Trafalgar Chartwell Residents Association.
I begin again with our sincere appreciation for the effort of the Town, and Town Staff, who worked on the South Central Land Use study. Thank you for listening to our views, on issues that have significant impact on our neighbourhoods.
We have found ourselves delegating on behalf of our neighbourhoods on this important issue a number of times in the past – the last time being the March 18th Planning and Development Council meeting.
At that presentation we outlined:
- our common goals for land development in South East and South Central Oakville;
- we indicated our support for the results of the Study in principal;
- and we also highlighted where concerns remained and where there was work still to be completed by Town staff and the community together.
Since we last spoke Planning has tabled a revised Planning Services report which we very much appreciate. We would like to see Council support the South Central Lands Study in principle, with amendments being proposed by the Councillor Gittings and Bird
With overwhelming support of residents, the goal of a community centre and parkland has been realized in the Study recommendations. Our understanding is that direction regarding the timing and funding of the community facilities identified within the South Central Public Lands Study will come through the finalization of the 10-year capital forecast, which is expected to be brought forward in early summer. Almost 1500 people signed our petition last fall and they, and many more are excited to see the community centre coming closer to a reality.
What remains unresolved at this time is the housing density on the Hospital Lands.
There has been significant misunderstanding and confusion around how to calculate the 29 units per site hectare density measure.
In particular how it was applied to the Hospital Lands and whether the site area calculation should subtract public lands to determine the number of units.
Our understanding was that future development would be done in compliance with Livable Oakville. Preserving the character of the existing neighbourhoods is a critical tenet of Livable Oakville. We find it difficult to conceive that the up to limit of 156 units being suggested can be achieved and conform to Livable Oakville. We want to be clear that we support a mix of housing: apartments, townhomes and single family dwellings so long as the design and density is consistent with the character of the immediate neighbourhood. This is asking no more than what other neighbourhoods would expect.
We are encouraged by Planning Services recommendation to provide a detailed site plan in consultation with the community. Our commitment is that we will participate in the process with an open mind with the clear understanding that design must conform to Livable Oakville and in particular that the character of the neighbourhood will be the primary principle in which the design is developed.
Tonight we encourage the following action be taken by Council tonight:
That you support the latest Planning recommendations with the amendments tabled by the Councillor Gittings including the provision of community consultation on a detailed site plan and site models, that no decision on density including the number of units, type and build form be made until after Council has received and approved the Staff report and that the final concept must prevent or mitigate negative impacts to the surrounding neighbourhood, as per Livable Oakville. We would ask that you add to the council resolution tonight that “the plan will conform to policies dealing with development in established residential neighbourhoods and finally that the staff report return to Council by April 2014.
We see these actions and work as a natural continuation of the tremendous work already completed in the South Central Lands Study.
In conclusion, we believe you need to keep the momentum of creating a more Livable Oakville moving forward and start tonight by endorsing the amendments to the South Central Land Use report with our suggested changes. The fulsome community consultation that is being recommended is a tremendous opportunity to re-imagine and improve neighbourhoods while respecting their special character. As detailed in the Mayor’s recent letter to residents, this South Central Lands Study process “has created a great awareness of the unique opportunities that lay before us. Now we have to make decisions that will reflect and support our vision to be the most livable town in Canada.”
The development of the Hospital and school Lands are and will have significant impacts on our neighbourhoods for years to come and we plan to continue working with the Town on design and site developments that align with Livable Oakville.
Thank you for your time tonight.
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Resolution passed by Council on April 8th 2013.
1. That the Supplementary report from the Community Development Commission (PD-042-13), dated April 2, 2013, be received;
2. That the report from Planning Services (PD-024-13), dated February 28, 2013, and entitled South Central Public Lands Study – Final Recommendations and Next Steps, be received;
3. That the staff recommended land use options in the Planning Services report (PD-024-13) for the Brantwood and Chisholm school sites be endorsed and staff be directed to undertake the implementation steps for those sites;
4. That the staff recommended land use option for the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) be endorsed in principle based on the parameters set out in the Planning Services report (PD-024-13), recognizing the number of units, type and built form will be finalized after Council considers the site design level of detail to be brought forward, by staff, by June 2014;
5. That staff be directed to report on the OTMH land use option following further assessment of the site in relation to those matters identified in the reports from Planning Services (PD-024-13) and the Community Development Commission (PD-042 -13), and such report to include:
a. site design details and drawings;
b. comments from further public consultation;
c. implementation steps on the subsequent Official Plan and Zoning by-law amendments;
d. other site development requirements that ensure conformity with the Livable Oakville Plan policies; and
e. strategy for the future sale of the site which provides certainty and control to achieve finalized Council approved site design;
6. That staff consider the town facilities and park areas proposed within the staff recommended land use options for all of the sites as part of the upcoming 10 year capital plan;
7. That the work of the South Central Public Lands Study Council Subcommittee be deemed complete and that the Subcommittee be dissolved; and
8. That consideration of the staff recommended land use option for the Linbrook school site be deferred until such time as Council has considered a staff report on the recently received offer to purchase.