Cornwall_2012_02_01

Waterfront proposal gets cool welcome at council

By Greg Kielec

A proposal for new development along the waterfront east of the Cornwall Civic Complex was greeted with skepticism by a number of city councillors last Monday night. The city’s waterfront development com- mittee is proposing redeveloping the area east of the complex, now primarily parking area, to allow for the construction of condos of three-to-four storeys high. The idea was proposed by committee member Roy Perkins, who wanted the po- tential development of the city-owned land investigated, according to minutes from an Oct. 20, 2011 meeting of the committee. Construction on the site would require the creation of a new parking lot for the civic complex and aquatic centre which is esti- mated to cost $300,000. It would also require changing the route of the bike path which now runs along the water front. A number of legislative changes would also need to take place, including amend- ments to the city’s Official Plan, zoning plan and waterfront development plan. Committee Chair Lee Cassidy, when asked by Councillor Elaine MacDonald if there are other lands available that the committee could open for development instead, said “this is city owned property” which is pos- sible to develop immediately. “The rest of the lands are not available for us to do de- velopment on at this time.” Councillor Andre Rivette said the former Si Miller Arena location would be a better site for new development. He said develop- ment in the area bordered by the civic com- plex, marina and curling club “is going to block the whole area.”

Special photo This image from Google Earth shows the parking area between the Cornwall Civic Complex and Marina 200 south of Water Street in Cornwall. The city’s waterfront development committee has proposed opening up the area for development.

Councillor Syd Gardiner lamented the fact that Brockville and Kingston can develop their waterfronts “yet here in Cornwall, we don’t want to do that.” If city residents want a reduction in taxes, it can only happen by developing waterfront, he said. The area east of the civic complex complex is “a clean site we can get going right away” will bring in revenue to allow city to reduce taxes and upgrade its infrastructure. “We need the money – that’s one way to get the money,” he said. “This is a good start.” The city must determine if it will need medical equipment at an emergency facility or if it will need to transport medical equip- ment. The city also must determine what their plan is and how much effort it will take to initiate. Bradley Nuttley, city community safety and emergency management co-ordinator, said the city takes “all-hazard approach” to emergency management in city. He has de- veloped evacuation plan for parts of city in the event of a fire or flooding emergency, adding there are many risks but one plan. His department has communicated with long-term care homes in the past he said, and noted that it built a subcommittee with the Eastern Ontario Health Unit in February 2011 to learn how to deal with emergenices. A report from the committee indicated city long-term care homes have good plans, but if they exhaust their home resources, the municiplaity is available through 911. If the emergency is too big for EMS, then city can enact emergency management plan. O’Shaughnessy asked Nuttley for copies of the reports. Rivette also asked if transit is available to move large number people in case of an emergency. Nuttley said transit is available and Corn- wall Transit has member on emergency planning committee. He said the depart- ment has also moved “simulated” patients from Glen Stor Dun Lodge to the civic com- plex to test it’s plan. Rivette asked the motion to adopted Nut- tley’s report be amended to include efforts to seek out what other facilities are avail- able for long-term care residents in an emergency.

on lots of consultation,” Dupelle said. Councillor Elaine MacDonald also said she preferred the land remain public. Councillor Glen Grant compared Corn- wall’s waterfront to that of Cobourg, which has development right up to the river in- cluding a beach and a marina which are ideal for people who wish to retire by the water. He said the site would be a “first step” in lot of waterfront development, which he said will get “very aggressive” in next while.

There also may be major hurdles to the de- velopment of the site lurking underground, including the old canal wall from Corn- wall’s early days. He suggested proponents speak to city engineer before proceeding. “You’d be surprised what’s under there,” he warned. Councillor Leslie O’Shaughnessy echoed Rivette’s concerns and stressed any devel- opment should only occur after intense pub- lic consultation, a point agreed upon by Councillor Maurice Dupelle. “I’d say bring

Rivette advocates hospital site be used as emergency shelter for seniors

By Greg Kielec

A Cornwall city councillor wants Corn- wall Community Hospital’s Second Street site to be used as a seniors’ shelter if there is a crisis at any local long-term care facility. Councillor Andre Rivette, speaking at last Monday’s meeting of Cornwall city coun- cillor, said the Benson Centre and the Corn- wall Civic Complex, are not proper emergency shelters for seniors during a cri- sis, many of whom may have medical con- ditions. “Our responsibility is for all the commu- nity, the old, the young ... these are the pil- lars of the community, and we owe that to them,” he chastened council. Rivette said it is the city’s job to facilitate the relocation of residents of long term care homes in an emergency. He cited the long- term care beds now being operated by St. Joseph’s Villa at the hospital’s Second Street site. No one can say there is no room at the site: “The place is empty,” he told council mem- bers. Councillor Syd Gardiner said the city’s Benson Centre and civic complex are avail- able as first choices in an emergency and he he has long advocated councillors take an emergency management training course. Councillor Leslie O’Shaughnessy said if there is another ice storm where seniors cannot be safely transported out of Corn- wall, it will fall on the city to deal with it. He said communication links should be opened with long-term care providers “be- cause transportation could be an issue” in certain emergencies.

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