Meed Ward prepares for her second public input workshop - first was a notable success.

By Pepper Parr

May 21, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The first of four public Workshops on what people want the downtown core to look like was a success – a notable success. “Destination Downtown – a conversation about our future” invited ward 2 constituents to consider this question: What if developers, businesses and residents could work together to build our downtown – finding common ground instead of fighting?

You can almost feel the thinking taking place as theses residents discuss the information on the developments maps they were given

The answer was some 125 people that included developers, residents and an impressive number of planning staff who took part in two hours of animated discussion.

Councillor Marianne Meed Ward had caught the sense of many downtown residents who wanted to be involved in the growth of their community and not be unempowered dupes who leave everything to the politicians and hope they get it right.

The Gazette asked Meed Ward what she had learned from the first experience and where was she going to go with the second Workshop which takes place at the Performing Arts Centre, May 27; at 7 pm

“I hope that we succeed in building on what we learned at the first Workshop” said Meed Ward who will be putting all the comments – and there were hundreds of them, on her web site.

Meed Ward added that the people in her ward care passionately about what happens in their community and they felt it was great to be able to participate and sit beside a developer and ask why they built what they built.

Meed Ward added that there was a willingness on the part of the residents to understand that there will be changes – they just want to be involved in determining what those changes are going to do to the city they live in

Meed Ward said it was clear that those taking part in the Workshop wanted good design and that they wanted the city’s heritage protected.

Part of the purpose was to allow developers and residents to meet each other and for the residents to get beyond the stereotype that developers are interested in profit and nothing more than profit. Meed Ward didn’t add that there are still developers who take that approach – they weren’t in the room that evening.

Residents and planner exchanged ideas and opinions during an active two hour public meeting on downtown core development.

The event was focused on ward 2 – Mayor Goldring was in the room and sat in on several of the groups that were poring over large drawings of where development was taking place – the drawing were quite a jolt for some – there are a lot of projects in various stages of development.

The second Workshop is going to focus on two separate developments – situations where there isn’t a site plan – no clear idea what will be built.

Property has been assembled – the developers are now thinking through what they want to do and measuring that against what they think the market wants.

The Molinaro’s have assembled several parcels of land on Brant at Ghent – where there happens to be quite a bit of development that is in various stages of progress

A farmhouse once occupied by members of the Ghent family is part of a land assembly – the house has heritage value. Which comes first – a farmhouse that has been altered significantly and sits on property that is under utilized or the potential to put up a structure with the potential for eight storey?

The property known as the Ghent farmhouse appears to be in play; significant expansion of Brant Square Plaza has already been put before the public – site plan approval for that development which will add four storeys to the two storey structure on the south end to Olga is expected by the end of the year.

Robert Molinaro explains the data on a map of downtown developments to Workshop participants.

When the Molinaros’ took their Brock street development that is now becoming occupied – Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon has moved in and will hold a formal opening later this month – the 27th, they tended to buck the views of the people who took part in the public meeting. That project was eventually approved with significant height and density changes.

The Molinaro’s learned however that it is wiser to work with a community and bring as many people as possible into the tent.

When the large Fairview property next to the GO station was acquired and plans for a five tower development was proposed the first thing the Molinaro’s did was meet with the ward councillor and get the public involved.

It worked for them and the number of developers who showed up at the Workshop suggests that the Meed Ward approach may become the direction that becomes the norm for this city.

Another project that will be looked at closely is at Lakeshore and Burlington. The developers apparently want to hear what the residents think – there are no commitments that they will leave the Workshop promising to do what the residents want – that’s not quite the way residential development takes place.

While the event took place in ward 2 and was about ward 2 – the concept that Meed Ward is fashioning is applicable in every ward in the city.

It could work in Aldershot, and in the east end of the city where Councillor Sharman reigns and ward 6 as well.

A Downtown core map setting out where development is currently taking place or planned.

One would hope that the other members of council would have wanted to at least look in on what Meed Ward was trying to do and see if it might work in their wards.

Unfortunately the divide between the kind of thinking that moves Meed Ward forward and the approaches much of the rest of council take don’t suggest smooth sailing for project that the public wants input on.

If Meed Ward came up with the idea – the rest of Council won’t go near it – with the exception of Councillor Taylor and to a lesser degree Councillor Dennison.

Councillor Lancaster is focused on winning the federal nomination for the new Oakville North Burlington riding – her constituents shouldn’t expect to see much of her locally.

If she wins the nomination and goes on to win federal seat the city will have to hold a by-election to replace her. There are people in ward 6 who are lining up to file their nomination papers.

Meed Ward appears to have tapped into a public desire to take part and to be involved.

The only cautionary note is that the largest property owner in the city and the developer who took his project to the OMB were not in the room.