JBNA Report: Privacy and Priorities

An on-going Beacon feature on land use & planning - to alert, inform, and prompt community action - and to celebrate success!

How can we make public consultation a meaningful process?  How can a 12-year old recommendation be updated to meet current community needs?  Members of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA) considered these and other concerns during presentations and community circle discussions in May.

Privacy Policy

The JBNA, as a society, is obliged under the BC Personal Information and Privacy Act to have a privacy policy.  A proposed policy was made available at the regular March and April meetings.  Members ratified the policy at the regular May meeting. The Policy will be posted on the JBNA website at jbna.org.

Councillor Pam Madoff reported on initiatives and proposals currently under consideration: timely interaction between city hall and public advisory committees, consideration by BC Transit for the use of  'vicinity passenger buses' for local use (8.5m v.s. 12m in length), clearance of drift wood from area beaches to minimize beach fires, cross-walk access to and from Beacon Hill Park, and the proposed Mega-yacht marina in the Inner Harbour.  She reported that WestJet is promoting Victoria as the #2 walkable city in Canada.

Heritage Designation for 652 Battery Street has been passed by City Council, and designation has been initiated for 218-220 St. Andrews Street.  The proposal to rezone the property and heritage home at 151 Oswego Street has been declined. 

Street upgrades

Barry Norman, a Senior Technician with the City Engineering Department presented two upgrade proposals for reconstruction of curb/gutters, sidewalks and road surfaces.  This form of public consultation on streets and transportation, a Victoria first, was very well received by the community.  There was considerable discussion of both proposals. 

Dock Street curb-work, repaving upgrade and cross-walk installation:

Project timing is to be dependent on other work being done on private properties in the area.

The safety of cross-walks was discussed, given their removal from many Victoria intersections some 4-years ago following several pedestrian deaths.  Recent studies indicate safe installation on 2-lane streets with proper curbs and site-lines. Pedestrian caution remains mandatory.  Stop, look and proceed with caution.  A centre refuge island and pedestrian-controlled lights increase safety when more than 2 lanes of traffic are involved.

Discussions regarding locations on Dallas Road for cross-walks - Dock St for residents v.s. Montreal (a through street) for cruise tourists, were spirited.  Other potential cross-walk installation areas of note were Dallas and Douglas, Dallas and Erie, etc.

St Lawrence realignment, curb work and boulevard:

This project, identified by consultants in 1998, would narrow the street, increase greenspace and make the area more aesthetically pleasant.  One speaker noted the number of rental properties on the street, as the extended new boulevards would be the responsibility of non-resident owners.  The possibility of community (or allotment) gardens on the boulevard areas was discussed, noting that current allotment gardens in the community have up to a 3-year waitlist.

Speakers pointed out that there were other areas throughout the community in greater need of upgrades and traffic calming. Several suggested that an Open House with a full review to assess traffic and street problems and priorities in James Bay would be timely.  Over 65 resident toddlers in a 2-block area on heavily trafficked Simcoe Street was noted as a concern that recommendations from 12-years ago would not take into account.

Communications

A letter from the JBNA was sent to presidents and owners of cruise ship lines (mainly in Florida) advising them of the problems of traffic, noise and air pollution in James Bay and suggesting action by their lines in the following areas:

- improve cruise ship fuel standards in advance of the recently announced International Marine Organization North American Emission Control Area (ECA) requirements that are to commence in 2015/2016, as low SO2 fuel is available and should be used immediately.

- implement the fuel standards currently being utilized in Vancouver, Seattle, and Tacoma, under the auspices of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, for Victoria operations.   

- minimize the use and volume of open sound systems on docked cruise ships as well as on tour buses.  

- increase the proportion of cruise ship passengers that make their way downtown from Ogden Point by walking, cycling, or taking a watercraft shuttle.

- request the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority Society to place large walking route signs side-by-side with other transportation mode signs that are located where cruise ship passengers emerge at Ogden Point.

- reduce until phase out, the number of large highway buses that are licensed to transfer cruise ship passengers, replacing these buses, where necessary, with lighter, more community friendly vehicles.

Meanwhile

from the Globe & Mail, Saturday, May 8, 2010, News - British Columbia:

Bon Voyage! Vancouver Cruises into Rough Waters

 "British Columbia cruise industry representatives recently travelled to Ottawa to lobby the federal government in connection with a recently approved low-emissions buffer zone around North America, suggesting cruise lines could be given more time to meet some of the targets set out in the International Marine Organization strategy."

and then again

In March, 2010 the US Environmental Protection Agency reported that "the overall cost of the North American ECA is estimated at $3.2 billion in 2020, while its benefits are expected to include preventing as many as 14,000 premature deaths and relieving respiratory symptoms for nearly five million people each year in the U.S. and Canada. The monetized health-related benefits are estimated to be as much as $110 billion in the U.S. in 2020."  Could we conservatively add another $billion or two for health-related benefits in Canada?

Community Circles

The May meeting wound up with participants divided into four Community Circles as part of the Victoria Official Community Plan process.  Participants were asked what areas of interest they were interested in exploring.  Four tables of community circles were created on the subjects of Parks, Transportation, Food, and the Economy.  Reports will be competed and forwarded to the City.

Next Month

 - Wednesday June 9th, 2010 - 7 P.M.

Join the James Bay Neighbourhood Association at James Bay New Horizons - 234 Menzies St.

 - Ogden Point Master Plan: The GVHA Society will present design options for Ogden Point.

 - 257 Belleville: The proposed development at the site of Admiral Inn will be presented.