Brian McHattie - Ward Meetings

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2012

Strathcona Neighbours' Network Launches "Good Food Box" Program, May 3, 2012

The "Good Food Box" program is a non-profit fresh fruit and vegetable distribution program coordinated in the City of Hamilton by Environment Hamilton. It makes healthy fresh food affordable and accessible to everyone. For only $15 you receive a box of fresh quality produce worth $25 or more. Food is purchased at wholesale prices, with a preference for Ontario farmers. Pick ups take place the third Wednesday of every month. Understanding that with everyone's busy schedules convenience is key EH set up a series of hubs across the city.

Thanks to the hard work of the Strathcona Neighbours' Network and the generous support of our community partners at Crossfire Assembly the Good Food Box will available monthly, beginning May 16th, at Crossfire Assembly (458 King Street West).

For more information (i.e. how to place an order, what foods are included in a box, etc.) please call 905-974-1878, email strathconaneighboursnetwork@gmail.com or visit www.strathconaneighboursnetwork.org.

Update on proposed parking lot at 55 Queen Street North, April 5, 2012

As you know from personal observation and/or from recent stories in the Hamilton Spectator, we have been working on the issue of soil and gravel placed on the vacant property owned by the Vrancor Group (Darko Vranich) on the land bordered by Queen Street to the east, Market Street to the south and Napier Street to the north (the former Greening Donald property) in the Strathcona Neighbourhood. Over the past several weeks, soil and gravel has been placed on the site for the purposes of establishing a parking lot.

On April 4, I met with Mr. Vranich and his staff to discuss the activities to date and his plans for the property. I stressed the importance of following City processes and shared the value of working with the Ward Councillor and the neighbourhood when making land use changes. In this case, a Site Alteration permit is required for the placement of soil/gravel and moving material around on the site, as well as a Site Plan (a planning document that outlines details around the land use, in this case a parking lot). Vrancor submited a Site Alteration permit request on March 30 and is now working with City staff to prepare a Site Plan for the parking lot. These are positive moves.

In discussions with City staff, I have determined that the parking lot use is indeed legal as the property has been used for that purpose in the past and is allowed now as a "legal non-conforming use", meaning that it is permitted based on its historic and on-going use as a parking lot. It would not be allowed today under the new zoning for the property, which is residential. Mr. Vranich advised me that a parking lot with approximately 175 spaces will be installed, with some green space in the middle. He noted that the soil stored on the NW asphalted area will soon be removed and used as fill on his Federal Building site where he will shortly begin construction on a condominium complex. Cars will be parked throughout the Queen St site. The location of ingress and egress to the parking lot and conformation of the lot design and number of spaces will be contained in the Site Plan document.

In terms of timing, Mr. Vranich stated that the parking lot would be operated for a two to three year time frame by IMPARK (a local parking lot company). This timeframe will be followed by construction of residential condominiums on the site. There are no details on this future residential use at this time, however those plans will be subject to a full and transparent land use planning process as is the case for all Ward 1 planning applications, complete with as many community meetings early in the planning process as we need to ensure that neighbourhood input is clear and thorough.

In closing, although a parking lot is not the preferred use on the Queen Street site, it is allowed by City policy. I am hopeful that the City and Mr. Vranich are now working together on this project and will follow municipal planning processes. The future residential uses suggested by Mr. Vranich have the potential to be positive additions to the Strathcona neighbourhood and I will keep everyone informed of that discussion in the weeks and months ahead.

2009

MOTION by Councillor McHattie re Conversion without building permits of single detached houses to student houses, December 10, 2009

MOTION by Councillor McHattie re City-Wide Rental Housing CLC, December 10, 2009

MOTION by Councillor McHattie re Community Garden Policy, December 10, 2009

MOTION by Councillor McHattie re Education City of Hamilton, September 30, 2009

MOTION - Revision to Hours of Leash-Free Park - Hill Street Park, September 30, 2009

McMaster University to Ban Plastic Bags on Campus, September 13, 2009

McMaster University has become one of the first campuses in Canada to ban the widespread use of plastic bags.

