Update on 32 acres of Town-owned Land

Many Pelham residents have asked me about the 32 acres of Town-owned land at the corner of Rice Road and Highway #20.

In May 2008 Council declared the property – except land required for storm water management – as surplus and directed staff to dispose of it. In the meantime, an Interim Report from the Recreation Facilities Committee recently recommended building a “new Recreation and Community Centre in east Fonthill area.”

But, under its current zoning and because of the Secondary Planning process, the property is not (yet) worth the original purchase price and nothing can be done with the property. Let me explain.

In January 2005, the previous Council purchased the 32 acres for nearly $3.53 million – or an average of $110,000 per acre.

This purchase was based on a December 2004 appraisal that stated its valuation was based on “Extraordinary Assumptions.”

For example, the appraisal assumed that the site accessed full water and sewer servicing. Residents of Rice Road will remember that the Region did not officially connect water and sewers until more than two years later in fall 2007.

The appraisal also assumed that the property was severed from a main parcel of 74 acres. The severance occurred at the deal’s close on March 31, 2005.

But, the major “Extraordinary Assumption” appraised the property as if it contained 8.2 acres of commercial land along Highway 20, and 23.4 acres of business park lands. The appraisal pegged the commercial at $195,000 per acre, and the business park at $95,000 per acre.

In reality however, the entire property was – and still is – officially designated “business park.”

Can’t Council just change it, you ask? Well, it’s more complicated than that now.

You see, the previous Council almost changed the property’s designation in April 2006 when it was poised to approve the Town’s East Fonthill Secondary Plan. (The East Fonthill Secondary Plan is a statutory planning area that covers most property east of Station Street from Highway 20 along Rice Road to south of Merritt). Instead they accepted the majority Landowners Group demand, stopped the planning work, and turned that Secondary Plan process over to the Landowner’s Group. Then, in June 2006, the Province locked-in all “business park” lands.

So, how is this Council moving forward? This Council hired an expert to work directly with the Landowner’s Group to complete the Secondary Plan; we anticipate this coming forward before the end of this year.

The Town will also hold an Open House in the early fall to unlock the Province’s “business park” rules by completing a “Municipal Comprehensive Review.”

Finally, Council will determine the requirements for the development of the Town-owned lands during a special workshop in late-August.

These next steps will be critical to help Council decide how best to redesignate, sell, or make use of the lands.

More Haist Reconstruction

You will see that in my last column I wrote about the widening of Haist Street to accommodate bike widths, the addition of a sidewalk, and about the feedback by area residents.

Now, I thought you would want to know about some of the major benefits of the overall reconstruction of Haist Street. (Note: this column was written before Monday, July 20 Council meeting where we received two public presentations, a petition, and a staff report about Haist Street.)

Reduce Speeds:
A number of AK Wigg families and other area residents have expressed concern about people driving at excessive speeds along Haist Street. Some speeders even pass other drivers who were travelling the speed limit!

As a first step to make the street safer, a previous Council established a “Community Safety Zone” along most of Haist; for drivers caught speeding, the fines are doubled.

But, since that type of zone requires constant enforcement, vehicles have not slowed down. Thus, many concerned citizens requested that Council install “traffic calming measures” like speed bumps, roundabouts, stop signs, or on-street parking. At the first Public Open House in October 2008, the majority of respondents preferred raised crosswalks; the final draft of the Haist Street Plan includes four raised crosswalks – near the Arena, Berkwood, and Pancake Lane, and at A.K. Wigg School (which will also include an overhead, pedestrian traffic-light).

Better Water Quality:
You might recall that nearly 40 years ago Haist Street delineated the former “Village of Fonthill” from “Pelham Township.” That boundary also denoted different water systems. Fonthill water came from the (now abandoned) wells in Marlene Stewart-Strait Park. Pelham Township users relied on water from the Welland water treatment plant. For about a decade now, all of Pelham’s municipal water has come from the Regional water treatment plant in Welland. Yet, those aging, cast-iron watermains from the two, old water systems still deliver water to residents. Under the plan, these will be replaced with one, larger watermain.

New Storm Water System:
You might have noticed also the wide (and in some cases deep) ditches line Haist. These ditches are to collect all storm water and snow melt. However, downpours like we have had this spring and summer cause these ditches to washout and erode. The plan will eliminate washouts on the roads and help protect the environment by replacing the wide ditches with an underground storm water system.

