59 Carden St.

What really really matters

Posted by Magda
I wrote here early in the year about council's priority-setting for large projects. Now, they're considering doing it over again.

The realities have changed sufficiently since then -- with the approval of the convent-museum and the plan for the Wilson Street parking garage -- that they're talking about taking another look at what happens when. Councillor Bob Bell wants some focus on projects outside of downtown, and cautions that he wants to make sure this council doesn't make plans for the next three.

Read about the original priority-setting plan here. The list of priorities is online as well, the last page of this document.

And, read more about the potential for rejuggling priorities in tomorrow's paper.

How are we going to pay for it?

Posted by Magda
There was much chuckling at committee today when Councillor Leanne Piper jokingly suggested the quarters and pennies people toss into the future city hall fountain can be used to help pay for the skating rink the city is planning to put in. Every penny counts...

The grassroots way

Posted by Magda
The city is angling for green building certification, called LEED, for the new city hall. Part of that involves having a plan to throw out as little construction material as possible.

The handmade signs around city hall today seem to represent a grassroots but innovative approach to that.

Two sides of the tracks

Posted by Magda
A council committee spoke today about rejuvenating the downtown. In some ways, they're working to reconnect two parts of the downtown that were split after the rail line was put right through the middle of the city in the 1850s. That split became more extreme again in the 1910s, when the tracks were raised to get rid of the dangerous at-grade rail-road intersections, planner Ian Panabaker told committee.

With plans to add finishing touches -- $5.6 million worth -- to the square in front of city hall, perhaps move the farmers market to the armory and maybe make a north-south pedestrian-only walkway through downtown, Panabaker hopes to re-link the two halves of the downtown.

Read more on this plan in tomorrow's paper.

More on growth targets

Posted by Laura

A paper on growth released last month by the province has recommended a density target for Guelph's downtown of 150 persons and jobs per hectare. City staff don't agree with the province's calculation and say that the number is skewed because the area surrounding the Speed River is included, which isn't developable.

"By including the Speed River in the land area, the density calculation would increase the need to achieve higher densities within the developable area of the downtown to meet the required 150 persons and jobs per hectare," the report says.

The province's location for growth generally corresponds with the city's vision. But there are some expansion areas:

• west of Norfolk (south of Paisley)
• into the western area of St. Patrick's Ward (east of the Speed River)

"Significant levels of intensification -- primarily new population growth -- is planned to be added in the lower downtown area (area to the south of the CNR tracks) and also through redevelopment of older factory sites/brownfield lands in the St. Patrick's ward area.

Stay tuned. The report goes to council next week.

Getting a little stinky

Posted by Laura

A local family has been holding on to its garbage since the beginning of April. The plan is to keep the waste for 10 weeks to find out how much is produced. I imagine things are getting a little stinky around Van Acker place. We plan to check in on the family sometime soon, likely this weekend.

Holy parking lot

Posted by Laura

Another part of the city's strategy to increase the number of parking spots downtown is to move permit holders from the Macdonell Street lot to a temporary one at the Loretto Convent. Anna Marie O'Connell, the city's supervisor of parking facilities, said she's still waiting on pricing for the Loretto lot. It will be next week before all the quotes are in. She couldn't say when the lot will be up and running.

Liberal caucus

Posted by Nicole

It was interesting to see that not only did many members of local neighborhood groups show up to the federal Liberal caucus meeting but councillor Gloria Kovach did as well.

All-in-all the meeting was somewhat of a love-in, with everyone agreeing on the need to work together.

Maggie Laidlaw bravely suggested more politicians should campaign on platforms of tax increases instead of tax cuts.

Carden changes

Posted by Laura

Not everyone seems realize that part of Carden Street is now one way. From the second-floor window of the newsroom, my co-workers observed a couple drivers going in the wrong direction. The changes are to accommodate new angled parking, which will likely continue until a more long-term solution is found. Council has signaled its intent to move forward with a $16-million parking garage that would replace the lot on Wilson Street.

Read more in tomorrow's Mercury.

Will Kovach be there?

Posted by Magda
We just got notice from Frank Valeriote's office that the federal Liberal caucus is meeting in Guelph tomorrow to meet with the mayor and all but one councillor, to talk about issues important to Guelph.

That has many of us in the newsroom wondering which councillor is missing out on the meeting.