City searching for new bus barn site

City councillors approved a plan at Monday night’s committee of the whole meeting to hire a Toronto firm to find a site for a new storage garage for transit buses and also do an environmental assessment on that site.

IBI Group has said it will do the work for $236,061.

Add incidentals like city labour costs, the cost to hold public meetings and a contingency, and the total cost for the project could reach $366,000.

IBI Group will be expected to evaluate possible locations for a new transit garage, hold public consultations and then report to council (which has the ultimate say on the location). Then the consultant would do an environmental assessment of the chosen site.

Right now, the storage garage for transit buses is at the public works yard on Townsend St. But that yard is overcrowded and it will move to a new location on Weber Ave. in the fall of 2018.

Coun. Don Vassiliadis, the transportation chairman, said the current bus garage has room for just 40 buses – and there are 54 in the fleet.

There’s an urgent need for a new bus barn, he said.

“Let’s get to it and stop wasting time,” he said.

Sale of land on Jameson Dr.:

Council approved a plan to sell 4.35 acres of industrial lands at 280 and 290 Jameson Dr. to be sold to a Bravo Awards Inc., an advertising and marketing company, for $163,200.

A city staff report says Bravo Awards Inc. (BAI) has been seeking a new property to expand its business. It has been operating at 600 The Queensway since 2001, and it has also leased additional property at 730 The Kingsway. (Coun. Dan McWilliams said he’s the landlord of the purchaser, and so he declared a pecuniary interest and did not vote).

Sale of land on Lansdowne St. E:

Council approved a plan to sell 0.3 acres of surplus land at 210 and 220 Lansdowne St. E. to Ron Lay Motors (the Kia dealership) for $235,000. Ron Lay Motors wants to expand. (Coun. Dave Haacke declared a conflict and did not vote – the purchaser is a client of his).

Immigration portal:

Councillors heard about the newly refreshed website for New Canadians who are moving to Peterborough.

Videographer Rodney Fuentes, who came here from his native Venezuela 15 years ago, collected the stories of many immigrants in Peterborough and put them together in a one-minute film.

“The community allows me to get more involved – and feel that this is my home,” Fuentes said of Peterborough. He called this “a small and special place” where many immigrants come – and stay.

Sustainable Peterborough:

Sheridan Graham, the chairwoman of Sustainable Peterborough, presented the organization’s annual report card on environmentally friendly projects. Highlights include the fact that there are now 18 electrical vehicle charging stations in the Peterborough area.

Eavestrough drainage:

Councillors received a new report that says the city cannot impose regulations on citizens regarding the drainage of rainwater onto the neighbour’s property.

Age-Friendly Peterborough Advisory Committee:

Councillors endorsed the creation of a new Age-Friendly Peterborough Advisory Committee.

The committee will be made up of Danielle Belair, Dawn BerryMerriam, Alan Cavell, Kerri Davies, Ann MacLeod and Mark Skinner.