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Additions 2009/10/19ADDITIONS TO COUNCIL. MONDAY. OCTOBER 19 2009 COMMUNITY SERVICES 1. Copy of Peter Smith's presentation. 2. Butch Sacco's deputation has been cancelled. (see memo) 3. Correspondence related to CSC-2009-01 and PD-2009-79 re: Heritage Committee comments on Lundy's Lane Museum expansion 4. Email related to TS-2009-42 - Kalar Road -Parking Control Review COUNCIL GNGH Emergency Room 1. City Clerks letter to Wayne Gates, President, CAW Local 199. PLANNING 1. PD-2009-74 -Zoning By-law Amendment Application, 7565 Lundy's Lane a) Regional comments RESOLUTION 1. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the appropriate staff person be authorized to submit a financial request to the Ministry of Tourism in relation to the Olympic Torch Relay and Community Celebration. COUNCIL INFORMATION 1. Re: Westlane Reunion 2. Invite for October 23~d, 2009, from the Rotary Club and the Interact Club Students at A.N. Myer. 3. Canadian Apartment Journal, Condo Conversion Prom: Ed Dujlovic To: Dean Iorfida Date: 10/16/2009 9:47 AM Subject: Minor Hockey Deputation ~: Denyse Morrissey; Ken Todd; 17kky, Marianne Dean, Further to my voke mall, as a result of yesterday's meeting with representatlves fYom minor hockey, Butch Sacco indicated that he would not be attending Community Services on Monday. Staff are fdlowing up on a number of actton ttems and we are to get back to Butch by Friday Odol~er 23. It was the preference of ail at the meeting that the matters be resolved wldiout minor hockey having toga AeFore Council. Regards, Ed COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 19, 2009 MUNICIPAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE COMMENTS REGARDING LUNDY'S LANE HISTORICAL MUSEUM EXPANSION The architects for the expansion made a presentation to the Municipal Heritage Committee on September 23. The Committee passed the following motion: "That the Municipal Heritage Committee is not supportive of the design as presented regarding the Luridy's Lane Museum expansion as removal of the front stairs and replacement with a large ramped area will alter the front fapade of the Museum and the proposed new addition overwhelms the existing building in terms of its size and location." The report from the Community Services Department states that MHC "suggested that the Board look at making the entrance platform look more historic and consider a complete redesign of the addition to the building to make it less obtrusive and not so modern looking". Except for the less obtrusive comment this statement does not accurately reflect the position of MHC. The report from Community Services Department indicates that the only one of the Eight Guiding Principles in Conservation of Historic Properties that applies is that new work be distinguishable from old and that buildings should be products of their own time. MHC wholeheartedly supports this principle. There is another principle that applies. Reversibility: Alterations should be able to be returned to original conditions. This conserves earlier building design and technique, e.g. When.a new door opening is put in a stone wall, the original stones are numbered, removed and stored, allowing for future restoration. The expansion plan includes cutting new door openings in the wet exterior wall of the existing building. Nothing was said by the architects about complying with this principle. MHC did not make an issue of this matter. Remarkably, the Ministry of Culture provides little guidance on expansions. This being the case, there are standards being used by the Niagara Fa11s and other MHC's. We can look to other municipalities to determine best practices. Markham is considered a leader in the field of historic conservation. The following are some of the guidelines included in the Unionville Heritage District Plan. Attached exterior additions should be located at the rear or on an inconspicuous side of a historic building. The museum expansion is on an inconspicuous side but protrudes many feet in front of the existing building. MHC takes exception to the location of the addition. It appears that there is sufficient room on the lot that the addition could be moved back to be at least even with the existing building. museumexpansion191009rev Additions should be limited in size and scale in relation to the historic building. The expansion overwhelms the existing building. This issue would likely be addressed by moving the addition back. The form of the original heritage building should be considered in the design of the new addition. MHC could not see that the existing building had any effect on the design of the addition but did not make an issue of it. The attached addition should in no way dominate the street presence of the heritage building nor detract from any of its important historical features. The addition completely dominates the existing building and removal of the existing stairs is more than a detraction