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Township of Uxbridge

Press Release

Information

Downtown Vision and Action Workshop Summary Presentation

Draft Downtown Vision and Action Workshop Information- Workshop held October 18th, 2008

Approved Vision Statement for Downtown Uxbridge

Downtown Uxbridge Community Improvement Plan - September 2009

Downtown Revitalization

Over the last few weeks we have received a number of questions and comments, both formally and informally, reference to downtown revitalization which we are pleased to address through this public information bulletin

Q. Do any members of Council have a conflict of interest related to the development of the vision statement for our downtown?

A. No. All members of Council are also citizens of Uxbridge and have as much right to participate in the development of the vision for our downtown as any other citizen. A conflict of interest only exists if a member of Council can gain financially from any decision that he or she had an influence over.

Q. What will the time period be for the revitalization plan?

A. We anticipate that the development of the vision statement, which is the first priority, will take approximately six months and will become the “master plan”. It will include such declarations as “what is the downtown”. Once that has been drafted and subjected to public scrutiny and input it will be edited accordingly and presented to Council for adoption. The scope of the vision statement will be long term, encompassing several decades and will include Municipal, Regional, Provincial and Federal participation. It will also include short term projects and goals.

Q. Will there be any legislative constraints?

A. Not specifically. Downtown revitalization and rejuvenation of small to medium sized towns is a major priority with all levels of government and therefore is generally well supported. There are a number of funding opportunities available to communities which have developed detailed redevelopment plans. The Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is one such fund. Downtown revitalization is not constrained by the Oak Ridges Moraine or Greenbelt legislation. Certain restraints, such as height restriction on buildings, are under the control of the Township through the bylaw process. As far as we know there are no legislative constraints that would restrict the development of a long term planning vision for our downtown

Q. What restrictions will the limited sewage capacity place on the committee deliberations?

A. Sewage capacity has to be taken into account for all development or redevelopment and the planning for downtown will be no different.

Q. What is the downtown area under consideration?

A. The first priority for the committee will be to define exactly what the boundaries for the downtown should be and the current consensus is that they should be expanded to include such streets as Church Street and others.

Q. Who are the stakeholders?

A. The stakeholders would be the property owners and business owners in the newly defined downtown area and all the citizens of Uxbridge Township. The downtown and what happens to it is important to all the people of Uxbridge Township not just those who happen to live, work or own property or businesses in the designated downtown area.

Q. What will be the desired number of members on the committee and which interest groups will be represented?

A. As with any committee it should be large enough to be representative of all the various stakeholders and other interested parties but not too big so as to be unmanageable. We anticipate that the final committee will be comprised of between 10 and 15 people and will include representation from such groups as the BIA, Chamber of Commerce, business owners, property owners, arts & cultural groups, Council and interested citizens.

Q. What is the time frame for the committee? When will it be selected and how will it be reporting its findings?

A. Council nominated Regional Councillor, Howie Herrema and the Director of Management Services, Rich Vanderzande to set up the committee. They will seek nominations from the public and representatives from the key interest groups. The committee selection should be completed before the end of February and then brought to council for approval. All progress reports will be presented to council according to the wishes of Council. The committee will be a long standing committee potentially operating for several years which will probably spawn numerous sub-committees over its life span.

Q. What are the qualifications for the selection of committee members and will there be conflict of interest issues?

A. The appointed selection committee will seek individuals who have a stake in the long term success of our downtown and who have the knowledge, expertise, and objective interest in the development of a long term plan that will bring vitality and vibrancy to our downtown. We do not anticipate any conflict of interest issues. Obviously if you run a business in downtown, own property or shop in our downtown you have a vested interest in the success of our downtown but that cannot in anyway be construed as a “conflict of interest”. The initial broad statement of goals and objectives will be approved by Council

Q. Will the committee have a budget and what will be the budget limit?

A. The committee will initially be comprised of volunteers, staff and one or more Council members. There is currently no budget allocation made for this committee. As the committee progresses and develops its plans and projects there may be a need for funding. If and when that happens, such funding will have to be approved by council.

Q. Will this committee be a committee of council?

A. Yes

Q. Will the committee meetings be open to the public? What will be the rules of procedure and how will the meeting be publicized?

A. As an advisory committee of council the committee meetings will be governed by the same procedural rules as council. All meetings are therefore open to the public. Questions from the public will at the discretion of the committee The meetings will be advertised on the Township page in the local newspaper. Members of the public wishing to participate in the deliberations should make their interests known to the chair in writing and or request to be heard as a delegation to the committee.

Q. Will limits be placed on the committee as to who they can approach?

A. No. The committee will have a free reign as an advisory committee to develop a long term vision for the downtown that will engage all residents and special interest groups in the Township. Any requests for funding will have to be approved by Council

Q. Will the committee have full access to Township staff?

A. Yes. However, the amount of Township staff time taken up by the committee may have to be monitored and if it becomes more than anticipated it could become a cost issue and would then have to be dealt with by council

Q. Will a member of council be a member of the committee and will that member of council disclose any potential conflicts of interest?

A. Yes. Regional Councillor Howie Herrema was appointed by council to set up the committee and will participate in its deliberations. Other members of council could be appointed to the committee at the discretion of council. Conflict of interest is neither relevant nor an issue when developing a vision for downtown revitalization or renewal that will benefit the general good of the whole community.

Q. Will the committee be assigning costs to it recommendations?

A. The committee’s mandate is to provide advice on a recommended vision for the revitalization and renewal of downtown. It will be Council’s decision on how to proceed with the consideration of that advice which would also include the investigation of various costing alternatives and potential funding sources.

Q. Does council have a budget for capital costs related to re-development?

A. No. We are a long way from investigating capital costs. This is a “visioning” and planning process, the first and vital step in the process before seeking funding opportunities from higher levels of government and the private sector. Without a vision and a plan, you have nothing. There are many processes that have to be worked through before we address the issue of funding, not the least of which are amendments to the official plan

Q. Will the committee be able to order professional reports?

A. Council has approved an amount ($80,000) in the capital budget of the planning department for professional services to set up the ground rules and necessary planning structures for the committee. At this point the committee will not order professional services directly. All requests for funding will have to be approved by Council

Q. Will Durham Region have a member on the committee?

A. Unlikely, although they will be kept informed and engaged when and where appropriate and where they may have specific jurisdictional responsibility such as with Regional roads. The downtown revitalization and renewal initiative is strictly a municipal initiative although the Region may provide some financial support for the final plan once approved by council.

Q. Should the committee be considering the new fire hall as part of its mandate?

A. No. The decision on the location of a new fire hall is totally separate from any deliberations for downtown revitalization and renewal

Q. When will council be discussing the creation of the committee?

A. The selection committee, appointed by council, will be making a full report to council with its recommendations as soon as it has reviewed all applications and completed its deliberations. At that time council will debate the findings and recommendations of the selection committee. This date has not yet been determined but is unlikely to be before the month of March.

Downtown Vision and Action Plan

TO VIEW THE INFORMATION - CLICK HERE

Downtown Revitalization Committee Minutes 2008, 2009 and 2010 

DATE	MINUTES
April 21st, 2010
February 24th, 2010
January 13th, 2010
November 25th, 2009
September 9th, 2009
July 15th, 2009
June 17th, 2009
May 6th, 2009
April 8th, 2009
March 25th, 2009
March 11th, 2009
February 4th, 2009
January 7th, 2009
November 12th, 2008
October 15th, 2008
October 1st, 2008
September 17th, 2008
September 3rd, 2008
August 13th, 2008
July 2nd, 2008
June 4th, 2008
May 21st, 2008