Month: June 2018

Greetings Friends,
Thank you to the hundreds of families and residents who have reached out to me on this file.  The support has been overwhelming and we are just getting started.

As you may already know, on Monday June 25th, I introduced the following Notice of Motion to Council calling for the review of our current driveway widths bylaw and pausing of enforcement.

https://www.ward1guelph.ca/2018/06/notice-of-motion-review-of-city-bylaw-1995-14864-suspension-of-enforcement/

This important procedural step now sets council on a decision pathway over the summer.  A pathway that will (hopefully) bring some relief to residents over this issue. The process is as follows.

• June 25 | Notice of Motion appears on the Council Meeting Agenda (complete).
• July 23 | Council will VOTE  on whether or not to refer this item for council debate & decision.
• If passed on July 23, the item will be referred to the council meeting on September 10th for a Final Debate and Decision. 

https://www.ward1guelph.ca/driveway-email-signup/

See CTV News Coverage here.
https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1426006 
Thank you for your support!

It’s no secret, Guelph’s original Ward Neighborhood is undergoing a renaissance in redevelopment interest.  From the Metalworks redevelopment at 5 Arthur, to the redevelopment of the Chemtura Property at 120 Huron Street, the Biltmore Hats property on York Road, the potential redevelopment of the W.C. Wood facility on Duke Street and finally, the reclamation and redevelopment of the IMICO lands at 200 Beverley.

But with this investment comes change.  More homes, more residents and more demands on our parking and transportation systems.  That’s why I believe now (more than ever) is the time for forward thinking planning in the Ward.  Specifally, thinking and planning on creating a more integrated transportation strategy specific to the neighborhood, that supports families and provides options for all forms of transportation.

Along these lines see below a geographic look at these redevelopment sites and their proximity to a potential trail corridor along the existing Guelph Junction Railway line (see photos below).  This is a concept that I have begun to engage staff on as the city begins public consultation on updating the Guelph’s Trails Master Plan.

Special thanks to the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation (GCAT) for providing the map image and their early engagement and support on this exciting file.

I’d love to hear your thoughts Guelph.

[email protected]

(Photo Courtesy: City of Guelph, 2018)

Just over a week ago Mayor Guthrie and myself, along with Councillor Bell, held a town-hall meeting about a city bylaw from 1995 that has created major conflicts in our community.

To recap, many citizens have been warned through compliance letters, or received summons and ultimately heavy financial penalties for widening their driveways so they can park their car on their own property. Continue reading

Greetings Friends,

Thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us on June 6th to discuss Bylaw enforcement of driveway widths in our neighborhoods.

I, along with the mayor, greatly appreciated the community’s honesty and respectful dialogue as we look to bring change to this punative issue.

As an immediate follow up to actions I took on June 6th, I’d like to provide the following update from staff to those property owners who received notices in late April.

1. To clarify, staff did not proactively send out supplemental notices to those that received notices in the final week of April.
2. If you received a notice during the last week of April, staff will not initiate further action on any of these properties until at least 90 days has passed which would be the last week in July.
3. Finally, all future notices (including any notices sent out since April) will be granted 90 days to comply.
4. If you have not already done so, residents are encouraged to call Building Services at 519-837-5614 extension 1 or [email protected] to further discuss options.