Over the course of the next several months, nearly 150,000 plastic bags will be phased-out, resulting in an outright ban by January 2010.

The McMaster Students Union has distributed more than 9,000 reusable cloth bags—filled with freebies and information on campus resources—to incoming students this September, rather than one-time use plastic bags.

As the rush for textbooks takes hold, Titles Bookstore will have more than 20,000 free biodegradable tote bags on hand for customers who spend more than $25. Using reusable bags at Titles last year led to a 75 per cent decline in plastic bag usage, and while plastic bags are still available to buy, they are biodegradable.

Paving & Bike Lanes on Dundurn - Your Input is Needed!, September 4, 2009

This fall, the City will be resurfacing Dundurn Street South from Hill Street to Aberdeen Avenue. At the same time, bike lanes will be installed from Aberdeen to Main. However, there is a trade-off and we need your creativity and local expertise to help come up with a solution. [Read more....]

Harvey Park and Poison Ivy, September 2, 2009

Harvey Park has a significant amount of poison ivy growing along a major portion of the fence line at Harvey Park. In some areas it is very heavy and growing through the fence and into the park. It is considered to be a health and safety concern for staff and members of the public who would be walking along the fence line and may come in contact with it. The poison ivy will be sprayed this week with Roundup, a non-selective herbicide. The area will be posted 24 hours in advance to inform the public. Since it is a non-selective herbicide there will be some burn-out of turf and other vegetation that is growing along the fence. The former City of Hamilton Pesticide bylaw and the Provincial Pesticide law both allow for pesticide application in this case, as is falls under the "Health and Safety" provisions in the revised Pesticide Act.

In the meantime, City staff have posted signs along the fence to indicate the presence of poison ivy.

Harvey Park is located on the west side of Hamilton Harbour adjacent to Dundurn Castle and Park, and across the street from Hamilton Cemetery.

Pop the Bubble - What's Your Favourite Thing to do in Hamilton?, August 28, 2009

Pop the Bubble is a year-round student civic engagement iniative presented by the McMaster Office of Community Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (OCSLCE).

The Pop the Bubble initiative encourages students to get off campus and into the Hamilton community. The goal is to provide McMaster students with resources to live, work and play their way to a more holistic and exciting student experience.

Check out the Lights, Camera, Action! Bubble Poppers' video (and see a familiar face!) to see what suggestions they have for fun things to do around Hamilton.

10 Tough Questions with Councillor Brian McHattie, August 28, 2009

Ward 1 Councillor Brian McHattie shares some thoughts on 10 Tough Questions, as asked by Cal DiFalco for "The Hamiltonian".

Read the interview.....

Count Me In! - Community Conservation Challenge - August 14, 2009

Some of you may have heard about the Count Me In! Community Conservation Challenge, taking place this Friday, August 14^th, the anniversary of the North American blackout in 2003. The initiative was formerly known as the Blackout Challenge and the City of Hamilton has participated for the last two years with fantastic results.

Hamilton is participating once again this year - the City of Hamilton will be turning off all non-essential lights and reducing energy consumption in its corporate facilities between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday. We encourage everyone to get involved in this initiative by reducing consumption where possible in your work stations and at home. It just takes a few simple measures to make a big difference. Here are some actions we can all implement immediately at work and at home – on Friday and everyday:

At Work:

Turn off PCs and monitors when not in use or not needed. If you cannot turn off the entire computer, at least turn off the monitor.
Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, and "half-dim" lights in occupied rooms.
Send documents via email instead of fax.
Keep draperies and shades drawn to reduce any additional air conditioner & fan energy consumption.
For cell phone users, charge your phone using a car adapter that hooks into the cigarette lighter, instead of using the charger that plugs into a wall outlet.
Use rotating doors instead of standard hinged or sliding doors (if you have the choice). Rotating doors allow less cool air to escape.
Take the stairs; instead of the elevator. You'll save energy and get a little exercise to boot.