from an important historical feature. These issues might be addressed by moving the addition back so that the ramp could be placed in front of the addition. The design of the addition should reflect the scale of the existing heritage property. An addition should not be greater in scale than the existing building. The expansion was not designed to reflect the scale of the existing building. This issue would likely be addressed by moving the addition back. Additions to heritage buildings should be constructed so that there is-the least possible loss of historic materials and so that character-defining features are not obscured, damaged, or destroyed. The existing building is very much obscured by the expansion especially when approaching from the west. The proposed expansion requires removal of the stairs which are acharacter-defining feature. In addition, the plan includes removal of the stone wall currently on the north and east property lines. The wall is not specifically mentioned in the designation but is a character-defming feature of the property. The plan previously shown to MHC also excluded the wall. MHC requested that the wall be retained but to no avail. MHC did not make an issue of the wall removal at the September 23 meeting because the issue of removing the staircase and the overwhelming nature of the addition are much more significant. Although MHC does not have any written guidelines, it has in the past applied similar guidelines as those set by Markham to requests for additions to designated buildings. In the interest of consistency, a principle important to MHC, it is crucial to hold the fagade of the museum to the same preservation standards as MHC's past deliberations on other properties. MHC has in the past recommended against approval of proposed alterations to or additions that affect the view of the front fagade of a heritage building. It would be unfair to hold this expansion to a lesser standard without compelling reasons for doing so. In the architects presentation to MHC, there was no indication that they had made any attempt to make themselves aware of guidelines commonly used to design additions to historic buildings or that they had found it impossible to conform. The museum is situated on a corner with the rear elevation facing the farmers' market. There are three elevations which take on public importance the fagade on the north side of the building, and the east and south sides. Consistent with past practice, MHC has concerned itself only with the museum's fagade on the north side. museumexpansion191009rev Architectural Conservation Note 9, Accessibility and Historic Buildings, issued by the Ministry, gives the following guidance. The dignity of the person with disabilities should be placed first, while preserving the historic appearance of the building. Achieving these goals requires creativity and sensitivity. Two examples of creativity are given. The first is George Brown House. It was restored in the late 1980's. Since the traditional entrance to the house is located at the front of the building and is inaccessible to persons with disabilities due to high stairs, the main entrance was relocated to the side of the building during the restoration. In making the House more accessible, the architects faced severe structural constraints. But they were able to maintain the building's historical integrity while allowing for the needs of people with disabilities. By relocating the main entrance, now all visitors, including those with disabilities, have equal access to the historic house. Along with a flight of stairs, a ramp has been installed at the side of the building to ensure accessibility by all members of the public. As a result, the goal of the guideline has been achieved. Persons with disabilities can experience the house in the same way as persons without disabilities. The second example is Central United Church in Sault Ste. Marie. The main door is still at the front of the building. But the new beautifully detailed ramp at the back has become a commonly used entrance by everyone who visits or attends the church. The church decided to the rear entrance barrier-free for the simple reason that the parking lot is also located there. The real-ramp entrance has been welcomed by everyone especially, especially persons with disabilities because of its close proximity to the parking lot. The architect designed the new ramp to match the historical structure, carefully selecting stone and mortar to blend in with the original building material. The ramp is also well- integrated with the surrounding landscape and does not appear out of place. This is an example of a barrier-free design, which enhances the buildings appearance while accommodating human needs. MHC saw no evidence that the architects used creativity to solve the access issue. When challenged at the MHC meeting, the architects did not say that they had tried to preserve the stairs but that it was an impossible task. The existing