Monthly Meeting
January 5, 2009
Attendees:
- John Sankey President
- Peter Brimacombe Secretary
- Fred McLennan
- Gisèle Loiselle-Branch
- Jerry Beausoleil
- Liz Russell
- Wray Jaques
- Mike Storeshaw
- Jacklyn Burnett
- Tim Larock
- Wade Wallace
- Brian Walker
- Sue McDonald
- Andrew Plant
John Sankey: Described the Hunt Club Community Organization and its boundaries. The City has received an application to rezone property west of Riverside Drive between Hunt Club Road to the south and Uplands Riverside Park to the north. Currently the zoning allows four commercial towers, the application is to allow two commercial towers and two retirement residence towers. This meeting will provide a forum in which to discuss the rezoning application and present motions on the subject. There is already a heavy flow of traffic south-bound on Riverside Drive and any new development will further strain Riverside Drive as well as increase traffic interior to the Quinterra neighbourhood.
Wray Jaques: The office towers are no surprise but the retirement residences are. They are right on the flight path of the Airport. Is this allowed? Won’t residents complain about the noise? Traffic on Riverside is jammed and he doesn’t want it to be expanded. He would be in favour of light rail.
Sue McDonald: In terms of streets in the Quinterra neighbourhood where is the traffic actually going to go?
John Sankey: The retirement residents will have more sound-proofing than single houses. If the two office towers and two retirement residences were built, fire regulations would require two independent roads to Riverside Drive. It would be hard to put a road under the Hunt Club bridge because the land on the south side is on a steep slope and is very unstable.
Mike Storeshaw: Traffic is brutal. What would concern me is if it has to go on Kimberwick Crescent. It’s a catastrophe to turn left from Kimberwick onto Riverside Drive.
Motion: With respect to the proposed development at the north-west corner of Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive, that there be no development until traffic considerations are fully addressed. Moved by Tim Larock, seconded by Andrew Plant, in favour 13, opposed 3, carried.
Fred McLennan: There is already such a heavy volume of traffic on Riverside Drive that the increase from this development would be very small.
John Sankey: The traffic engineer from the City said that there were two possible improvements to Riverside Drive: to add a traffic light for the right turn from Riverside south to Hunt Club west and to add an extra lane so that there would be two right turning lanes and two straight-through lanes.
Motion: With respect to the proposed development at the north-west corner of Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive, that the existing Uplands Riverside Park be protected. Moved by Wray Jaques, seconded by Mike Storeshaw, carried unanimously.
Wade Wallace: Who’s to say that the developer would proceed with the office towers?
Sue McDonald: Is concerned with structural damage to homes from pile driving.
Wray Jaques: The only access to Uplands Riverside Park is via Riverside Drive and there is no sidewalk access to the Park or to the bus stops. There is an information meeting at the Church of Perfect Liberty, 1008 Hunt Club Road from 17:30 to 19:30.
Motion: To approve the December 2008 minutes as amended. Moved by Fred McLennan, seconded by Liz Russell, carried.
Next meeting: Monday February 2 at 19:30