Jun
2
On the waterfront
Jun 2012
James Bay Neighbourhood Association
An on-going Beacon feature on land use & planning - to alert, inform, and prompt community action - and to celebrate success!
A conflicting public meeting sponsored by Victoria Councilors Ben Isitt and Shellie Gudgeon, regarding the sale of public land, affected attendance at the May 2012 meeting of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA). A report on that meeting is anticipated at the June meeting.
Low Impact
Harold Aune (President) discussed the recent move of Whitehall Productions boat building operation to the former Trotac Marine location at Ogden Point. The new production facility features a carbon filtration system, so air exhausted from the building is cleaner than the air being drawn inside.
In addition to manufacturing a highly respected line of thermoformed co-polymer open water sculling and rowboats (marketed world-wide on-line since 1995 - whitehallsolo.com) Harold Aune and Marie Hutchinson have introduced the Whitehall Spirit Rowing Club. Membership provides access to six club boats, currently moored at the Canoe Club off Store Street, and the benefits of owning a boat without the costs of purchasing, maintenance, storage, insurance and moorage fees.
Open water sculling provides opportunities for intensive low impact exercise similar to biking, but on the water. For information about the club, contact: Interested neighbours are invited to visit the storefront and display area at Ogden Point between 10:00am and 4:00pm on Saturdays.
Victoria Shakespeare by the Sea at Holland Park
Impresario Robert Light presented his concept for a volunteer non-profit theatre company to present Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in modern dress, in a tent erected at Holland Point Park, from August 14th to September 2nd this year.
The company will offer free performance lessons to children and teenagers in the 2nd and 3rd weeks of the show. During the final weekend, these children and teenagers will have the opportunity to perform onstage in the final scene.
Advertising by posters/pamphlets/brochures will include information on bus routes (arrival/departure times) during evening/weekend performances. They hope to avoid traffic or parking congestion on Dallas Road by providing a $2 discount to those who come by foot, bicycle, drop-off, or bus. James Bay residents will receive an additional community discount of $3 when they bring an information leaflet.
There will be 24 hour security on site. They plan on 8 shows per week with additional matinees on the three weekends, attracting audiences of approximately 2/3 of the maximum capacity of 60 attendees. Future expansion would be to a maximum audience capacity of 150.
The proposal was well-received by JBNA members in attendance who were particularly impressed with the minimal site footprint in the park and the opportunities available to young people. The theatre company was requested to return for additional discussions of logistics and impact for any proposed expansion.
Contact: robertjjlight@hotmail.com or phone 778-440-4686
Councilor Chris Coleman gave a presentation on Special Events in Victoria.
He discussed some of the 230 events going through the Special Events Committee every year. Larger events include: Canada Day-Inner Harbour (50,000 people), Victoria Day Parade (45,000), and Moss Street Paint-In (40,000). Many downtown events (the T/C Race, Bike Race, Pride Parade, Dragon Boat and Symphony Splash) overlap into James Bay.
A technical committee reviews each application and decides if events should be forwarded to council for review and/or approval.
Board members include: City Departments (Parks and Recreation/Community Development/Transportation, Police and Fire Depts.), VIHA, Port of Victoria, GVHA, BC Ambulance, Sargent of Arms, Royal B. C. Museum.
Comments from the floor included the need to involve the community at the event-planning stage, and questioned the lack of special event licensing for cruise ship arrivals.
Coleman spoke of the difficulties and benefits of the cruise ship industry and agreed that James Bay residents are being impacted. When he suggested that the numbers of passengers seemed to be settling, he was advised that, in fact, they are expanding!
Official Community Plan (OCP)
Cameron Scott, Senior Planner, Community Planning, City of Victoria presented information for the upcoming OCP Public Hearing scheduled for Thursday, June 27, 2012 at 7:30pm.
Scott's presentation touched on many of the factors guiding the plan: urban destinations; urban core growth of 50% making accommodation for approximately 10,000 new residents by 2041; walkable village and town centers; downtown as heart of the region; diversity of housing within neighbourhoods across the city; sustainable transportation; a more resilient city with stronger emergency preparedness re: climate change and sea level rise & precipitation events; focus on food systems; character areas and sense of place; strategically focused local area plans.
He discussed priorities established by the neighbourhood of James Bay: quality of life; flexibility of local area planners' priorities, public engagement in local area plan; harbour planning and revitalization.
Further Public Information Sessions: City Hall Wednesday, June 6th (3:30-6:30pm-overview at 4:00pm) and Oaklands School- June 7th (6:30-9:00pm) & June 11 (7:00-8:15pm)
Presentation to GVHA Board
The JBNA Board presented a request to Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) board members at the May 17 GVHA Board meeting.
GVHA was asked to assume responsibility, as landlord, for the pollution and other adverse environmental impacts created by activities on GVHA's Ogden Point and inner harbour properties related to cruise-ships, helicopters and float-planes. Specifically, the GVHA Board was asked to install full spectrum air monitoring sites to measure pollutants, including volatile organic compounds from both float-plane and helicopter fuels, and sulphur dioxide and other pollutants emitted by cruise-ships.
The JBNA request reflected the following:
~ the number of turbo-props has more than doubled since the 1999-2001 Transport Canada studies on float-plane emissions.
~ the Erie Street air monitoring site was not in the path of the most common 2011 winds, from the west-south-west.
~ complaints received this season about helicopter and cruise-ship emissions are from residents who live in the path of the prevailing wind.
~ GVHA is expected to receive revenues of about $3 million from the cruise-ships, $300 thousand from commercial helicopter, and between $70-100 thousand from float-plane operations.
With the revenues received by GVHA comes landlord responsibilities and societal expectations. Through good stewardship, GVHA should measure (monitor), control, mitigate, and eliminate environmental pollutants.
Next Month
Join us at James Bay New Horizons on Wednesday, June 13th at 7pm for the following (draft) agenda:
- Thrifty Foods - 24-hour opening
Ralf Mundel, Director of Marketing and Communications
Jason Boudewyn, Director of Retail Operations
- City Land Policy: public vs private ownership
Councilors Isitt and Gudgeon
- Fisherman's Wharf MasterPlan (tentative)
Deane Strongitharm, City Spaces for GVHA
- Special Event: Ryder Hesjedal's Tour de Victoria
Seamus McGrath, Director