museum building concurrently provided the Council chamber for both the Stamford Township and Village of Niagara Falls councils. It was meant to provide an impressive, impassive, stern and daunting fapacle to the street. The steep stone staircase was an essential element in articulating this message. The removal of the staircase and the overwhelming proposed expansion detract from the character of the buildings fapade. museumexpansion 191009rev That being said, MHC believes that it is possible to arrive at a design which meets the requirements of the museum while respecting good historic preservation practices. museumexpansion191009rev :'10/19/2009 Dean lorfida - Kalar Road Parkin Control Review REPORT TS 2009--42 - -- ~- -_ _. _d_ _ ~.._.._ __ ..,. Pa ~e 1' From: "Noelle Sinclair" <noelle@niagarafallsmentors.org> To: <mtikky@niagarafalls.ca> Date: 10/19/2009 3:40 PM Subject: Kalar Road Parking Control Review REPORT TS-2009--42 CC: "'Dean lorfida"' <diorfida@niagarafalls.ca> Attention: Marianne Tikky I received the notification of today's meeting on the proposed parking restrictions on Kalar Road. I am opposed to the restrictions proposed on the west side of Kalar between Kate S. Durden/ Loretto schools and McLeod Road. Last year, similar restrictions were proposed. It was decided to allow on-street parking. The experience of the past year has shown that there has been limited on-street parking. Most residents on the west side of Kalar will only have cars parked on the street if they have extra company over. In most cases, these extra cars are in the evening hours when there is very little bicycle activity. In fact, it is very rare to see cyclists in the bike lanes, at all. Although portions of Kalar Road are four lanes, other than during school hours, vehicular traffic is not that heavy that nominal on-street parking can not be accommodated. I would respectfully request that Council reject staffs recommendation and continue with no parking restriction on the west side of Kalar. Noelle Sinclair 6917 Kalar Road 905-295-1322 From: Dean Iorfida To: wgates@caw199.com Date: 10/15/2009 12:13 PM Subject: Deputation Request Attachments: Letter to D Iorfida in responseto August 4 09 Correspondence 21 08 09.pdf CC: Ken Todd; Ted Salci Wayne: Thank you for your deputation request on NHS related issues. Niagara Falls City Council shares your concerns and has sent resolutions on the closure of the maternity ward, the loss of ER doctors and, most recently, requesting that the Region hold off on its commitment of $21 million to the new hospital in St. Catharines. You undoubtedly want to come on the 19th because NHS officials will be present, however, the Council meeting is not envisioned as a public session on the NHS; therefore,we will not be entertaining deputations from other groups or individuals. Mrs. Sevenpifer and the NHS has agreed to come to council to respond to a letter from Dr. Dobrovolskis, one of the doctors that resigned from the GNGH ER. Accordingly, only questions from our Members of Council will be responded to by Mrs. Sevenpifer at our Council meeting. The NHS has promised to hold a public Information session in Niagara Falls (see attached letter) and we understand that Ms. Sevenpifer will be announdng a date for the session when she's at Council. At this public information session, concerned parties will be given the opportunity to ask questions of, and receive Information from, the NHS. I'd encourage you to partiWpate in the forthcoming Public Information sessions. You can always forward any specific questions to your Council members to raise on Monday. Thanks Dean ro/os/zoos 17:1 FAx 905 682 8393 CAW LOCAL 199 f~j007/001 CAWjTC,A CANADA Weyna Gatos President Bruce Allan Vice Piesklenf Lt]C~~ ~8~ Larry resnhalgh 924 Bunting Road r=inerecie! Sepetery tit CatheNnes, Ontario, L2P 3G5 Phone (995) 682.269'1 FaX{905)582-939$ Qctober 6, 2409 Dean IorJida, Gity Clerk Niagara Falls, Ontario VIA FAX No. 905-356-4083 bear Dean; Re: Health Care Mark Roy Recordlr+g Secretary As per your email to me dated October 5, 20Q9 below is the general outline request for the October 19, 2004 Deputation to Councll: problems with the Niagara Health System in general -privatization what the future may hold for Niagara Falls as health care service reductions in the pmgram continues; Examples: shortage ofE.R. n7uses maternity closed down doctors resigning - personal involvement with health care services in Niagara - new hospital in St. Catharines should not be at the expenses of the rest of the Nis gars Region If you would like tv discuss this further, please feel free to contact meat 905-682-.2611 or my cell phone at 905-328-9532. Thanking you in advance, T remain. ~/ Yours y, d `~2' 'Wayne Gates, President copa343/as CAW Local 199 v~»tra rst~e ~IX V! ttrts- tN6-Prp+ttt3Ci~1F~,,'iCC}~SL~I@ntar7E. 2t~i6. -- CPi Yr 4$t #f84~Sf6C(Wa~~ff 't'it.} - - res~uradc Ptnvtr~I~E(x7ltcp26fa8ah5slb~t-slgrNfk~MbWl4 ess Nta}.E~9~37(CNtSt The City of Niagara Falls, Ontario Resolution No. Moved by Councillor Seconded by Councillor WHEREAS the City ofNiagara Falls has been chosen as one ofthe locations for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay (the "event"); and WHEREAS in December 2008, City Council approved monies for a community celebration related to the event (cf. BDD-2008-04); and WHEREAS the City received funding through the Department of Canadian Heritage for the event; and WHEREAS the Provincial government, through the Ministry of Tourism, is offering matching funding up to $15,000; and WHEREAS the Provincial government is requesting a Council resolution authorizing the submission of the grant application. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the appropriate staff person be authorized to submit a financial request to the Ministry of Tourism in relation to the Olympic Torch Relay and Community Celebration. AND The Seal of the Corporation be hereto affixed. DEAN IORFIDA R. T. (TED) SALCI CITY CLERK MAYOR From: Denyse Morrissey To: Steve Hamilton Date: 10/16/2009 2:17 PM Subject: Re: Westlane Event CC: Dean IorFida; Ed Dujlovic; Ken Burden; Todd Harrison Thanks! »> Steve Hamilton 10/16/2009 2:15 PM »> Denyse; Just spoke to Debbie Willick re: Westlane reunion. She advises that they will no longer require Chippawa Arena as they have had the Serbian Hall donated for their event in May 2010. thx sh Monday October 19, 2009 Dear Mayor Ted Salci and City Council Members, The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls in conjunction with the youth Interact Club will be hosting an event to increase awareness of World Polio Day. The flagship project of Rotary International is to eradicate Polio. The Interact Club Students at A. N. Myer Secondary School are planning a "Purple Pinkie Day". Purlple Pinkies are very symbolic. In the developing countries where National Polio Immunization Days occur the children have their small finger dyed purple to indicate that they received the immunization. We invite you to come on Friday October 23 between 11:15 am and 11:45 am to A. N. Myer Secondary School. The students are requesting "pennies for Polio"....for a-small donation you can have your "Pinkie Purpled". The students would greatly appreciate your support in increasing the awareness of eliminating Polio. Regards, Donna Dalgleish Rotary Club of Niagara Falls President r u ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ro~;b ~~ Vol. 8 Number 5 1-800-898-0347 September/October 2007 CONDO CONVERSION: A GROWING TREND industry Opinion Column As of 2005, the trend of converting apartment ..properties to condos has continually gained momentum. The low interest rate that has affected the apartment industry is driving the biggest condominium conversion boom in two decades. In markets across the country, condo developers dre paying d premium to acquire and convert rental properties into condos. The eighties saw a huge wave of condo conversions; however the trend had died by the early nineties. Early into the new millennium condo conversions came back. .There were many factors that led to this revival but the main one was low interest rates. At .these rates mortgdge payments were often lower than rents and as a result those who were previously not eligible for home ownership could now purchase a condominium. In recent years the condo industry has been booming in Canada with dozens of new towers being erected every year. Toronto is the center of this boom with approximately 17,000 new units being sold in 2005. This is snore than double Miami where sales of 7,500 units placed them second. As limitations are now being placed on new development developers are being forced upward and consider more conversions rather than new construction. Strong areas of growth now are Kitchener-Waterloo and London. In an effort to cash in on Saskatoon's growing housing shortage, the city received nine. applications (a total of 386 units) to convert properties to condos in early August. This now brings the total number of conversion applications received by the city this year to 24 buildings, a total of 951 units that will be leaving the rental market. Con!'d... Pg, 2 Cof. 1 What is a Corado Conversion? 9y BY Mark MctNackin, Kickoffs, Harris LLP Generally speaking, a condominium conversion Is the process of converting an income property or other land held under one title into individual units for sale. Subject to any specific restrictions that are imposed by municipal or other approval authorities, any type of existing structure can be converted to a condominium. Condominium conversion is possible for all different types of properties, including multi- family residential buildings, co-operatives or co- ownershlps, multi-family row dwellings; and industrial or commercial buildings which can be converted into individual housing units. Why are Condo Conversions Popular? Typically, the market for condo conversions. occurs when the price of a single family homes increase