Potential Development Coming to Pelham

As I have written about before, Pelham has a few tracts of land set aside for new growth.

The largest is in the “East Fonthill” area – between Rice Road and Station Street / Steve Bauer Trail and from Regional Road 20 to the Town’s southern boundary (south of Merritt Street).

While much of the nearly 450 acres of East Fonthill lands are currently farmed – the corn was harvested last week – the entire area was added to the Urban Boundary by an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) in 2000.

Recent questions in local media about whether property owners should be allowed to develop on those lands would have had to have been asked and answered during the OMB’s consideration more than a decade ago.

The OMB decision disallowed the inclusion of any lands to the East of Rice Road in the Urban Boundary and required the Town to undertake a “Secondary Plan” before allowing development to proceed.

All Towns and Cities must have “Official Plans.”  Essentially, an Official Plan contains policies and guidelines and outlines where commercial, agricultural, industrial, and residential developments can occur. It uses a series of maps to demonstrate those areas.

Like an Official Plan covering the entire Town, a Secondary Plan contains detailed policies and guidelines for growth and development for a specific area – in this case, this East Fonthill area.

Since the Province began changing their governing policies in the mid-2000s – adding the Greenbelt Plan, “Places to Grow”, and the Provincial Policy Statement – the Town needed to adapt our own policies and guidelines.  That’s one of the major reasons why it took until this Fall to finally approve this Secondary Plan.

Some of the goals of the East Fonthill Secondary Plan include ensuring a well-designed, attractive, pedestrian-friendly community with a mixture of housing types; encouraging significant retail / commercial development while at the same time protecting the existing Fonthill Downtown; providing a “Greenlands System” that protects existing environmental features and integrates with the Steve Bauer Trail system; and developing a pedestrian / cyclist-friendly and transit-ready road network.

It is estimated that 5,000 people could be living in this area within 20 years.  That’s why the Region (with a little assistance from the Town) undertook multi-million dollar improvements – installing water and sewer trunk lines along Rice Road, and widening Regional Road 20 between Station Street and the 406.

Some property owners in the East Fonthill area are now working on their next steps toward development and have suggested that the first-phases of construction could begin in 2014.

Assessment Only Half the Picture

Have you received your new property assessment notice from MPAC – the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation?

Updated for the first time since 2008, your notice will outline MPAC’s determination of the market value of your property as of January 1, 2012.

MPAC considers many factors when assessing property values, such as the sale prices of comparable properties in your neighbourhood, and the age, location, characteristics, and size of your property and home. In essence, MPAC strives to base their value on the amount your property could have sold for on the open market.

Just like in 2008, our assessment will remain the same for the next four years. However, if the value of your property increases, that increase will be phased in over the four years; if the value goes down, you will immediately see a reduction.

For example, if the value of your home increased by $20,000 over its current assessment, the value for determining your property tax will increase by $5,000 per year over the next four years.

If the value of your home goes up, does that mean that your property taxes will also go up?

No, not necessarily. Market Value Assessment is only one half of the property tax equation. The amount you pay to the Town of Pelham, to the Region, and for Education is based on the Market Value Assessment of your home multiplied by the three tax rates and added together.

Say the Town budgeted for revenues of $10 million from property taxes in 2013. If all assessments double, the Town would cut the tax rate in half to collect that $10 million. If everyone’s assessments went down, we would increase the rate to collect the same $10 million.

But, what if your assessed value increases more than the average?

The property tax system is a bit of a blunt instrument. Municipalities set the tax rate based on the average assessment for each of the tax classes – residential, multi-residential, commercial, industrial, farm/managed forest, pipelines.

If your property’s assessed value increases more than the average you will likely pay more than the average tax. By the same token, if your assessed value increases less than the average, you will likely pay less tax.

What if you don’t think the MPAC assessment on your property is correct? You can issue a “request for reconsideration” before April 1, 2013 so that MPAC will review your assessment.

Please check out their website (www.mpac.on.ca) and your notice for more information.

Increasing Pedestrian Safety on Pelham Street

What should we do to help increase pedestrian safety on Pelham Street?

A couple of years ago, parents from Glynn A. Green School implored Council to increase the safety of children walking to and from school along Pelham Street. They highlighted traffic counts that estimated that 10,000 vehicles drove past the school every weekday. They also reminded Council about a woman who was tragically killed +12 years ago while she jogged on the road’s gravel shoulder.

Council reacted swiftly. We approved a new traffic signal at Port Robinson to calm traffic and to help pedestrians cross; we approved a new sidewalk from Elizabeth to Brock Street (on the west side of Pelham); we approved an engineering study for the reconstruction of Pelham Street from Port Robinson to Quaker; and we earmarked $2.5 million in future budgets (starting at $1.5 million in 2013) for the road’s reconstruction – including sidewalks, curbs, new storm sewers, and new water lines.

After completing the first two items, staff asked Council whether Pelham Street from College to Port Robinson should also be reconstructed; if so, staff suggested that new bikelanes be installed in that section (to fulfill the Region’s bikeways Master Plan) and that the hydro lines be buried. The estimated cost was an additional $400,000 and Council agreed.

When the engineering design and construction estimate came back this fall at $6.5 million – two-and-a-half times more than the estimate – all were surprised and disheartened. This work would consume all of the $2 million (on average) that we invest each year in major road projects.

Given that staff believes the road surface remains in great shape, staff began looking at alternatives.

What about following the new design but install only the sidewalk now? The new sidewalk would have been installed at a different level than the current land’s contours, impeded storm water flow, and obstructed future storm sewers and waterlines.

On November 6, staff suggested a couple of solutions for an estimated $150,000:

• install a traffic signal at Pancake to help ease traffic flow and make it easier for pedestrians to cross;
• install rumble strips along the both sides of the existing road surface (like on the edge of the QEW) to warn drivers to stay off the shoulder.
• install a 1.5 metre asphalt strip on both sides of the road for pedestrians and cyclists.

Council will review these suggestions during our Capital Budget meeting on Monday, November 26; I hope you will provide your suggestions and feedback to Council and me before that discussion.

"How Might We...?"

As you may have read in the local media last week, Council used a somewhat different method to focus discussion and help solve issues surrounding the potential Site Alteration Bylaw.

You see, during the Committee of the Whole on November 5, staff reported on the feedback received about a proposed Site Alteration Bylaw. The report also contained an alternative bylaw.

Instead of the normal method of engaging in debate (and counter-debate) about what is needed and what may not be needed, we used a process to focus the discussion and focus on the problem.

To do that, I used a flip-chart (and several pages) and asked Councillors to offer the “key facts” about the “ambiguous situation” of fill being dumped on agricultural lands. After recording 28 facts, Councillors placed three dots each on the flip chart paper to identify the most important facts. Each Councillor explained the reason for picking that key element.

From those most important facts, Councillors then outlined eight distinct issues that needed to be solved. Finally, the Committee directed staff to take the information, and present staff’s best ideas and recommendations for solving those distinct issues. On November 19, Councillors will evaluate the ideas and likely direct staff to develop and present action plans. (I want to emphasize that the process does not prejudge solution(s); the solution(s) to these issues may or may not require a bylaw(s).)

Council used part of an eight-step creative problem solving process developed by Dr. Min Basadur, Professor Emeritus of Innovation in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University (www.basadur.com). Over the last couple of months, Town staff has also used the process to help solve various challenges, like developing ways to increase and improve communication with residents

The three-stage, eight-step process includes:
Stage 1:  Problem Formulation: including problem finding; fact finding; and problem definition. (Council completed this stage regarding “Site Alteration” above.)
Stage 2:  Solution Formulation: including idea finding; and idea evaluation and selection. (Councillors will undertake this portion at our November 19 meeting, regarding “Site Alteration.”)
Stage 3:  Solution Implementation: including action plan; gaining acceptance; and action. This stage recognizes that “Unless the solution is skillfully prepared for implementation, and its implementation skillfully executed, the problem solving will not have been successful.”

Council will continue to use this creative problem solving process to not only deal with this particular issue but to also take steps toward solving several other key challenges and opportunities that face our community.

Take Time to Remember

Each year in Pelham, the Legion and Cadets organize a number of very special ceremonies to commemorate Remembrance Day.