These benefits formed an integral part of the Town’s successful application for Federal and Provincial funding.

The "Haist Street Plan"

What do you think about the Haist Street plan?

As one of Pelham’s most-used collector roads, the two kilometers of Haist Street from Canboro to Welland Road desperately requires reconstruction.

The $5.71 million reconstruction plan promises to create a more efficient road system that includes improved sightlines, added width for bicycles, sidewalks on both sides of the street, four raised crosswalks to calm the traffic, and a pedestrian-crossing signal in front of A.K. Wigg School. The replacement of the cast iron watermains (which separated Village of Fonthill and Pelham Township water forty years ago) will improve drinking water quality and system resiliency. The plan will eliminate washouts on the roads and help protect the environment by replacing the wide ditches with an underground storm water system.

The added bike-width and the new sidewalk on the western side of Haist stand as the most contentious parts of the plan. You see, the design calls for a widening of Haist by an extra metre to make it safer for cyclists. At the same time, adding a 1.5 metre (~5 feet) sidewalk after a curb and a 1.5 metre grass strip with new trees changes the face of many western-side properties.

In some cases, the new sidewalk could be up to 6 metres (+19 feet) closer to a home-owner’s property line. (Thankfully, the current plan incorporates a minimum 1.5 metre distance between the sidewalk and resident’s property.)

These suggestions will also affect any landscaping or trees that residents added to the road allowance over the years. The plan shows the removal of 46 such trees.

One can certainly understand why residents would work to improve the curb-appeal of their property or buffer it from traffic in these ways. People here (as elsewhere throughout our Town) cut and care for the road allowance in front of their property.

At the same time, a handful of homes stand as close as 2.5 metres (+8 feet) to their property line. If this was your home, you too would be concerned with any proposed changes.

Thus, many Haist Street residents publicly express concern. No doubt you heard about the 28 “Amend Haist Street Plan” signs displayed for the last two weeks. At our July 20 meeting Council will receive a petition with 147 signatures and comments asking to revise the Haist Street Plan “by removing and or altering elements to keep the flavour of Haist St.” Council will also receive a staff report summarizing the +40 comment sheets the design consultants obtained at the second Public Open House in June.

Let's Celebrate and Give Thanks!

Canada Day is an opportunity to gather in our community and to proudly celebrate all it means to be Canadian. It is an opportunity to celebrate Canada’s heritage – which is continuously passed down to us through the works of our authors, poets, artists and performers.

Canada Day is a time to rejoice in the discoveries of our scientific researchers – from the First Airplane Flight in Canada by the Silver Dart in 1909—to the success of our entrepreneurs – like Pelham-based Accipiter Radar Technologies installing the first software-definable radars in an airport this month.

And, of course, it is a time to be thankful for our country and our Town.

We live in a beautiful Town, a bountiful Region, and a wonderful country. As you travel on our rural roads, you will see cherries on the trees and berries on the vines. Our Thursday evening farmer’s market is alive with fresh produce, flowers and plants, and healthy foods and delicious treats. Or, if you stop at one of the roadside stands, you will find similar delights.

We also live in a peaceful, safe community with good schools, and many recreation opportunities. We have clean water, wonderful libraries, and a good mix of neighbourhood and community parks.

You and I are protected by a dedicated police service, devoted volunteer firefighters, and expert emergency personnel. We have fair access to good and affordable healthcare.

True, we do have some work in these areas, but on a global scale, we are doing very well and should be thankful.

We enjoy freedoms of conscience and religion, of thought, belief, opinion and expression, of assembly, and of association. We are free from persecution and from tyranny.

As I have marvelled many times, the work and dedication of so many generous volunteers form the foundation of our vibrant community. From the Santa Clause Parade, to the Fenwick Lions Carnival, to the Fonthill Bandshell Concert Series, to the Canada Day Parade, volunteers organize and run our Town’s significant public events. From Communities in Bloom, to the Horticultural Society, to those that have “adopted a road”, volunteers work to beautify our Town. In every sport from baseball and hockey, to soccer and tennis, volunteers – like the coaches, convenors, and score keepers – ensure that our children enjoy the fun-of-the-game.

As you and your family and friends commemorate our country’s 142nd birthday, I hope you will join me in celebrating and in giving thanks for our community and our Canada.

"Built Form" and Transit

As you may have heard, Pelham Council recently discontinued the transit service that we had contracted with Welland Transit for one year. While we said no to that particular service, we also asked staff to recommend alternatives at Council’s July meeting.

The total cost of the service for 2008/09 was budgeted at $90,000, with the Town’s share being approximately $60,000. The other revenue was derived from Gas Tax, rider fares, and investments from Brock and Niagara College Student’s Unions.

In the spring of 2008, Council decided not to conduct an expensive survey that would supply the Town with the views of you and other residents regarding the need for transit. Instead, we invested those dollars into “rubber on the road” and pledged to gauge support that way.

So, on June 1st of this year, staff reported that the “Pelham Link” averaged 10.2 riders per day. Based on ridership and expecting an increase in costs in September – to $67,000 per year – staff recommended that the service be discontinued.

So, do we know why the transit test fell short?

Some said that the bus wasn’t frequent or convenient enough. While Pelham staff and Welland Transit staff attempted to give residents the best system with the amount of funding available, perhaps it could have been better.

But, perhaps there is a more profound reason.

You see, last week I had the honour of being one of the Region’s representatives at the 2009 Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference.

I attended several presentations about transportation and transit from all parts of the country. These presentations showed that while convenience and the quality of service are important elements for successful transit, the foundation lies in the “built form” of the community.

What does that mean? Built form is how a community actually exists “on the ground” and functions.

In this case, the theory states that the more dense a community – the higher the level of residential homes/units and jobs per acre – the greater the ability and willingness to use public transit.

While that’s intuitive, I had never heard it stated with so much authority nor seen it engrained in transportation policy before.

But, changing the built form of a community can take years. It is guided largely by the Official Plan and other planning rules.

In the meantime, I look forward to examining short- and medium-terms options for Pelham Transit when Staff presents recommendations to Council in July.

Unprecedented investment will allow Pelham to complete two projects worth $8.7 million

On Friday I heard from both Dean Allison, our MP, and Minister Jim Bradley, MPP St. Catharines, that the Town of Pelham had been awarded $5.66 million from both the Federal and Provincial Governments through the Building Canada Fund and the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. Together with the municipal share, this will allow the Town to complete two projects worth $8.68 million.

This level of investment by the Federal and Provincial Governments is simply unprecedented in Pelham.

I deeply appreciate this shared investment because it will provide a much-needed construction boost while allowing Pelham to build a lasting foundation for our Town’s future.

Under the Building Canada Communities Component, the Provincial and Federal Governments will each invest $1.84 million in the reconstruction of Haist Street. The Town will invest $2.03 million in the $5.71 million project.

As one of Pelham’s most-used collector roads, two kilometres of Haist Street from Canboro Road to Welland Road are in desperate need of reconstruction. Not only have the road and sidewalks deteriorated significantly, the water system needs upgrading.

The reconstruction will rehabilitate sidewalks and create a more efficient road system that includes bicycle lanes, improved sightlines, and traffic calming measures. The replacement of the cast iron watermains will improve water system resiliency and the project will dramatically improve the control of storm water.

Instead of digging up small sections of Haist Street over three years, this Federal and Provincial funding will allow us to accelerate the work and do it all at once. Construction will now begin as early as October 2009.

The Provincial and Federal Governments will also invest $990,000 each from the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund to replace Pelham Fire Station #2. Based on a complete functional analysis, the $2.97 million replacement fire hall will provide sufficient space for firefighters to work safely around the department’s equipment, store bunker gear in a separate area, and provide hands-on training and host fire-related meetings and events.

Parts of the current fire hall are showing significant cracks and other signs of deterioration. There are also significant safety concerns with the firefighters backing fire trucks into the station after each call.

The replacement Fire Hall will include very high standards for energy conservation and sustainable design. We hope to achieve long term operating cost savings while facilitating smooth and unobstructed movement of Firefighters and their equipment.

You Can Help Redesign Our Downtowns

It was my pleasure to finally meet Larry during the weekend.

You see, several years ago Larry developed a series of drawings of how downtown Fonthill could look. In essence, he used a standard theme and drew new facades on each of the buildings of the day.