beyond the reach of the first time buyer. Converted condominiums provide an excellent opportunity for many individuals to own their own property. Given the widespread availability of financing, this has severely affected the rental market as we know it, Other investors, both domestic and foreign, are ever increas(ngly interested In converted condominiums as an affordable means of aciluiring property for Investment purposes. Smaller investors who are disillusioned by the stock market are showing continued interest as well, purchasing several condominium units rather than a large; single-title property. Multiple types of investors, including developers and landlords/owners, wishing to capitalize on this market demand and maximize their return on investment in a difficult rental market decide to pursue condo conversions. In the United States, for instance, leading Apartment Companies and Apartment Reit Sectors are entering the conversion business themselves according to a recent New York Times Article. In fact, Credit Suisse First Boston has just finished marketing a bond to Institutional Investors that was backed by several billion dollars worth of mortgages for apartment building and other properties being transformed into condominiums. ron~v._P~. arot, a ~~ _, - Cant'd from Pg.l Coll Since condo buyers are typically renters, condo conversions can benefit multi-family property owners by shrinking the supply of apartments. . Cant'd from Pg.l CaL2 What are the Key Benefits of Condo Conversions? However, the release of these upgraded, .converted units back into the rental market can hurt multi-family properfy.owners qs it raises the standard above the current producf;3herefbre creating stronger competition as renters will most likely prefer the- upgraded suites. Wherre to Find Us Canadian Apartment Investor's Conference (Derek Lobo, Speaker), Toronto; September 19/07 LPMA Trade Show,(Derek Lobo, Keynote Speaker), London, October 9/07 HDAA Industry Update Semin ar, (Derek Lobo, Speaker), Hamilton, October 17/07 PM Expo (Derek Lobo, Speaker), Toronto, November 28-30/07 Upcoming Edueat7oriat Events *Residential Tenahcies Act Refresher Breakfast ghosted by FRPO- www.frpo.org~ *Finance Seminar For Apartment Buildings (hosted by FRPO - www.frpo.org) Condominium conversions can result in significant tax benefits for a property owner because they allow a property owner to take advantage of the lower realty taxes for single-family property units as compared to multi-family units. For example, amulti-family property in Ontario can have taxes of up to 3,8 times the amount that would be paid on the same building if It were composed of a series ofsingle-family condominium units rather than a single, multi-family. unit property. Conversion also provides for greater estate planning flexibility for those smaller multi- family owners given the liquidity of the asset. In addition, condominium conversions generally result In an increase in the value of the units if sold either to owners or investors. Some of this increase (n value comes from the conversion itself, and some comes from miner upgrades to the units and common areas that may occur during the conversion process. Iri each conversion, it is necessary to offset the amount of the Increase by any costs required to bring the building in line with var(ous municipal standards (which normally have been met by virtue of being an apartment complex already); however the net increase can be a significant incentive for property owners considering conversion. There is an advantage to developers/owners in considering conversion as well. In a market where construction costs are high, a conversion of an existing multi-family structure will often be much more cost-effective and much faster than building from scratch. Even current property owners can take advantage of these benefits; the comparatively fast process of conversion (6-9 months) often makes It possible to sell Individual units when they are at or near peak price before changes in demand take effect. Mark McMackin, a rea/esta(e lawyer with R/dceLr;. Harrk LLP, has been ertgaged/n this area with his team ofP/anning and Survey stalffar over 10 years If you waukl be lnlerestetlln /eam/ng more aboutpte pofenNa(of}rourbu//o/ng mnvers/on,.please rooted Mark byphone at(916J 369-6211 ext. 214 orby email at t~un7ad'inCadckettshams cam, You can alsro And more /nformaNon on ourlawfimYs websifa of www rondomnverstono ca, DALA Group of Companies is North America's Leading Apartment Marketing and Leasing Specialist. With 20 years of experience, DALA provides comprehensive and integrated solutions to maximize the return on investment. Some of the services available are: Pay per Performance Leasing Services, Repositioning Studies, Market Surveys, Mystery Shopping and Training for sustained growth. For more information please visit our website at www.dala-Inc eom, Email: sales(t'Odala-inc.com or call 1-800-8g8-0347 x22. © 2006 DALA Group of Companies