On the Sunday before Remembrance Day – this year on November 4 – the commemorations will begin at the Cenotaph at Centennial Park at 9:00 AM. During this special service, Veterans, members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 613, the Ladies Auxiliary, the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, the Fenwick Volunteer Firefighters Association, the Fabulous Fenwick Lions, and Federal, Provincial, and Municipal political representatives will march to the Cenotaph and lay wreaths to remember those brave men and women who served (and who continue to serve) our country during times of war, conflict, and peace.

Then, at 10:00 AM, the Legion will organize another commemoration at the Cenotaph at Old Pelham Town Hall in Ridgeville. This service recalls those that served from the Ridgeville area and often also includes representatives of the Niagara Regional Police Service and several local veterans.

At 11:00 AM, Reverend Russ Myers and the congregation of Fonthill Baptist will host a special church service. The ceremony usually includes reciting John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields”, a scriptural reflection, and a video that highlights local veterans.

Later, at 12:30 PM, the Legion will host a commemoration at the Cenotaph at Peace Park in Fonthill. This service calls to mind those who served from the Fonthill area, and also includes the laying of wreaths by members of the Fonthill Volunteer Firefighters Association, the Fonthill Lions, the Fonthill Rotary Club, the Fonthill & District Kinsmen and some local businesses.

On Remembrance Day itself – this year on a Sunday – the Legion will host a complete service at Veteran’s Park at the Legion in Fonthill. The service begins between 10:30 and 10:45 AM so that the moment of silence can occur at 11:00 AM. In recent years, and especially since the revitalization of the cenotaph, many people participate in this Remembrance Day service.

The freedoms that so many of us might take for granted – to express ourselves, to participate in cultural, religious, and political activities, to come and go as we please, to pursue a safe and happy life – are all due to the sacrifices of Veterans and those who serve today. They sacrificed their futures so that our future might be one of peace and of happiness.

Let us each take a few moments to participate in these Remembrance Day ceremonies so that we can be thankful and rededicate ourselves to peace. Lest we forget.

Focused on Priorities

During the last four months, Council and the Town’s new CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) and other senior staff have focused on ways in which we might accelerate the Town’s priorities.

You will recall that in the spring of 2011, Council worked together with the community to develop a new strategic plan with a clearly articulated vision – that Pelham become the most vibrant, creative, and caring community in Niagara.

In August 2012, Council met with senior staff to evaluate progress, celebrate successes and prioritize the plan. Together we developed a detailed report with staff milestones that offers a measurement tool for Council and the community.

But, Council and I also came to recognize that to achieve the vision, we needed to adjust our governance processes.

You see, under our former structure, the Council debated specific issues and a mundane or low-priority item would garner as much attention as high-priority items. The former structure – the same one followed by Council’s throughout the Region – also bogged down issues in separate Council committees and neglected to provide a way in which senior management could provide regular progress reports.

So, over the summer, Council worked together with the CAO and Clerk to revamp our “Procedural Bylaw” – the way in which Council business is structured and run.

The process starts with Committee of the Whole (COW), during which all of Council receives information, asks questions, and provides direction regarding the Town’s operations. Staff brief Council on a wide spectrum of issues while highlighting important statistics, emerging issues, trends, and resident concerns. Because Council reviews the activities of all departments each month, important matters can be decided and accelerated.

During the Policies & Priorities (P&P) Committee, Council reviews the policies and ongoing priorities of the Town. P&P allows Council to exchange information and ideas, respond to external influences, receive requests for policy review or creation, and review bylaws. For example, during our October 15 P&P meeting, Council reviewed the way in which staff enforce bylaws, outlined the importance of education, courtesy and respect, and directed staff to draft improved enforcement policies.

Formal Council meetings remain largely unchanged – except for a new start time of 6:30 PM. During Council we receive delegations, correspondence and presentations, we ratify the recommendations of the COW and P&P, and we approve any changes to bylaws.

Finally, in our ongoing effort to be as open, transparent, and accessible as possible, you may review complete Council and Committee agendas – including all reports and recommendations – through the Town’s website www.pelham.ca (starting November 5).

New Official Plan Approved!

I was very pleased on October 4th when Regional Council approved the Town of Pelham’s new Official Plan. Our old plan – amended many, many times through the years – was originally approved in 1973!

What is an Official Plan? In general, an Official Plan (OP) describes a Town’s policies on how land in a community should be used. It is prepared with significant community input and helps to ensure that future planning and development will meet the specific needs of a community. An OP explains the Town’s general land use planning policies; helps property owners understand how their land may be used now and in the future; helps decide where roads, watermains, sewers, parks and other services will be built; provides a framework for municipal zoning rules, like the size of lots and height of buildings; and provides ways to achieve local, regional and provincial interests.

In Pelham’s case, the new OP establishes a vision for the Town that strongly supports the protection of environmental features and agriculture and focuses future urban growth within the settlement areas of Fonthill and Fenwick. The hold-up recently has been to ensure that our OP would be consistent with recent Provincial and Regional plans – “Greenbelt Plan,” “Growth Plan,” “Provincial Policy Statement,” and Regional Policy Plan Amendments.

In Fonthill, future residential and employment growth will be accommodated primarily within the East Fonthill Secondary Plan area – the 450 acres along the west side of Rice Road from Regional Road 20 (RR20) to south of Merritt Road. This land could accommodate an additional 5,000 residents and jobs over the next 20 years. The OP also encourages residential intensification in the downtowns and through redevelopment in downtown transitional areas – along the north side of RR20 from Pelham to Station Street, and along the east-side of Station Street from RR20 to Pelham Town Square.  Since our Town contains hundreds of home-based businesses the OP also allows greater flexibility for live-work arrangements – commercial / office space downstairs, residential upstairs, for example – especially in the East Fonthill area.

In Fenwick, significant undeveloped urban land – along the west-side of Cream Street to Balfour from Welland to Memorial – could accommodate an additional 1,000 residents within the next 20 to 30 years.

Rest assured that the OP calls for new development in both of these areas to be sensitive to the surrounding character of the neighbourhoods and to embody high quality urban design.

I look forward in working together with you, Council, and staff as our community grows, evolves, and matures according to the vision in our new Official Plan.

How should we spend your money in 2013?

Do you have a suggestion on how the Town should spend your money?

The question seems timely not because the final installment for 2012 property taxes came due last week, but, rather, because Council will begin our 2013 budget considerations in October.

Council will begin our 2013 budget process with a special public meeting where we listen to you about what you would like to see in future budgets. That meeting will occur on Tuesday, October 9 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber at Pelham Town Hall.

Pelham Council first started this type of a “pre-budget consultation” for the 2007 Budget. That consultation welcomed residents and property tax payers and invited input. Following Council deliberations that year, I was pleased that we were able to follow-through on most of the suggestions offered by your friends and neighbours. In subsequent years, we had similar consultation processes.

I am very pleased that we are undertaking this consultation process again. Council and I want to hear directly from you about your needs, wants, and ideas for our Town.  Our community improves when more and more people become involved in its success!

We want to hear about the specific things that you think the Town should do or things that we should stop doing in 2013. How can we make Pelham a better place to live, work, grow, and play?

Council adopted this budget schedule:
• Pre-Budget Consultation – beginning October 9, 2012;
• Draft Capital Budget available to public – November 23;
• Draft Capital Budget presented to Committee – November 26;
• Council consider approving Capital Budget – December 3;
• Draft Operating Budget available to the public – January 25, 2013;
• Draft Operating Budget presented to Committee – January 28;
• Council consider approving Operating Budget – February 6;
• Draft Water & Sewer Budgets available to the public – February 15;
• Draft Water & Sewer Budgets presented to Committee – February 19;
• Council consider approving Water & Sewer Budgets – March 4.

Want to provide written input?  Simply send a letter via email to a special email address:  ourbudget@pelham.ca. You will also soon be able to view background budget information at the Town’s website: www.pelham.ca.

Not internet savvy?  You can also provide written comments via normal mail c/o Town Clerk, Town of Pelham, 20 Pelham Town Square, P.O. Box 400, Fonthill, ON   L0S 1E0.

I hope to hear from you and I look forward to discussing your ideas so that we can continue to build a better future for our Town together.

New Southern Hospital, Two New UCCs

Last Friday, Dr. Kevin Smith, the Provincially-appointed Supervisor of the Niagara Health System (NHS), presented his Final Report regarding NHS restructuring to the Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health & Long-Term Care.

