MEETING PREVIEW: Accessibility Advisory Committee for February 21, 2023

This month’s Accessibility Advisory Committee gets down to business with a lot of planning and other work that requires the board’s feedback and insight. On the agenda is walking, parking, cycling, zoning and there’s also a plan about a splash pad in there too. There’s a lot to cover, and only two hours to cover it all in, so here’s what’s on the agenda for the next AAC meeting…

NOTE #1: This meeting will take place in Meeting Room B at City Hall, but you can also watch it on video via Microsoft Teams. (Find the link on the meeting agenda.)

NOTE #2: The meeting begins at 3 pm and is expected to wrap up around 5 pm.

Legislated Minute Taking Standards – This memo to the committee essential explains that meeting minutes will now be more streamlined in keeping with Section 239 (7) of the Municipal Act. What does that mean? The minutes will keep track of motions, amendments, votes and a one-line description of presentations, but they will not have feedback, questions and answers, and summaries of debate (although that stuff will be captured in staff notes). The good news though is that meetings will now be recorded and posted on the City website for everyone to enjoy.

Margaret Greene Park : New Splash Pad – A new splash is being planned for Margaret Greene Park in the city’s west end, and before it goes out to the greater community for feedback (coming at the end of March), it comes to the AAC for their points of view. The committee will be asked to consider the various water features, and the available seating and shade for the areas surrounding the splash pad. The final design should come back to the AAC later this spring or summer.

Downtown Parking Master Plan: Early Engagement – The Downtown Parking Master Plan is currently underway, and staff are reaching out to the AAC for some ideas about how the plan can account for approved accessibility when it comes to parking in the core. Public consultation on this will begin in April, and there will be a second presentation to the AAC in June to follow-up.

Protected Cycling Network Study: College Avenue Corridor -A three kilometre stretch of College Avenue will be redesigned to improve the cycling infrastructure between Janefield and Dundas. This project has twice previously been to the AAC, but this time staff are looking for feedback about protected bus stops and the protected intersection concepts. City staff will be designing the new bike facilities through 2023, and staff will return to the AAC with an update sometime later this year once the design is 60 per cent complete.

Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw Update – With the new CZB getting close to completion (it should be approved by council sometime in the next few months), it comes back to the AAC for some final comments. While staff were not able give the committee the answers they wanted on accessibility standards for townhouses and sidewalks, they were able to work with the AAC’s concerns about accessible parking and driveway width. Will those solutions satisfy the committee’s concerns? That’s the goal of this agenda item.

Project Introduction: Emma Street to Earl Street Cycling and Pedestrian Bridge – Although not quite ready for input yet, staff are looking to put this on the committee’s radar. Three design concepts will be released for public commentary sometime by the end of March, and the AAC will be sent a survey for their comments and accessibility-related advice specifically. When detailed work on the design begins, it will come to the AAC for a formal feedback session at a future committee meeting.

Site Plan Internal Review Report and New Legislation Impacts – As you may have already guessed, there are going to be some impacts on the work of the AAC because of Bill 23 too. One of the big ones is that the AAC can use the Facility Accessibility Design Manual (FADM) if those standards go beyond the AODA, and there will be more of an expectation for developers to meet those accessibility standards. The AAC will still be able to review industrial, commercial and multi-residential site plans, and the members of the committee will look to future training on the internal review process.

Future Topics: