HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebruary 21, 2018
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Minutes/Meeting Summary
Accessibility Advisory Committee February 21, 2018 7:00 pm Main Committee Room
Attendees: P. Bashaw D. Hughes V. Ronaldi M. Thorpe Ross S. Wilkinson
S. Booker, Manager, Capital Projects & Infrastructure I. Janton, Planner II – Site Planning A. Mostert, Sr. Coordinator, Landscape & Park Development T. Higgins, Staff Representative L. Roberts, Recording Secretary
Absent: A. Doucette B. D’Souza E. Fulton
J. Whynot
D. Wysocki Guests: Mary-Anne Pietrusiak, Pickering Rouge Canoe Club Craig Bamford, Pickering Rouge Canoe Club
Brian Skitch
Jean Veronneau Larry Noonan, Rouge National Urban Park Corneliu Chisu Donna Fabbro, Executive Vice President, Rapid City Transportation
Dana McGee, Vice President, Rapid City Transportation
Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
1. Welcome
T. Higgins welcomed Members and guests in attendance. Introductions were made around the table.
2. Review and Approval of Agenda
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Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate)
T. Higgins provided a brief review of the agenda items, suggesting minor revisions to the order of items.
3. New Business
3.1) Rouge Park Visitor Centre Larry Noonan appeared before the Committee and through the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, provided an outline of the proposal to establish an Education Centre at the park side
location of Meadowvale Road, Toronto, for the Rouge National Park. He explained that the Toronto Zoo and Parks Canada have proposed the Centre be located in the Zoo parking lot, which would impact the accessibility to the park.
Mr. Noonan noted that the Education Centre would be fully accessible, but the current proposed location on the Zoo parking lot side would not take into consideration health and safety or accessibility for special needs, as it would cause
residents to travel approximately 1 km across busy streets in
order to access the trail site. He outlined the advantages of having the Centre located on the park side, noting their desire for people of all abilities to
enjoy the park. He stated that they have already received
support for this location from various organizations and respectfully requested support from the Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Discussion ensued, noting that the Centre should be linked to
the park as opposed to the Zoo, and that asphalt parking lots can get very hot in summer months, with no coverage. T. Higgins encouraged members to review the material
provided by Mr. Noonan, and he would draft a letter of support
for members to review. 3.2) Rotary Frenchman’s Bay West Park – Accessible Docks
Mary-Anne Pietrusiak, Commodore, Pickering Rouge Canoe
Club, appeared before the Committee. She stated this is a non-profit club operating on Frenchman’s Bay. Through the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, she provided an outline of the various programs for all ages and abilities provided at the
T. Higgins to action
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Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate)
Canoe Club including sprint canoe and kayak, outrigger and dragon boat, as well as children’s programs. She also
advised of the PaddleALL program for persons with physical
and intellectual disabilities, which has grown to one of the largest programs in Ontario last year. Ms. Pietrusiak outlined the need for accessible docks in
Phase 1 of their project, as well as a future clubhouse in
Phase 2, which would allow them to expand their programs. She also noted a huge potential here for para canoe athletes, noting the close proximity and potential to partner with the Abilities Centre in Whitby. She stated she had recently
attended the City of Pickering’s budget meeting to seek
support of a budget item for $100,000 for the installation of fully accessible floating docks in Rotary Frenchman’s Bay West Park in 2018. This would be subject to PRCC raising 50% of the costs, as well as TRCA approvals.
In closing, she stated they have received letters of support for the dock proposal from various Associations in Pickering and stated she was seeking support from the Accessibility Advisory Committee as well. She also noted they would be
seeking input from members on the design as well as any
suggestions for fund raising. She also encouraged members to view their website. A brief question and answer period ensued with Members of
the Canoe Club responding to questions raised regarding the
design of the docks, whether there would be benches, and how non-athletes were accommodated. 3.3) Site Plan Reviews – 1956 Altona Road
Isabelle Janton appeared before the Committee, and through the aid of a power point presentation, provided an outline of the site plan proposal submitted by Marshall Homes for 1956 Altona Road. She noted the development would consist of 27 stacked back to back townhouse units.
A microgrid is proposed at the east end of the site which is a small-scale electric grid with its own generation source. While each of the residences in Altona Towns will be traditionally powered and solar powered, the microgrid relies on an
T. Higgins to
provide future AAC agenda time to allow the Pickering Rouge Canoe Club
to consult further
with the Committee as the project moves forward
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Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate)
enormous battery – created by technology powerhouse Tesla – to store electricity. Being tied to an on-site microgrid will
allow the community to disconnect from the main grid and
operate autonomously when necessary. She indicated that the outdoor amenity areas will be accessible and the play areas are designed to OADA
standards, but that the units themselves were not.
Comments from Members are noted as follows:
Strongly recommend accessibility features be
incorporated into units
Legislation is not effective, does not go far enough
Need to send a consistent message to developers
Need to continue to advocate for accessibility features
Modifications are feasible – inquire with Marshall Homes
Incorporate chair lift technology into plans
Seek one developer to take leadership role in order to showcase what is possible
Need for more education on people with disabilities – what is the point in having outdoor space accessible when the units are not?
