Flooding Information Session

Staff from the City of Saint John’s Municipal Operations Department is holding an information session for residents of Glen Falls who have been affected by flooding. Residents will be able to see displays and results from recent studies on how we might address the problem.

• Thursday July 15, 2010
• Exhibition Park
• Session begins at 6:30pm
• Formal presentations begin at 6:45pm
• A question and answer session will follow.

Flyers are being distributed to residents in the area.

Also, click here to download the poster!

The Facebook Group “Stop Saint John Sprawl” is starting to get some media attention!

Today’s Telegraph-Journal featured an article “Facebook group fosters debate about planned highway expansion“:

SAINT JOHN – Smart cities grow up, not out, says Kurt Peacock, a Saint John civic activist and urban researcher.

Peacock, and fellow civic activist Shawn Peterson, are the administrators of a rapidly growing Facebook group called Stop Saint John Sprawl. The group, with close to 200 members, aims to create public debate about the planned Mackay Highway expansion and discuss the merits of smart and sustainable urban growth.

Plans to add two additional lanes to the Mackay Highway were unveiled in July of last year with the intention of improving traffic flow in and out of the city as part of the Route 1 Gateway Project.

The proposed expansion made headlines again this summer after Mayor Ivan Court publicly urged the province to reconsider.

Peacock said there was no public discussion surrounding the merits of the proposal, calling it “bad transportation policy.”

“There’s a maxim among transportation engineers that increasing highway capacity to combat congestion is like increasing your pant size to tackle obesity,” he said.

“It just does not work.”

Peacock referred to a report published by the provincial government outlining its goal of making Saint John a more sustainable city. He feels the planned expansion goes against a “more sustainable” Saint John and said it has little economic or environmental benefit for the city.

“That’s why we’ve created this group and we’re hoping in the weeks and months to come to challenge candidates for the New Brunswick legislature and find out quite simply, are they for or against urban sprawl,” he said.

The group is home to posts both for and against the proposed expansion, in addition to posted studies, reports and examples of how other cities have fared through highway expansions.

Peacock said studies done on cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta and Toronto have proven that expanding highways can have a negative effect.

“They’re much less livable now than they were 20 or 30 years ago, largely because government invested in highways as opposed to investing in structures that people truly care about. Better schools. Better cultural facilities. Better sports and recreation,” he said, adding that the traffic problem on the highway is miniscule in comparison to larger metropolitan areas.

For Peacock and his fellow activists, the planned expansion goes against the concept of smart growth. The concept has become one of the central discussions in this year’s Plan SJ public forum.

Read the rest of this entry »

Great news today for anyone who wasn’t able to attend the PlanSJ Opportunities and Directions Workshop on the weekend!

The same seven topics that were discussed by participants at the workshop have been converted into surveys that you can respond to.

Simply click on the topic below to fill out the survey:

• Inclusiveness
• Arts Culture and Heritage
• Smart Growth
• Mobility
• Employment
• Environmental Sustainability
• Urban Design

I would strongly encourage everyone to take the time to send in your thoughts and opinions on these subjects.

Your input will be taking into account!

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

I just wanted to post a reminder about the PlanSJ Opportunities and Directions Workshop taking place Saturday, June 12th – 10am to 4pm at Harbour View High.

This will be a great opportunity to learn more about PlanSJ – and more importantly – to provide YOUR input and ideas!

You can attend for just the morning, afternoon, or all day.

It’s not too late to register; however, to help coordinate, please RSVP right away at: plansj@saintjohn.ca

A PDF invitation is available for download here!

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

I really wanted to pass along this message from the PlanSJ team who are organizing the first public workshop in June!

This will be a great chance to get together with the rest of the community to voice your opinions.

Be sure to RSVP early!

Please join the PlanSJ Team on Saturday, June 12th for an interactive, family-friendly workshop to help define the Opportunities and Directions for the City’s new Municipal Plan.

PlanSJ is a two-year project to develop a new municipal plan for Saint John. The City of Saint John’s Planning and Development Service is working with a citizen advisory committee and the public to gather information about Saint John – from its history to its current population, economy and industry to the expected future growth – to develop the plan.

PlanSJ Opportunities and Directions Workshop

• Saturday June 12th
• 10am to 4pm
• Harbour View High School gym
• 305 Douglas Avenue.

The agenda for the day will feature two sessions: In the morning we will look at Saint John today – its strengths and opportunities. During the afternoon we will be talking about Saint John tomorrow – what are some of the possibilities coming forward from our research and what you think are important themes and directions for Saint’s John’s future growth and development. Your input will be key to making this a truly made in Saint John Plan. There will be children’s activities during the afternoon session (1pm to 4pm).

Please register for the workshop by June 4th by e-mail at plansj@saintjohn.ca, by phone at 635-2000 or in person at the PlanSJ Storefront in Brunswick Square (10am to 2pm Monday through Friday).

For more information please contact the PlanSJ Team at the above locations.

Please join us on the 12th!

The PlanSJ Team

A PDF invitation is available for download here!

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

At the PlanSJ kickoff event , three members of the community made presentations.

Janet Scott (Enterprise Saint John):

Stephen Tobias (Saint John Theatre Company):

Tim Vickers (ACAP Saint John):

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

I came across a great blog post on PlanSJ, written by Andrew Matheson, over at Spacing Atlantic.

Here are a few snippets:

Saint John’s current Municipal Plan received Council approval in 1973 and was based on the assumption that the City’s population would grow to some 250,000 residents. Today, almost 40 years after the plan came into effect, the City’s residents number 68,000 – less than one third of the plan’s anticipated total. With faulty projections and dozens of subsequent amendments, the current plan has slipped into obscurity over the years and has failed to adequately guide development in a manner that best serves the interests of Saint John residents.

