Councillor Ward 2 Arnie Warner

Publications

Spring 2005 Ward 2 Newsletter

date posted: 2005-04-01

The signs of Spring are everywhere - and I am pleased once again to report to the residents of Ward 2 on a variety of items of interest to you

Spring Clean-up
For several years I have been advocating for a Town-wide beautification program. This year many of the clean up initiatives the Town will carry out are under this umbrella. Residents can do your part by cleaning up your property, not littering, and participating in local events such as tree planting days. Watch the local paper for events throughout the year which contribute to making our Town beautiful - oh and please - do not take shopping carts away from area plazas - they are becoming a blight in our neighborhoods

Farmstead Rd./Garland Cres.
As reported previously, the vacant land adjoining these two streets was originally intended to hold an elementary school. Since that arrangement did not proceed, I have worked closely with the developer and our Planning Department to bring about a proposal to build homes which are compatible with the neighborhood. The proposal for developing this land can be seen at a residents’ meeting which will be held on:

Monday, May 30th at Rouge Woods Community Centre
Beech Room, 110 Shirley Dr.
from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

I would like to encourage residents in this area to attend this information session and see first-hand the proposal which will be submitted to the Town for planning approval.

Budget & Taxes
Raising taxes is never a pleasant exercise. As Chair of the Budget Committee I can assure home owners that every effort was made to control costs and keep taxes down. This year’s increase of 4.9% on the Town’s portion of your tax bill amounts to an additional four dollars a month for the average home in Ward 2.

Richmond Hill Theatre
I am pleased to be the Chair of the Steering Committee for our new Community theatre to be located on the old Town Hall site at Yonge St. and Wright St. Watch for exciting news soon as we announce the selection of an architect and various fundraising initiatives and opportunities. The Theatre will act a key catalyst to re-vitalize and rejuvenate our historic village core.

Heron Pond
The pond behind Bayview S.S. is now officially known as Heron Pond. Local student Jimmy Ji proposed this name to recognize the blue herons which have taken up residence in the pond area. The Town has completed the first stages of naturalizing the pond and will continue to work with students at Bayview S.S. and area residents to maintain and enhance these storm water management ponds. Congratulations to Jimmy for having the name Heron Pond selected!

Parks News in the Ward
A lot of new parks initiatives are underway in our Ward -- here are some of them:

Sussex Park - This park is overdue for a facelift and will be improved with better walkways, more trees, and new playground equipment. An information session and open house will take place on;

Tuesday, May 10th
Elgin Barrow Arena - 43 Church St.
Richmond Hill Room
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Please come out and see for yourself what this popular local park will look like once the makeover is completed this year.

Timbermill Park on Shirley Dr. is almost finished and will be open by early Summer (weather permitting). By this Fall, the Town intends to begin constructing the trail system in this area including a pedestrian bridge from Timbermill Park to Apple Grove Parkette. A number of changes have been made to the proposed trails following feedback from area residents and the open house we had last Fall.

John Tipp Park adjacent to Our Lady Help of Christians School will be built this year and should be open when students return to school in September. I am proud to announce that the playground equipment in this new park will include components which are accessible for children with disabilities.

Yard Waste
Please be reminded that yard waste can now be put out for pick up by placing it in hard containers, cardboard boxes, yard waste paper bags, or in bundles not exceeding four feet in length. Yard waste will not be picked up in plastic bags - clear or otherwise. Please check your re-cycling calendar for yard waste pick-up days.

Kraft paper bags for yard waste are compostable and may be purchased at a variety of local retail outlets.

Gamma Foundries
Residents in the Newkirk Rd. area will know that I have been actively trying to address the long-time complaints of odours from this plant. Last Fall at a residents’ meeting, we learned that efforts by Gamma to contain odours had not been successful. The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) then issued orders for Gamma to participate in a Community Liaison Committee and address this issue.

Staff of MOE, Gamma, myself, the local MPP, Mr. Klees, and area residents are all members of this committee and we are working towards a solution that will enable neighbours to enjoy their properties without experiencing the unpleasant odours which are prevalent in the area.

An engineering consulting firm has been retained by Gamma, with the direct input of area residents in its selection, to conduct a review of the operations of the plant and recommend an engineering solution. The citizens on this committee are very committed to resolving this issue once and for all and have been active on behalf of their neighbours. I very much appreciate the efforts being put forth by these local residents. Should residents wish to complain about odours, please call;

MOE: Mr. Dave Fumerton at 905-427-5626 - 24 hours - 1-800-376-4547
EarthTech: 905-886-7022 Extension 2602
Gamma Foundries: 416-989-5331

We will continue to press for a solution of this problem which is acceptable to adjacent home-owners and I will keep you informed when a solution is found.

York Central Hospital
Recently our hospital received the long awaited news that the Provincial Government has committed to help fund Phase I of the long-overdue expansion. I attended a presentation by the Minister of Finance, Greg Sorbara at which he announced a 46.5 million dollars contribution. The Hospital Foundation must raise 35 million dollars from the community. The Town has committed 10 million dollars from our Community Enhancement Fund. The Share the Spirit Campaign has raised 31.5 million dollars to date and with this exciting announcement will continue to raise money from the community. If you have an event idea or would like further information, please contact the York Central Hospital Foundation at 905-883-2032.

Tridel
Recently the dilapidated house on the Church St. side of the Tridel property was demolished removing an eyesore from the neighborhood. Although the site plan and the configuration of the building is approved, actual construction will be delayed until the ongoing issue of sewage allocation and capacity in Richmond Hill is resolved. At this point this development and many others in Town cannot proceed to construction. The reason is actually quite simple - delays in constructing sewer lines in both Markham and Richmond Hill have created a problem with sewage capacity. A number of homes in Ward 2 near Major Mackenzie Dr. are at risk of having sewage back up into their basements if more housing units are built than current pipes can handle. Richmond Hill Council has placed a freeze on issuing building permits in order to protect residents and their homes in older parts of Town. A solution to this problem is still likely at least two or more years away. I encourage everyone to stay informed on this issue - it affects all of us!

Dunlop St. And Pugsley Ave. Seniors
Once again, I am pleased to organize “Meet your Councillor” meetings with area seniors. I will be available to answer general questions and have arranged for representatives of York Region Transit to join us to answer/discuss any concerns you may have related to transit. Please join me on:

Wednesday, May 11th
9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 71/75 Dunlop St
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 76/78 Dunlop St.
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 125 Pugsley Ave.

Canadian Blood Services Needs Your Help!
After renovations, a permanent Blood Donor Clinic at Hillcrest Mall has re-opened and everyone is welcome. There will also be community clinics in the various Wards throughout the Summer and Fall. For Blood Donor Clinic locations and dates, please visit our Website at www.richmondhill.ca

Did You Know???
That the new Richmond Green Library is almost ready to open?
All of us on the Board of Trustees as well as Library staff are looking forward to the official opening this year on Canada Day.

And Speaking of Canada Day ...
A full day of great activities and fun for the whole family is planned at Richmond Green to celebrate our nation’s birthday. The highlight, of course, each year is one of the largest municipal fireworks displays in Ontario- set to music! I look forward to seeing you there.

Here are some of the Committees I serve on as your Local Councillor: