Peterborough city council will be meeting as general committee on Monday (May 13).
Following a closed session at 5:30 p.m., council will meet in chambers at 6 p.m. for an open session.
Below are some highlights of what’s on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting.
Removal of Calendar Parking Restriction on Humber Road
City staff will present a report recommending the removal of the calendar parking restriction between the south side of Saugeen Crescent and 536 Humber Road, reverting to the default maximum three-hour on-street parking restriction.
Humber Road is a popular location for parents to drop off and pick up their children at Otonabee Valley Public School. The restriction was originally approved by council in 2021 because of parking and safety concerns raised by neighbourhood residents.
Since then, city staff have received numerous complaints from area residents that parents continue to park on both sides of the street during pick-up and drop-off times and that there is not enough municipal enforcement. In addition, some residents have complained that the calendar parking restriction limits the amount of on-street parking for visitors outside of school hours.
In response to these concerns, city staff surveyed local residents for their preference on the parking restriction. According to the report, many residents indicated more enforcement was needed to make the calendar parking restriction more effective. The report also says that, while the city’s single mobile parking enforcement officer has been regularly sent to Humber Road, that officer has to cover 30 schools with similar issues during admission and dismissal time.
Of the 18 residents who responded to a parking restriction question on the city’s survey, 11 preferred returning to the maximum three-hour on-street parking restriction.
Maria Street Pedestrian Crossover
City staff will present a report recommending the implementation of a pedestrian crossover on Maria Street at Mark Street near Rogers Cove in East City.
Maria Street is a collector roadway that, west of the Maria Street swing bridge at Ashburnham Drive, intersects with Armour Road, Rogers Street, and Burnham Street. The only controlled crossing location for pedestrians is east of the swing bridge at Ashburnham Drive. Almost 2,700 vehicles have been counted using the street in an eight-hour period.
Many pedestrians and cyclists cross Maria Street between Rogers Street and Mark Street to reach Rogers Cove, which includes a splash pad as well as a section of the Trans Canada Trail, which continues south to Beavermead Park and beyond. In a 14-hour study, city staff observed 52 children and 104 adults crossing Maria Street, with most crossing at Mark Street and the rest between Mark Street and Rogers Street to the east.
The report states that the intersection of Maria Street and Mark Street meets the threshold for installing a pedestrian crossover, which would include rectangular rapid flashing beacons and enhanced ladder crosswalk pavement markings.
The cost of installing the crossover would be $80,000, which includes $35,000 for the electrical work required. If approved, construction would begin immediately with an expected completion date of this fall.
Other presentations and reports
Other presentations and reports to come before council include:
- A presentation to approve the first phase of the Community Housing Strategic Plan
- A report to recommend citizen appointments to the Transit Liaison Committee, Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, Airport Strategic Initiatives Committee, and Community
Investment Grants Advisory Committee - A report to recommend an increase of $53,795 in municipal incentives to support the development of affordable homes being constructed by Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and
Kawartha Region for Phase 2 of the Leahy’s Lane Development. - A report recommending approval of the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Growth Plan 2023-2026.
Notice of Motion – Extension of Deadline Under The Ontario Heritage Act
Councillor Alex Bierk will put forward a motion that the City of Peterborough request the Province of Ontario extend the deadline to process listed properties under the Ontario Heritage Act from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2030.
In 2022, the Ford government made changes to the Ontario Heritage Act requiring each municipality to remove every listed property from its heritage register within two years — by January 1, 2025 — unless that municipality has begun the process to designate a listed property prior to the deadline. According to the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, this change affects around 36,000 listed heritage properties in municipalities across the province.
According to Bierk’s motion, there are 795 listed properties in Peterborough that would have to be reviewed by the January deadline, “a volume that presents substantial logistical challenges to process within the prescribed timeframe, with the limited municipal resources available.”
Bierk’s motion notes the Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO) has also requested an extension of the deadline. In an April 15th media release, the ACO said the enforced removal from registers will put listed but not designated heritage properties at increased risk of demolition. Properties that lose their listing status cannot be re-listed for another five years.
“With the expiry date now months away, municipalities have been scrambling to review their registers and prioritize properties for designation or other protection,” said ACO chair Diane Chin in the release. “But this is nearly impossible on such a tight timeline.”
Chin has written to Premier Ford urging the province to extend the deadline for five years, until January 1, 2030.
“This would give municipalities time to better plan, resource and implement a complex undertaking,” Chin said, with the release noting an extended deadline would help municipalities ensure that properties are not thrown off the register prematurely and without input from property owners, many of whom are not aware of what’s happening.
As well as asking the city to formally request that the province extended the deadline, Bierk’s motion would see a copy of his motion sent to Premier Ford, the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, and relevant provincial officials.
Notice of Motion – Bonnerworth Site Plan
Councillor Joy Lachica will put forward a motion that council be granted final approval authority for the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment plan.
The controversial $4.4 million redevelopment plan includes the installation of 16 pickleball courts, an expanded skate park, a bike pump track, and an 80-vehicle parking lot. A group of neighbourhood residents are concerned about the noise impact that the pickleball complex will have on their quality of life, the loss of their neighbourhood greenspace, and what they claim was a flawed process in terms of notification that the park was being considered for redevelopment and what the scope of the plan was.
“The redevelopment project for Bonnerworth Park has generated significant concern over the loss of greenspace, its impacts on current park users, and its compatibility with surrounding residential neighbourhoods,” Lachica’s motion states, adding “the city has acknowledged that the public engagement process for the redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park could have been improved and been more inclusive of park neighbours.”
Lachica’s motion also requests that city staff provide a report to council for approval that includes the recommended site plan, final technical studies (for traffic and parking, noise, stormwater management, and geotechnical items), a record of the input of stakeholder and community consultation on these studies as well as the final draft plan, a list of revisions made to the technical studies and the changes to the draft site plan as reflected in the site plan, and the assigned budget apportioned for each aspect of the work to be contracted for construction.
An earlier motion by Lachica to revisit the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment plan lost in an 8-3 vote at city council’s April 8th meeting. Only councillors Lachica, Alex Bierk, and Keith Riel voted in favour of delaying the project.
Items endorsed by general committee on May 13 will be considered by council for final approval the following Monday, when public delegations will be heard.
Council meetings are streamed live at www.peterborough.ca.