That’s all about to change.

Click here to read the full article!

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

Last week the Telegraph-Journal printed the following opinion on PlanSJ:

Council knows public’s priorities
There are a number of ways one could interpret the rush of applications to serve on Saint John’s municipal planning committee.

Clearly, many citizens want to have their say in how the city will develop over the next 25 years. The question is, how much of the interest stems from the perception that council is not achieving enough progress on the city’s priorities?

This year and next, council will invest approximately $1 million on devising a new municipal plan. Such a plan is badly needed, since the city’s zoning and development strategy hasn’t been overhauled since the 1970s. But the magnitude of the investment is disappointing in a city where basic services such as reliable drinking water, well-paved streets and recreation facilities require significant capital investment.

Does City Hall really need a new storefront office to communicate with the public about planning issues? Does council really need an elaborate process to understand what residents want in terms of facilities and community development?

If so, there’s something wrong.

Citizens have been telling councillors what their priorities are since before the last municipal election. Veteran council members, such as Mayor Ivan Court, Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase, Chris Titus, Bill Farren and Peter McGuire, have heard the same concerns raised year after year. New councillors don’t have the same depth of experience, but they must be noticing certain common threads in the conversations they have with their constituents.

Council members should not need to muse about what kind of city people want to live in. One where the water is treated to national standards, and people can drive on the roads without losing hubcaps, bending struts or wrecking their cars. A place where their children can play hockey and soccer and baseball, and not need to walk in the street in winter because the sidewalks are impassable. A city where rainfall is collected and diverted before it floods streets and houses; where phone calls to municipal departments are answered or returned; a city whose administration is focused on improvement and which tracks quality control because it is proud to serve a public of neighbours.

Perhaps council should spend $1 million more on these priorities, which it already knows about and has made a public commitment to, and direct the city’s planning department to handle planning issues at a minimum of additional expense.

Today, local artist Sarah Jones had a great response printed:

PlanSJ seems like dynamic initiative

Sure, everybody wants clean water and passable roads, but these demands do not amount to a sound, effective or long-term urban plan. Contrary to what you suggest in your editorial, it is not necessary to sacrifice a long-term plan for short-term necessities.

And when your newspaper calls so frequently for governmental transparency and public consultation, I find this editorial critique of PlanSJ odd. After meeting the Citizens Advisory Group, attending the launch last week and checking out the great storefront in Brunswick Square, PlanSJ strikes me as one of the most dynamic initiatives and extensive community engagement projects we have seen in this city. Too bad you can’t see past the potholes.

SARAH JONES

Saint John

If we have all learned one thing from the recent NB Power controversy, it’s that citizens want to be engaged from day one. They want to have their thoughts and opinions heard.

PlanSJ is a process that will ensure the people in this city have a voice in the new municipal plan.

I believe in this process.

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

The first newsletter for PlanSJ (Saint John’s Municipal Planning Process) is now out, click the image below to read it:

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

More great coverage on the Municipal Plan today in the TJ, be sure to check it out!

This column previously appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on January 29th, 2010:

A committee of 13 people from diverse backgrounds will help guide common council through the next two years as the city embarks on rewriting its yellowing municipal plan.

“It’s really to bring that community voice and consensus to the work we’re doing,” said Jacqueline Hamilton, deputy commissioner of planning.

Council has appointed all but one of the members based on recommendations from council’s nominating committee. The 13th member is expected to be appointed next week.

Ten members are Saint John citizens, two are city councillors and one comes from the city’s planning advisory committee.

The city had an overwhelming response of applications for the citizen spots – with nearly 80 submitted, Hamilton said, which slowed down the hiring process.

“I think that just goes to the interest in the work we’re doing,” she said, adding it’s four-times the number of applications the city would normally get.

The citizen members come from all corners of the city and represent different social, economic, cultural, and environmental interests. Some are newcomers to the city and others are long-term residents.

Hamilton said some cities rely on their planning advisory committees to assist with a new municipal plan, but city staff wanted a focus group with a more diverse makeup.

“Certainly, this model is more unique,” she said.

The group will meet monthly in the city’s new storefront for PlanSJ in Brunswick Square, which was unveiled Wednesday.

The committee members will review what work has been done by staff and consultants, Urban Strategies and ADI, and will provide feedback, often presenting recommendations to council, Hamilton said.

“We want their feedback on what we’re presenting and whether it reflects on what the community has told us.”

The committee will elect a chair and vice-chair from its non-council members. It will make decisions by consensus, and if necessary, by a majority vote.

Coun. Carl Killen, who sits on the committee along with Coun. Peter McGuire, said the committee does not have the same kind of power as council.

“But as far as input goes, the committee’s impact will be huge,” he said.

The people on the committee will have the chance to set the direction the city goes in terms of green spaces, landscape, industrial zones and many other areas, Killen said.

“This is not a simple, ‘What are we going to build in a certain place?’ This is a plan that’s intended to last and endure for at the very least a quarter of a century.”

It’s why Shawn Peterson, who is also the chairman of FUSION Saint John, thought it was important to get involved.

“A lot of times stuff goes on with the city and the average person doesn’t get to give their input,” said Peterson, 25, who works at a software company.

“I’m a real firm believer this process is going to be a lot different.”

He said he wants to reach out to not just youth, but the whole community, in whatever way he can – including Facebook and Twitter.

It’s important to get young people’s input because this plan will set the city’s growth for their future, he said.

“It’s going to be us kind of running the show at the point,” he said. “As much input we can get in now will ensure we’ll be all happy with it.”

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!