What happened with the drawings and his vision? They became a rallying cry for people who wanted to see a more standard and beautified downtown.

But, quite frankly, not much else happened with the drawings. Until now, that is.

Now, I’m pleased to let you know that through the leadership of this Council, the Town is ready for that vision. We are also ready for the strategies to make design guidelines happen.

How?

It began with a community meeting regarding Pelham’s downtowns that Council and I called in the spring of 2007. At that meeting, an ad hoc, community-based committee was established to move the issues forward. Shortly thereafter, those citizens approached Council to become an official Town committee; Council agreed and established the Downtown Beautification Committee.

As I have written here before, that Committee has actively advanced beautification of our downtowns by encouraging Council to undertake and develop a Community Improvement Plan (CIP). Through assessment adjustments and grant incentives, this CIP will encourage property owners to upgrade their properties.

Council also set aside funds – up to $50,000 – for incentives for property-owners to beautify their properties in designated areas. This final CIP report could be adopted by Council as early as July.

But, in what way should downtown property-owners improve their properties and buildings? What should those improvements look like? And, how do you ensure that improvements follow a certain look and feel?

We need your help to do that. That’s why I am writing to invite you and your neighbours to participate in three workshops to help form special Design Guidelines and strategies for our downtowns. These guidelines will “provide an urban design vision and guidance for the Downtowns by addressing the nature, intensity and quality of development in both the public and private realms.”

The workshops will run from 6:30 PM on June 9 at Town Hall, and on June 10 and 11 at Old Town Hall. Please check the following link for further details: www.pelham.ca/designworkshop.pdf

Whether it’s Larry’s vision or your vision, I hope you can participate in the workshops and help Pelham’s downtowns become beautified and revitalized.

2009 Final Tax Rates & Property Assessments

You may recall that in January, I wrote here about how Market Value Assessment was only one half of the property tax equation. I explained then that the amount of property tax you pay to the Town of Pelham, to the Region, and to the Province (for Education) is based on the Market Value Assessment of your property multiplied by the tax rates.

Further, I suggested that you “stay tuned” until all three entities set their final tax rates.

Well, during our regular meeting last week, Council approved the 2009 Final Tax Rates. Despite Pelham Council approving our budget in February, we were not able to adopt these final rates until now – that is until after the Niagara Region and the Ontario Ministry of Education set their final rates.

Your Assessment:
Your assessment is solely set by MPAC. The Town and the Region cannot change any element of this assessment. It is mandated by the Province, who has established a separate corporation – MPAC – to administer it.

In Pelham, the average residential property increased by 5.78%. Does that mean that your taxes went up by that amount? No. Because your property tax depends on both your assessment and the tax rate.

Property Taxes = Assessment X Total Tax Rate

Tax Rate:
Your tax rate is set by the Town, the Region, and the Province (for the Education portion). Here are the final rates for 2009.


Municipalities set the tax rate based on the total assessment for each of the tax classes – residential, multi-residential, commercial, industrial, farm/managed forest, pipelines.

So what happened to your assessment and your tax rate?
The average residential property in Pelham had a market value assessment of $235,000 for the 2008 tax year. For the 2009 tax year, that increased by 5.78% to an average of $248,583.

At the same time, the Pelham tax rate decreased by 3.9%. Therefore, the Pelham portion of your residential property taxes increased by 1.7%.


When homeowners received their property reassessments in the fall, some worried that Pelham might take advantage of the increased assessment to hike property taxes. Instead, quite the opposite occurred.

I hope you will be pleased to know that the final property tax increase of 1.7% is the second lowest increase in Niagara Region this year!

Inaugural Mayor’s Gala Promotes Pelham

As you may have heard, the Inaugural Pelham Mayor’s Gala was an overwhelming success! Because of the generosity of local sponsors, the sold-out event netted $21,700 for Project Pelham Cares.

As participants arrived, Peninsula Lakes Golf Course staff shuttled them to the Clubhouse door courtesy of Central Golf Cart Services. Inside, all were welcomed by the wonderful music of Pelham’s own Glissandi – classical harp and violin courtesy Deborah & David Braun. The wine tasting was courtesy Niagara College Winery, the Seafood Appetizers were sponsored by Accipiter Radar Technologies, and the Hors D’oeuvres by Canadian Tire Financial Services.

