By Pepper Parr
August 24th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Lisa Kearns met with her community last night – she wanted to update them on where things were with developments in the ward and talk to them about her stand on most of the problems as she sees them.
It was clear that Lisa Kearns is for development – but the right kind of development.
Lisa Kearns talking to participants at her public meeting and handing out her T-shirts.
She has taken the position that the Carriage Gate development on the north east corner of James and Brant is a done deal. Her concern now is how does the community handle that construction – how long will there be serious disruption to how people use the downtown core which she defines as from the Lakeshore Road north to Caroline.
Kearns told the meeting that the Burlington Downtown Business Association and the Burlington Economic Development Corporation are working together on a study to come up with ideas to keep the downtown core vibrant.
The Bentley, nearing completion on John Street is the first of a three phase development. Above ground parking and a medical building on the north at Caroline are to follow. Kearns thinks this is a great development.
Kearns pointed to the three phase Carriage Gate development on John Street that she thinks is great. It combines a location for new community services (in this case medical) has space for commercial tenants and will have significant above ground parking. She said she understands that 27% of the units in the Bentley are to be affordable housing. That does not appear to be the understanding of the developer.
One of the small pieces of good news is that there may be a solution to what was going to be serious traffic congestion on John Street at the downtown mobility hub with at least six transit routes going into and leaving the transit station and cars from the Revenue Properties and Carriage development emptying onto the same street.
All those dotted lines are but routes that swing through the downtown mobility hub. Moving the transfer station north to ancempty lot at the corner of Caroline and John is said to be in the works.
Kearns told her audience that it appeared the property at the corner of John and Caroline that is now an empty lot will be made the transfer point for people who want to change buses. That transferring is now done at the location of the transit terminal on John Street just north of Pine.
Sounds like a sensible decision – nothing from city hall on this yet.
Lisa Kearns: Talks like a ward Councillor
Kearns looks and talks like the ward Councillor. She is in constant touch with the bureaucrats and used phrases like “I will take care of you” – “I’ve already been doing that.”
Kearns believes the downtown core – from Lakeshore to Caroline – is going to lose much of its character.
She appears to be basing her campaign on a sustainability lens – everything that gets done should be done through a sustainability lens – does what we want to do add to the sustainability of the community. Her message was that we need to re-think the way we do things.
Members of the audience were able to pick up Lisa Kearns lawn signs – and advised that they cannot be put up until September 7th.
Transportation and the study that seems to be taking forever to make it to the public drew this comment from Kearns: “Phony baloney – they don’t know what they are doing.”
That’s as blunt and direct as a candidate can be.
Expect more of that from Kearns who is going to be an interesting debater during the all candidate debates taking place for each ward.
The Carriage Gate development on John Street, was never meant to be a 3 phase project. It was meant to be built at the same time. In fact, if Carriage Gate does not start/complete the entire project by a date determined by the City they will be fined if I am not mistaken $200,000.00-$300,000.00 ( which is a drop in the bucket for the developer).
Let’s not forget that additional height was granted because Carriage Gate was to build the parking garage that would be available to the public after 6pm. During the day the majority of the parking spots were to serve the medical building, which to date has not as yet been started.
As for providing 27% affordable units – I don’t think this came to fruition. I also think that the term affordable gives people the wrong impression. Affordable – What does that really mean?
If anyone still has any illusion that the power centres at city hall are not in the pocket, inadvertently or stupidly, of developers, this ought to pop that bubble.
And these same people gave the same guy 23 at 421 Brant.
Is a cleaning of house in order?
Lisa Kearns is absolutely right when she says that we must rethink the way we do things. It is clear that she has the knowledge and a thorough understanding of the issues.
As someone who was also in the room on Thursday night, I think it’s important to set the record straight. At no point during her presentation did Lisa Kearns call the Transportation Department “phoney baloney.” While she did use that phrase, it was in reference to the staff reports on the transportation impact from the new developments – all done without a full and complete transit plan. The traffic studies were done on individual buildings rather than the collective – so they show that there will be no impact once the individual developments are done and occupied with residents. It’s these stand alone traffic study findings that she called “phoney baloney,” as residents have told her they are concerned about the total traffic impact – as is she.
But I will agree with you, she is acting like a councillor and I truly believe she will be a great one.
Editor’s note: You can, I suppose, hear what you want to hear. What Lisa said was: Transportation Phony baloney – they don’t know what they are doing. I would like to see “your” notes Allison.
The staff are the Trans. Dept so phony baloney fits pretty good. The staff are making things up to get the results they put in the reports.
It,s all in their fictional minds cause they have to make it all fit with the Plan. Since that will never happen in reality, baloney results.
No traffic study ever says there will be a problem. Has anyone ever heard of one?
So yes it it is all phony baloney. Never is there accountability.
It,s about time some candidate called it out for what it is.
Love the words Lisa.
More to come on the recipe of the PB at a later date.