At Home:

If possible, turn off air conditioners between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Turn off lights, computers, sound systems and TVs when not in use.
Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent lights.
Barbecue instead of using the stove or oven.
Dry laundry outdoors.

In last year’s Blackout Challenge, Hamilton placed second out of 38 participating Ontario municipalities by successfully reducing energy consumption by 2.9 per cent and trimming peak demand by 5.2 per cent between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. - equivalent to taking between 5,000 and 6,000 homes completely off the electricity grid. Let’s work together to achieve impressive energy reduction results again this year!

Proposed Development - 427 Aberdeen Ave (former Tim Hortons)

An application has been received by Hamilton's Planning and Economic Development Department for a Zoning By-law Amendment by UrbanCor Developments Inc. on lands located at 427 Aberdeen Ave (Former Tim Horton's location at the corner of Dundurn & Aberdeen).

The purpose of the application is to change the existing Commercial District to a Residential District, in order to permit a 7 storey building with 42 residential units which includes at-grade ground floor parking, 5 residential storey, 1 storey pentouse/ mechanical /roof top garden amenity area. A reduction in parking is also requested.

Councillor McHattie has asked the proponent to provide additional detailed information and the following documents (prepared by the developer as part of his planning application to the City) are now housed at the Locke Street Library for your viewing: Planning Justification report (including a sun shadow study), Parking Study, and Traffic Analysis Study. This information will give you a much better sense of the proposed development.

In terms of process and timing: the planning application is making its way through the City planning system and we anticipate it will not be before the Economic Development and Planning Committee for the required statutory meeting under the Planning Act for a political decision until late this fall - this is your formal opportunity to comment on the application and in doing so, reserve your right to appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board, if need be.

In the meantime, Councillor McHattie has asked the developer to hold a community meeting in the neighbourhood so folks can learn more about the application and share comments. This community meeting is expected to be held after Labour Day.

Rapid Transit Survey

As Hamilton moves forward with plans to implement rapid transit in Hamilton, we want your thoughts on how you think the rapid transit initiative will best serve Hamilton. Councillor McHattie is in favour of Light Rail Transit on King Street accompanied by Main and King Streets being made 2-way. This option facilitates easier pedestrian movement and helps to slow traffic.

Please take a few moments and complete a short survey to provide your feedback and identify your preferred rapid transit alignment along the Main-King corridor through downtown.

The survey is also available at some City of Hamilton offices, local libraries or municipal service centres. Comments are welcome at any time, but responses received by July 31, 2009 will be included in the September 2009 staff report to Council.

Rapid Transit website.....

Lest We Forget - AWW Community Garden

The creation of a West Hamilton Memory Garden is an initiative commenced over two years ago by AWWCA president emeritas Phyllis Tresidder. The garden site is in the Ainslie Wood neighbourhood, at the West Hamilton Cenotaph on Emerson Street, in the side yard of St. George's Church. The Cenotaph was erected in 1925 and commemorates the fallen soldiers from West Hamilton during the first and second world wars.

The garden plans call for a row-on-row arrangement of boxwoods, one for each name on the monument. There will be benches and careful plantings to invite and enclose visitors in a quiet and contemplative setting.

What Can You Do to Help?

You can help by making a financial donation, donating goods, or volunteering your time to help with the garden.

A small federal grant has assisted, but a need has been identified to match this with donations. Small plaques are being sold for $25 and $50; they will be mounted within a frame in the memory garden.

A further wish list includes interlock paving, some substantial planters, more benches, and a new lawn. If you are able to donate such items please call (905)-527-9431. Receipts for tax purposes will be issued.

This is an incredibly positive neighbourhood project. Please support it in whatever way you can.

Alleyway Service Level Review Project

City Staff have begun a review of the City's alleyway inventory with the goal of establishing comprehensive policies and procedures to address the management of alleyways in the City of Hamilton.

A Public Information Centre was held on June 25 to gather public input for this process. Anyone who was unable to attend is invited to view the presentation boards, as well as review the handouts provided.

The public is also encouraged to complete a feedback survey and return it not later than July 10, 2009 to Martin White at martin.white@hamilton.ca or Doug Onishi at donishi@dillon.ca.

Background information..

8-yr old Westdale Resident Creates Documentary and Asks a BIG QUESTION

8-yr old Sam, a Westdale resident, has recently finished post production on his first documentary about life in Westdale. It is short - only 4 minutes long - but is entertaining and packs an important message. Have a look at the youtube link and see if you can answer Sam's question.

2009 Affordable Transit Pass Program Available June 1

Effective June 1, 2009, the City of Hamilton's Affordable Transit Pass Program is available to Hamilton residents who are employed and in receipt of Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), provided they meet all of the eligibility requirements of the Program.

For application information and to see eligibility requirements, please visit the Affordable Transit Pass Program website.

OUR CITY'S URBAN FUTURE - Public Meetings for the New Urban Hamilton Official Plan

The Economic Development and Planning Committee is holding three Public meetings (under the Planning Act) to consider draft policies and mapping for the new Urban Hamilton Official Plan.

· Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 9:30 am

· Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 6:00 pm

· Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

Meetings will be held at the Hamilton Convention Centre, 1 Summers Lane. If you wish to speak at the public meeting, please contact Alexandra Rawlings at Alexandra.rawlings@hamilton.ca or phone 905-546-2424, ext. 2729.

The Official Plan is the long term planning vision for the urban development of Hamilton over the next 20 years (until 2031).

Highlights of the Urban Official Plan:

Provides a comprehensive approach to managing growth and land use change
Increases sustainability
Creates a strong and competitive economy
Concentrates development within built up areas
Protects natural open spaces and parks
Provides for an integrated transportation network

Written comments can also be submitted to the:

City Clerk, Economic Development and Planning Committee
City of Hamilton, 77 James Street North, Suite 220
Hamilton, Ontario L8R 2K3

The proposed Urban Hamilton Official Plan and the Official Plan Amendments are available for viewing at www.hamilton.ca/newurbanop or at the Municipal Service Centres, or at the Planning and Economic Development Department, 77 James St. N, Suite 250, Hamilton between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday).

2009 Keep Hamilton Blooming Program - June 2009

Residential Rental Housing Review Public Information Meetings - May 2009

BACKYARD HARVEST - May 2009

2009 KNA Food Drive a Success!! - May 13, 2009

Locke Street Public Art Competition

The City of Hamilton is currently seeking artists to make submissions to the Public Art Competition for Locke Street South. A competition award of $40,000 will be given for the design fabrication and delivery to the site of a series of art pieces or a single art piece that will be reflective of the Locke Street South area and will have significance to the community.

For more information please visit:
www.hamilton.ca/arts/lockestreet

Help Ignite Hamilton's Olympic Spirit!

Hamilton has been invited to serve as a Host Community for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Our celebration event is the evening of Saturday, December 19 at Dundurn National Historic Site.

If you're interested in becoming a torchbearer and for more information about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Golden Age Bus Pass

Effective May 1, 2009, Seniors age 80 years and over can obtain a free bus pass for unrestricted use on the HSR. The passes are available at the HSR ticket sales outlet in the GO Transit terminal on Hunter Street upon presenting proof of age.

Question & Answer Sheet...

Walk There! launched - Feb. 13, 2009

Open House - Planning Hamilton's Economic Future - Feb. 2-10, 2009

News - Help Plan Our City's Urban Future - January 19 - February 2. To learn more about these new plans, visit www.hamilton.ca/newurbanop.