Look at opportunities to express our views to influence
standards and incorporate firmer rules around accessible housing
Members gave this proposal a ‘D’ rating
1496 Bayly Street Isabelle Janton provided an overview of the proposed development for 1496 Bayly Street. She noted this would be
a residential 15 storey condo development comprised of 150 units. She indicated that no less than 15% or 23 out of the 150 residential suites will have a barrier free path of travel from the suite entrance door to at least one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen or kitchen space, and to living room or
space as per section 3.8.2.1(5) of the 2012 Ontario Building Code.
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Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate)
She stated the development is proposing 146 parking spaces within two levels of underground parking with 3 accessible
parking spaces and elevators. An additional accessible
parking space is proposed at the north side of the building adjacent to the drop-off loop and the entrance. An outdoor amenity space and a common amenity area is proposed on the 5th floor, which would be accessed by an elevator.
Comments from Members are noted as follows;
Consider accessible features for the common meeting room to optimize accessibility features
Create options for potential purchasers with disabilities
Optimize connections to City Centre
Would elevators make all the units accessible and accommodate wheelchairs?
Is there appropriate turning space?
Would there be an accessible washroom on each floor
to accommodate visitors?
Wider doorways should be standard on all units
Minimal accessibility requirements are not always functional
Build something with lasting values
Encourage creativity in accessibility design
Is there access for transit?
Could the Committee provide a more detailed list to
developers, or should this be coordinated through the
Province? – T. Higgins noted he could work with City Development on this during the summer/fall Committee hiatus this year to focus on priorities
Members gave this proposal a ‘B’ rating with the
potential for an ‘A’ E. Ronaldi noted concerns with respect to reviewing the documents for the above applications, which were sent
electronically. She indicated it was difficult to comprehend
some of the drawings and questioned the possibility of a process for members to gain a better understanding of the plans.
3.4) Capital Projects
T. Higgins to action
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Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate)
Scott Booker and Arnold Mostert appeared before the Committee. Through the aid of a PowerPoint presentation,
they provided members with an update of the capital projects
budgeted for 2018. They provided detailed information on the status of various City sidewalk projects. The presentation also included;
City has begun installing more multi-use paths & also beginning to widen sidewalks
Rotary Frenchman’s Bay West Park – includes the reconstruction of Beachpoint Promenade, extra lighting
along paths, accessible picnic area, waterfront trail taken off-road, gravel path along beachfront incorporates stabilizer for improved accessibility and accessible parking areas
Perhaps the biggest sidewalk challenges are along Kingston Road and Finch Avenue as these are Regional roads with open ditches and grading issues. The intent is to link temporary asphalt sidewalks to the
existing concrete sidewalks, along these corridors.
Installing sidewalks in older neighbourhoods (such as Bay Ridges) is also a challenge. Residents generally are opposed to losing parking or shoveling snow once the sidewalk gets installed after the fact
As part of the sidewalk program, Staff are always on reviewing/identifying areas where sidewalks are not connected
It was noted that more signage should be incorporated where a sidewalk ends. A. Mostert noted he would share park designs with the
Committee in future as they unfold.
T. Higgins noted that any endorsements from the Committee would need to happen prior to summer/fall Committee hiatus given that this is a municipal election year.
3.5) Rapid City Transit
D. Hughes advised that he had contacted Rapid City Transit to attend a meeting in light of the recent issues being experienced with accessible transportation across Regional boundaries.
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Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate)
Donna Fabbro and Dana McGee appeared before the Committee. Through the aid of a PowerPoint presentation,
Ms. Fabbro provided an overview of AutoLux Ltd., operating
as Rapid City Transportation (not to be confused with Rapid Taxi which is an unrelated organization). She noted their company provides non-emergency medical transportation for individuals that require special care, operating across the
Province. Through her presentation, she outlined the
following;
Trips are pre-booked, no financial transactions are conducted in the vehicles
Passengers meet client eligibility criteria, and may include clients with disabilities or cognitive impairments
Do not serve the general public
Partner with insurance, WSIB, among other organizations
Direct cost savings through the elimination of fraud and the unnecessary use of ambulance
Indirect savings through extensive liability coverage, exemplary safety record, and a duty of care to ensure the safety of those in their charge
Driver screening and service standards
Door to door concierge service, code of conduct
Visual tracking system prevents no-shows and
increases passenger safety
Provides documentation for all clients by creating customer profiles
In closing, Ms. Fabbro identified gaps in the transportation industry with a lack of personalized assistance to meet client needs, as well as unsafe vehicles and a lack of staff training for the various levels of assistance for passengers with physical or cognitive challenges.
Ms. Fabbro stated they were seeking support from the Committee to lobby the Region of Durham to carve out a small sector of clients who are currently having challenges, in order to begin a pilot program with their organization.
T. Higgins invited the delegations to return to a future meeting for further dialogue in this regard.
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4. Review & Approval – January 10, 2018 Minutes & Business Arising
Approval of the January 10, 2018 minutes of the Accessibility Advisory Committee were deferred to the March meeting due to a lack of quorum.
5. Other Business
E. Ronaldi advised Members that she was preparing a letter with respect to Durham Specialized Transit policies as a result of her recent frustrating experiences.
S. Wilkinson advised that she would continue to update
members on the Kingston Road focus group.
T. Higgins advised Members that discussions were continuing with Durham Transit to express the intent of the motion recently passed by the Committee. He stated that Accessibility Coordinators around the Region would be
attending a meeting with the General Manager of Durham
Transit in March to express the need for improvements.
Meeting Adjourned: 9:38 pm Copy: City Clerk