I would like to discuss an issue that falls under the Communication portion of my platform, that being planning notice signs.
We see these fairly often around Middlesex Centre. There is one in Ilderton right now in a field at the corner of Hyde Park Rd and Ilderton Rd. They vary in size depending on the size of the land affected, serve to notify us that the existing zoning for a parcel of land may soon change, and that you can contact the municipality if you would like more information. But for such an important piece of communication between the municipality and its citizens, the signs don’t really provide you with any pertinent information.
It’s one thing for a parcel of land along, let’s say, Glendon Drive to change from low density residential to medium density residential. Or even from medium density commercial to low density commercial. A minor change typically is not of any interest to most citizens, and that’s not really a problem. What is a problem is that the same sign is used for potentially drastic changes, like rezoning from low density residential to industrial. Did you know someone wants to put a factory next to your house?
There would be much more communication about such a change, including neighbouring properties being notified about a public participation meeting and so on. But the point stands: the same planning notice sign gives you no context about why you might want to call. It should, shouldn’t it?
If elected Councillor of Ward 4, I would propose a drastic redesign of Middlesex Centre’s planning notice signs. I would like to see us go from this:
To something like this:
Ottawa’s is a good example of what a planning notice sign can be. A depiction of what’s proposed, better contact information (like who to speak to), and even a brief summary of the proposal. This is far more effective than what Middlesex Centre, or any nearby municipality, uses today. There are many more examples here (page 2).
At the end of the day, it’s a small change that can have a huge impact on communication between Middlesex Centre and its residents. You deserve to know what’s going on, right upfront without having to jump through hoops. And when you have better information, you can then decide for yourself if you want to take your engagement to the next level. And that’s one example of what I mean when I talk about building communities together.