Among the 23 final recommendations, Dr. Smith suggested that the Province construct a new hospital “in the QEW and Lyons Creek area of Niagara.” He suggested that the new “South Hospital” should include emergency and critical care, the Regional stroke centre, the Regional geriatrics program, the total joint replacement centre, general internal medicine and surgical services, complex care, and maternal child / in-patient pediatrics.

Smith also recommended operating two, free-standing Urgent Care Centres in “South Niagara” -- sites and locations to be determined -- and closing the existing facilities in Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, Welland, and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

You will recall that in May, Dr. Smith asked the “Mayors of the ‘Southern Tier’ with input from the Regional Chair” to come to a unanimous recommendation for the locations of the new Hospital and one, stand-alone Urgent Care Centre by mid-June.

The six southern mayors -- Vance Badawey, Port Colborne; Jim Diodati, Niagara Falls; April Jeffs, Wainfleet; Doug Martin, Fort Erie; Barry Sharpe, Welland; and myself -- and Regional Chair Gary Burroughs met five times and reviewed population densities, ambulance call volumes, drive times, municipal infrastructure, NHS referrals, and ER usage.

We came to a unanimous decision and recommended two geographic areas for the new “Southern” hospital -- generally described as the QEW & Lyons Creek area, and the East Main Street and Highway 140 area. We also recommended that the NHS operate two Urgent Care Centres.

I am pleased that Dr. Smith honoured the Mayors’ and Regional Chair’s unanimous recommendations for siting of a new hospital and for the operation of two Urgent Care Centres to serve South Niagara.

I did communicate with Dr. Smith directly about the potential impact of the Lyons Creek / QEW location for Pelham residents.  When the Province builds a new hospital there, it seems likely that many Pelham residents will travel instead to the new Northern hospital. When he wrote back to me on Friday morning, Dr. Smith reaffirmed his earlier position: “I can absolutely confirm that Pelham residents will be provided care at the site they choose to use. If that is the North site we will welcome them there.”

I sincerely appreciate the significant and comprehensive work by Dr. Smith. I will now work together with colleagues from across the Region to help convince the Provincial Government to build the new facilities and embrace, as Dr. Smith writes, “…a new era focused on creating a sustainable, high quality health system” for all of Niagara.

Wanting Your Feedback on Site Alteration Bylaw

I am writing to give you an update regarding a draft Site Alteration Bylaw, hoping that you will provide some feedback by October 1.

You may recall that in the spring of 2011 a rural resident made a presentation to Council about construction fill being dumped on a neighbouring property and built into a high berm.  The material not only covered rich agricultural soil, the neighbour built the berm right up against the property line. The resident asked Council to consider developing a Site Alteration Bylaw to regulate this type of activity.

Many other municipalities have enacted this type of bylaw because it allows Towns to regulate activities with the potential for environmental degradation (dumping, erosion, sedimentation), drainage problems (blockages, impact on neighbouring properties) and public nuisances (tracking of mud on roads, dust).

The Town convened a public information session in August 2011 to give people an opportunity to ask questions and provide written comment.

Following that input, Council convened a public meeting to receive feedback in September, 2011. Farmers, nursery operators, and sod growers asked to be exempt for "normal farm practices"; landscapers asked for exemptions for their business activities.  Some neighbours of existing “berms” implored Council to act and to regulate that activity and the dumping of construction / excavation material on good farm land. Others asked Council to stop consideration of any "infringement of property rights."

Based on that public meeting, Town Staff developed a draft bylaw and presented it to Council in January 2012.  At that time, Council discussed whether the bylaw should deal exclusively with berms or include additional elements raised during the public meeting.  Council sent the bylaw back to staff to make further changes.

At our August 13 Committee meeting, Councillors received a new draft Site Alteration Bylaw and directed staff to make it available to residents for feedback.

You can pick-up a draft at Town Hall or review a paper copy at the Library; you can also download a copy from the Town’s website at www.pelham.ca.  We hope to receive your written feedback by October 1, so Staff can present it to Council in November.

Finally, you may be pleased to know that this draft Site Alteration bylaw would not allow Town staff the right to enter private property without appropriate notice – something like Staff knocking on the front door, identifying who they are, and seeking permission to undertake an inspection.

I look forward to your feedback regarding this draft bylaw.