Angela Carter, whom you may recall as volunteer chair of the 2007-08 United Way campaign, emceed the evening. She welcomed the Shatford Family to perform the National Anthem a cappella; they later performed “Working in our Town” about Pelham Cares based on the Carter Family classic “In the Highways.” Tim Hartwick, of Personal Touch Home Improvements, offered the blessing.

It was then my honour to bring greetings to the nearly 200 gala participants. I thanked the sponsors and silent auction donors for their generosity, and encouraged all to generously support the event. I also acknowledged those elected members of our community present including Malcolm Allen, Welland Riding MP (and former Pelham Councillor); Peter Partington, Regional Chairman; Brian Baty, Pelham Regional Councillor; Welland Mayor Damian Goulbourne; Dave Emmons, Pelham Deputy Mayor & Councillor; Peter Papp, Pelham Councillor; and Jim Lane, Pelham Councillor. I also thanked the Gala Committee – Jean Bancroft, Ian Hamilton, Carolyn Mullin, John Nicol, Paul Winkler, and Jordan Arcaro – for their dedication and significant work.

Then Gail Hilyer, President of Pelham Cares, expressed her appreciation and spoke about the ongoing commitment of Pelham Cares to support the most vulnerable. She also explained the dire need for a more permanent home for Pelham Care’s services.

Just as the sun set over Pelham’s short-hills, all enjoyed the exquisite buffet dinner which was sponsored by Meridian Credit Union, Lafarge, and the Planning Partnership. Later we delighted in dessert courtesy of Indulgence. Finally, after the silent auction and raffle, Introduction, a Pelham-based band that was sponsored by Walker Industries, entertained the crowd.

As you can imagine, it is gratifying to host such a signature event that not only raised funds to support Pelham Cares, but that also showcased some of the best specialty services, businesses, and entertainment serving Pelham. Thank you to all participants and donors for your generosity.

Shared Investments in Pelham?

The last couple of weeks have been especially busy in the "municipal world." On April 15th we received word from the Honourable John Baird, Federal Minister of
Transport, Infrastructure & Communities, and the Honourable George
Smitherman, Ontario's Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy &
Infrastructure, that they would receive applications for infrastructure stimulus funding until Friday, May 1st.

As you may know, under the Canada / Ontario Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, all three levels of government contribute one-third of the total eligible project cost as long as the approved project can be fully completed by March 31, 2011. This funding will not only provide much-needed stimulus to the economy, it is also intended to help municipal governments meet our infrastructure needs.

So, for which projects has Pelham applied, you ask?

First, under the Building Canada Communities Component (communities under 100,000), we applied for a shared investment in the reconstruction of Haist Street. As one of Pelham’s most used collector roads, two kilometers of Haist Street from Canboro to Welland Road desperately requires reconstruction. Not only have the road and sidewalks deteriorated significantly, the water and waste water systems need upgrading.

The $5.71 million reconstruction will rehabilitate sidewalks and create a more efficient road system that includes bicycle lanes, improved sightlines, and traffic calming measures. The replacement of the cast iron watermains will improve water system resiliency and the project will dramatically improve the control of storm water. Federal and Provincial funding will allow this multi-phase, multi-year project to be dramatically accelerated and completed by December 2010.

Second, the Town applied for $2.32 million to revitalize Fenwick’s Downtown Core. You will recall that we were declined funding for this project in the fall because it was seen as a separate project to Fonthill’s downtown revitalization. Now, we are proposing similar urban design improvements which will calm traffic, protect heritage streetscapes, widen sidewalks with safe crossings at key areas, and provide decorative lighting.

Third, we applied for a $2.97 million replacement of Pelham Fire Station #2. Based on a complete functional analysis, the replacement firehall will provide sufficient space to park and work safely around the department’s equipment, a bunker gear storage area, and sufficient rooms for hands-on training and fire-related meetings / events.

Finally, the Town applied for $1.25 million to replace the Maple Acre Library Branch. Based on current usage and growth estimates for the Town and using a functional analysis, this replacement, rural-village branch library will provide much-needed, fully accessible space for library resources, programs, and community development.

We await word from the Federal and Provincial governments on these shared investment projects to improve our Town.