A few items that may require your attention at city hall this week…

Item 4 - Front Yard Parking in Official Plan-Designated Heritage Areas

“In 2009, significant public attention has been directed by council and the public concerning the effects of demolition and new construction on the established heritage character of Old Walkerville. Furthermore, the configuration of curbs is the primary characteristic defining the Prado Place Heritage Conservation District designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, and the heritage value of streets and lanes is defined in the Sandwich Heritage Conservation District Plan.

On Novermber 18, 2009 the Manager of Right-of-Way approved a curb cut permit from an applicant at 1294 Argyle Road after the applicant provided a copy of the Building Department’s zoning clearance for the driveway and front yard parking area. This will permit the applicant to access the 18-foot front yard of a residential townhouse and pave up to half of the yard for a private driveway as permitted by the zoning by-law.”

This is one of those cases where someone on the inside was quick to pick up the fact that we would be pissed if this type of land-use was permitted to continue. Want to know how all your letter-writing and appearing before council has benefitted the heritage of Windsor neighbourhoods? This is a clear example, as it was stated in the backgrounder!  The building department issued a zoning clearance to permit this front yard paving, and that raised the red flag. Now, with your help, council will not let any more of these zoning clearances be permitted in heritage areas of the city. You’ve built the case for this, now email your councillor to voice your support.

Item 5 - Installation of Photovoltaic (PV) Rooftop Systems

Laying the groundwork to install rooftop photovoltaic on our municipal buildings, this report is asking council for the OK to have the consultant conduct a feasability study. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Item 9 - Kamloops Street Extension - Cost Sharing / Oversizing / Servicing

Road building/widening for sprawl development? How do you think we feel about this type of municipal “investment”? Duh! Though this is technically “greenfield” development, the proposed 75 single-family sprawl could be onsidered “infill”, but that would be a stretch.  Extending Marentette (located out behind Performance Ford,  this area wouldn’t even be considered for residential if it wasn’t for the consumer siren call of the Costco Badlands) to the Kamloops cul-de-sac is being proposed to “provide additional access to the area” and “relieve traccif congestion on surrounding roadways” at the blue-light special price $246,482.00.

In a blatant statement of the obvious (it’s time to put two and two together, folks), the report states “(d)ue to a weakened economy and a slowdown in home building activity, construction of Kamloops Drive Extension has not proceeded, and no Development Charge Credit has been provided.“  I suggest we keep it that way.

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I understand that it is tough to schedule your life around the workings of our local democracy, but you don’t necessarily need to.  If you cannot arrange to be there in person (you would need to contact the council services department by noon on Friday if you wish to be listed as a delegate), a short email to our elected representatives sharing your thoughts goes almost as far. 

So if you would like to comment on these items, or others on this weeks agenda, click here for a list of our councillors contact information.