JCRA wrote to the Town Planner responsible for the Hospital Lands project requesting that we be included as key stakeholders in the consultation process and that the terms of reference given to the retained planning consultants be expanded to include the potential impact of redevelopment of Centennial Square and school lands. Our concern remains that options for the use of the Hospital Lands including the old Oakville Trafalgar high school (which has been vacant for over 20 years) must be made considering the needs of the community as a whole and below the QEW.
Where will community services for residents below the QEW be located?
Is the best place within the old OT high school, more central to the residents of Ward 3 or should improved services be part of the Centennial Square redevelopment or should one of the vacant schools i.e. Chisholm be turned into a small community centre?
What impact would this have on a performing arts centre change, the library and the downtown pool? These issues are interdependent both from a need and effective use of Town financial resources.
We are pleased that the Planning department has made both JCRA and CMGRA key stakeholders along with OLRA and TCRA. They did not at this time comment on expanding the terms of reference to include Centennial Square or the school lands. We meet with the planning consultants on Monday April 18 to share our views on the potential uses for the Hospital Lands and old OT and encouraging them to understand and speak in their recommendations to the impact each option may have on the use and redevelopment of Centennial Square and the school lands.
The Planning department will hold a PUBLIC open house in May to share the consultant’s recommendations/options and seek feedback. We will post the date of this meeting as soon as it is announced.
JCRA will be conducting a survey with residents on their views of location of a community centre this spring.