Residents ask for sidewalk-free street
Board to run Performing Arts Centre
Notes from this week's city council meeting…
Should residents be allowed to decide if their street gets sidewalks?
That’s the decision facing city councillors, who were presented with a petition from residents of Old School Court strongly opposing the installation of sidewalks in their newly-developed north-end neighbourhood.
The residents argued the safety of their cul-de-sac, built on the site of the former Meadowvale Public School, will be impacted because the sidewalks will cut their driveway parking spaces in half and cars will have to be parked on the road.
The result, they said, will be children having to weave their bicycles in and out of parked vehicles and being unable to set up road hockey and basketball nets.
“We are thinking here about the safety of our families and the other pedestrians who may use our street,” said Gary DeMeo, who lives in the subdivision off Cecil Street with his wife and two young children.
“We want to do what makes the most sense to keep them safe and we believe this is the way.”
Port Dalhousie Coun. Carlos Garcia made a motion that council support the wishes of the residents.
“We shouldn’t put sidewalks if they don’t want sidewalks,” he said.
But St. Patrick’s Coun. Mat Siscoe said the city doesn’t necessarily build sidewalks for the people who live there now but takes a longer view of the community and its needs.
He said sidewalks are a benefit, particularly for people with accessibility issues and young children.
“Our goal on council is to make our community walkable and accessible and sidewalks help to do that,” said fellow ward Coun. Mark Elliott.
Elliott and Siscoe said when cars are parked on a street it increases the safety because traffic slows down.
Director of planning and building services Jim Riddell said council directed the city to put sidewalks in developments and any homeowner would have seen them in the plans when they purchased their lots.
The issue was referred back to staff for some legal information and will be dealt with at council’s next meeting on Aug. 13.
Performing Arts Centre to be run by a board
St. Catharines council has approved the establishment of a board to run the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
The board will have seven to nine members and be made up of two members of city council, two members appointed by Brock University and three to five citizens.
City staff were directed Monday to take the necessarily steps to transition the business of the centre to the board.
Although two councillors will ultimately sit on the board, three were appointed Monday until council’s end of term. Grantham Coun. Bill Phillips, Port Dalhousie Coun. Carlos Garcia and St. Patrick’s Coun. Mat Siscoe will be part of the selection committee with the city’s CAO and mayor. The idea is one of the councillors will step down before the first board meeting, expected to be held in October.
In February 2016, council approved in principle the creation of a board to operate the arts centre. It’s expected a full implementation of the new board structure will be in place by spring 2019.
Twenty cultural funding grants given
The city has awarded a total $23,500 to 20 applicants in its latest round of St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program funding.
Niagara Regional Native Centre will receive $7,500 and Open Streets St. Catharines will get $2,500 under the culture builds community program.
Another 18 grants ranging from $350 to 1,200 were given to artists, businesses or organizations that want to run activities during Culture Days. The annual nation-wide event Sept. 28-30 promotes free access to arts, heritage and cultural experiences.
The St. Catharines CIP has six funding streams for artists, notfor-profits and arts and cultural organizations. Funding applications are evaluated by the arts and culture advisory committee using pre-approved criteria and recommendations are given to city council three times a year.