participant feedback summary phase 1 themes: 4 may 2011 6:45pm 9:15pm old brooklin community centre Page 1 of 9
workshop details 16 participants attended 2 participants signed up to become an interested party for the official plan review at theme related hopes and aspirations i wish.. there was connectivity of green spaces parks were safe and clean corridors were north south (trails, parks etc.) there were events at our various public places open spaces were pedestrian friendly we had a large trail network with connectivity to different municipalities wouldn t it be lovely if.. the waterfront trail was made nice - not dangerous parks and trails went from north to south if cullen gardens could be better connected if green spaces are connected (especially the victoria street trail) if parks were safe and connected (e.g. on garden street north of railroad - no lighting dangerous park to go through) we could walk to parks (especially given aging population) town created a central green space (in area near iroquois beach) similar to rouge park, but smaller we had an outdoor pool at rear at library if the end of brock had a nice restaurant with patio (not fine dining or hot dog) there was a restaurant near heydenshore or in the area we had restaurants on the waterfront and could walk around there were jazz festival/s in public places weekend music fest with local people cullen gardens lead to heber downs (trail & park) Page 2 of 9
theme related hopes and aspirations if only everything is connected between green spaces and natural areas open spaces could be used year round complete connection of trails better connection to lake open spaces pedestrian friendly pedestrian saturday i wish. speed limits were more enforced on major roads through rural settlements more roadside stands were encouraged for rural farmers to sell veggies and fruit rural and natural environments were sustained or increased natural environments greenbelts untouched for our children s children. pedestrian sidewalks were implemented on major highways surrounding rural settlements to make it safe to walk to parks tree planting along rural roads was increased / accelerated that easements planned for development roads were better maintained agricultural lands had more protection for farmers (benefits, social security) agricultural land uses in the greenbelt were less restrictive agricultural lands were maintained for long term sustainability farmland and agriculture were connected greater connection of non-urban areas community gardens were more accessible town / durham had a green shop year round shop selling local produce sidewalks were implemented on major highways there were more pedestrian sidewalks so there were safe walks to parks roadside stands were encouraged for farmers to sell veggies and fruit wouldn t it be lovely if.. current development is intensified and existing rural and natural environments remained untouched there was access to enjoy boardwalks moraine view wildlife education publicity of community gardens is increased (lakeridge / taunton) if educational programs recognized the value of agriculture Page 3 of 9
theme related hopes and aspirations if only.. there were standard bylaws to fix up run down farms / junk yards a visual blight we would take after uxbridge link between trails and policy if greater recognition of value of agriculture community gardens in municipal parkland (can ensure maintenance) community gardens were better advertised not required to drive to issues, challenges, opportunities issues lack of lighting waterfront nothing for kids under utilized stanley park (cullen) parkettes too small insignificant - only for the very young not much need unaffordable participation / program rates insufficient details of parks in activity guides to know where parks are and what s nearby requires a trip to town hall ineffective mechanisms to deal with vandalism heydenshore needs to be fixed playground equipment being removed without replacement challenges greater ownership of parks and maintenance (more effective in town where parks and recreation are volunteer based) not using the shoreline nothing to draw people down nothing for kids cycling connectivity walkability opportunities give ownership to the people community parks etc. festivals / celebrations events rotated through different sites in whitby (heydenshore / cullen / brooklin) shut down main street in brooklin ( buskers music / jazz ) brooklin showgrounds - festival public space grass roots initiatives Page 4 of 9
issues, challenges, opportunities opportunities (continued.) lighting in public parks many dark areas require commercial developments (outdoor malls) to provide greenery outdoor sitting / fountains etc. bike trails brooklin more better linkages waterfront is a jewel and should be realized waterfront development could be allowed and land cleaned up pedestrian oriented area in centre of community i.e. no car access in new brooklin neighbourhood community has opportunity to make their parks (e.g. community raises the money) cullen park stanley park large urban park town squares public art cultural amenities issues road network to support whitby and brooklin development is erasing our farms support for agriculture value and integration of agriculture management of urban and rural what about wildlife no emphasis on farming don t market our natural resources expansion to north of brooklin: o where are the roads? o where is the traffic going to go? o columbus road 1 land bridge o expansion is happening quickly o owned by 3 4 large developers Page 5 of 9
issues, challenges, opportunities challenges market local farms better halt the brooklin urban sprawl ensure greenbelt throughways in remaining development hiking trail system maintain heydenshore type areas close to urban areas conserve more green spaces short drives to access maintain rural atmosphere closer to urban areas traffic patterns to be considered there was dead tree removal on rural roads power outages due to trees hitting hydro lines in storms connectivity north south signage, way finding, distribution of maps economics of farmers still working on farms mindset of valuing fresh food supporting local economy (shop at local stores) development in brooklin is a matter of when, not if opportunities local produce in local stores link cullen gardens to heber downs farm collectives for urban farms sign posted trails through oak ridges moraine local farmers markets greater advertising of adopt an area better employment opportunities have people come to durham something like millennium trail (in winter has full connections) community gardens farmers markets supporting community gardens & local farmers (like white feathers) agriculture make sure supported by economics encourage local food Page 6 of 9
theme related directions start doing: create more trails to walk your dog or ride your bike require commercial malls to have higher quality and greater landscaping with less concrete stop doing: do differently: more outdoor park events movie in the park theatre productions ashburn be an improvement on what was done in brooklin stop doing: brooklin be rural, whitby be urban start doing: sell local food locally do differently park and natural area connectivity questions / comments: Q: what infrastructure would be an example of infrastructure suitable to be located in agricultural areas? A: infrastructure such as sewer or water pumping stations are an example of municipal infrastructure that has been located in agricultural areas in the past in whitby. Q: what are estate lots? A: estate lots are larger residential lots located in and around hamlets. the current policy environment does not support the creation of new estate lots. Page 7 of 9
questions / comments: Q: often 120 metres (120m) is identified as a relevant buffer distance from natural features to development (for example lynde shores). can you explain or elaborate on the suitability and application of this buffer distance? A: the 120m buffer distance is a general setback distance and is not rigidly applied. sometimes buffer distances can be greater or smaller than 120m, depending on the nature of the development and the environmental attributes of the natural feature. a setback or buffer distance is usually determined by an environmental assessment and in many cases, a 4 season environmental impact study. Q: can you please provide further information on the greenbelt plan and associated legislation? A: the greenbelt plan and associated greenbelt act were adopted in 2005 by the province and are intended to establish a permanent, provincial level greenbelt. the greenbelt was established to protect environmental qualities like agricultural land and conservation land, as well as limiting urban growth in the greater toronto area. the greenbelt plan is adopted provincial policy and every municipality s decision making must be consistent with this policy. municipalities are required to ensure their individual official plans are consistent with the greenbelt plan and therefore conformity with the greenbelt plan is a component of the whitby official plan review. Q: how do you intend to prevent leapfrogging of development to ensure the greenbelt plan and similar plans are effective? A: a range of provincial policies have been established to connect the oak ridges moraine to the lake front via valley lands and green spaces. in this context leapfrogging is controlled as development is concentrated outside these environmental lands, creating boundaries. in addition urban boundaries established in local and regional official plans focus development between natural features like the moraine, the greenbelt and the lake front. implementation of the growth plan identifies 55% of growth will be via greenfield development and 45% of growth will be through intensification development. accordingly growth is already being focussed in existing urban areas with access to existing infrastructure. this approach is the basis of planning policy to ensure orderly and proper planning until 2031. Page 8 of 9
Q: can you please explain in greater detail what an estate lot is? can estate lots be built in the oak ridges moraine or the greenbelt? do estate lots have a standard minimum size? A: estate lots are larger, generally un-serviced subdivisions in rural areas. estate lots do not have a standard minimum size as the lot size is dependant on the location and servicing requirements of the lot. estate lots cannot be established in the greenbelt or the oak ridges moraine. under the current policy environment no new estate lots will be supported. the only exception to this policy position is the opportunity for very minor growth within or on the boundaries of existing hamlets and even then this is subject to limited circumstances. feedback forms the participant handout for included a 4 page feedback form containing the questions explored as part of the workshop agenda. this form was provided to allow participants to provide additional comments on the workshop questions. no feedback forms were received from participants at the end of. Page 9 of 9