Lansdowne Street BIA eyed

A discussion on the collapse of the prospective sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc. (PDI) to Hydro One didn’t make the general committee agenda on Monday, but it’s likely to be discussed next week.

Same for a discussion about a staff recommendation to put aside plans for a more-detailed study of The Parkway, in favour of a series of smaller, tightlyfocused transportation studies.

These topics are expected to be discussed on April 23.

On Monday evening at City Hall, councillors made the following plans:

Report on possible Lansdowne Street BIA:

Coun. Don Vassiliadis suggested that councillors order a staff report on the viability of forming a new business improvement area for Lansdowne Street businesses.

There’s already a downtown BIA and one for East City.

“I’d like a report to see if there’s an appetite or a desire for a Lansdowne Street BIA,” Vassiliadis said.

Councillors agreed and the report was ordered.

King George School

Councillors approved a plan to place a heritage designation on King George Public School in East City.

The item was on the agenda for the meeting on March 26, but was deferred.

The 105-year-old school is expected to close soon. So is Armour Heights Public School; the two will merge into a new school that will be built on the King George property.

But it’s unclear exactly when those school closures — or construction of the new school — will take place.

It’s been expected all along that King George Public School would be reused — and now it appears that plan is taking a step forward.

City staff recommends a heritage designation for the building, stating in the report that King George School is “an important local landmark.”

The school board hasn’t yet announced its plans for repurposing the building.

Lansdowne apartments

Councillors approved a plan for a four-storey building with 43 apartments on vacant land at 1253 Lansdowne St. W., behind the Super 8 Motel.

The land was already properly zoned: councillors were asked to remove a holding symbol on the property.

Wildlark sidewalks

Councillors approved a plan to add sidewalks to the west side of Wildlark Gate (from Glenforest Blvd. to Wildlark Dr.) and to the north side of Briarhill Rd. (from Wallis Dr. to the east end of the street, connecting to the walkway of Westmount Public School).

Citizens have requested the new sidewalks.

New crossing guard

Councillors approved a plan to hire a new crossing guard for the school start and dismissal times on McClennan St. at Barnardo Ave.

A new city staff report states that a request for a crossing guard came from a concerned parent in 2017 and city staff has since decided a crossing guard would indeed increase pedestrian safety.

The guard would help students get to both Queen Elizabeth Public School and St. Anne School.

The new crossing guard would start in September.