Just an heads up that I will attempt to make this as short as I
possibly can.
(I’ve seen were other well meaning community advocates
share information in the form of similar article/blog, but they are so long and
wordy that they are not read and the message gets lost.)
I will also try to write and post this as quick as I can, otherwise it will join many others buried in the "thought cemetery".
I will also try to write and post this as quick as I can, otherwise it will join many others buried in the "thought cemetery".
Attended the City of Niagara Falls “pop up engagement” held today.
Operative word is “pop up” as I went expecting a meeting
with designs, etc on a wall or boards, instead, just in the grass off the car park was a team of 3 staff members
under what looks like a 8x8 pop up gazebo. It had one table which "displayed" what looked like a site layout of the proposed, elusive park. There was also what looked like a quickly thrown together autocad of stock basic park swingset and slide.
As I'm writing this, I now just
realized that I didn’t even take deliberate photos of that stock image, since it did not register in my mind that this pitiful display was
seriously illustrating what the City of Niagara Falls has been planning for over 5 years to install and been holding what has become annual “engagements”
for.
Normally one would expect a couple options, but there was none. Just the dry pitiful park plan.
I remember promises of a splashpad, a decent park adorned with at least one gazebos. That is gone.
Interestingly the access ways that links Lyons Creek Community to the Lyons Creek were also missing or somehow subtly being erased.
Observations:
- There were no design options. Instead just a single table with what looked like a unfinished site plan of a park.
- The staff member disclosed that the current emergency access from Lyons Creek Community to Lyons Creek used as footpath access between communities will be turned over to a developer to wedge in two more homes.
- Staff was not aware that there is a considerable and growing number of students within the community that attends St. Michael Catholic school, and that when the City turns this access into home sites, they will effectively cut off the students from the St. Michael school bus pickup and drop off stop (since the bus stops by the bridge on Lyons Creek Parkway)
- Residents shared that the high property taxes paid ($5000.00 plus) would at least entitle them to some basic quality of life amenities.
- Many of the new residents are from the GTA. As small as the attendance was at that time, this observer met at least 3 fellow residents that lived in the same community in the GTA as themselves.
- When an observation was shared by a resident that the delivery of basic amenities was too slow in Lyons Creek, the Niagara Falls City representative attempted to excuse this by saying development is slower in rural cities like Niagara Falls. We however brought his attention to many other developments ( Imagine by Empire for example ) that started at least a year or two AFTER Lyons Creek was started, is much larger development, yet have surpassed the (new) Lyons Creek development (Maybe they are fortunate not to have "encroached" on the territories of influential city officials). These other developments have parks and some basic amenities. We have seen where the City has even practically demolished good parks in other communities and rebuild new ones, while Lyons Creek remains stunted and deprived while the home owners dole out upwards of $5000.00 each year in property taxes.
- There are numerous young working families who would have keen interest in the park. They were denied the opportunity to community engagement event was held between 3:00 to 5:30 PM, which is the time they would be at their jobs.
During the meeting, one could not help but feel sympathy for the city staff. They know they have been sent on a fools errand by elected officials or persons connected with them to reactivate this carrot on a stick again. One could not help but feel are simply following instructions to perpetuate city officials practice to make what is duly owing to the residences and need that they will deprive and then "deliver" in a manner that the voting constituents should feel grateful to them.
The city practices the political art
of creating a need for amenities that in normal municipalities are a given. See
screenshot below of page 18 of the Municipal Capital projects from 2016.
The Chippawa West Park was approved and funding secured. That was 2016. Today, May 16, 2018 the city is once again “promising” the same project/park, and this time its seems like they are in the final stages of eliminating the one remaining access to the Lyons Creek by Lyons Creek Community.
According to the City representative the park will be completed this summer.
Unless one has the lung capacity of the blue whale, holding one's breath to see this happen would pretty much be suicidal
The Chippawa West Park was approved and funding secured. That was 2016. Today, May 16, 2018 the city is once again “promising” the same project/park, and this time its seems like they are in the final stages of eliminating the one remaining access to the Lyons Creek by Lyons Creek Community.
According to the City representative the park will be completed this summer.
Unless one has the lung capacity of the blue whale, holding one's breath to see this happen would pretty much be suicidal
As a sidebar. The new Lyons Creek community has been fraught with developmental challenges created by territorial tenancies, which unfortunately is intensified by the fact that the community seems to encroach on the the original Lyons Creek community home to influential city officials.
While some of their push back for example, on having full motorized access from Lyons Creek road has merit, one cannot help but observe the diminishing promise of full, city sanctioned and supported foot access to Lyons Creek by the new Lyons Creek community.
It was curious to note that during the session today, the pathway between the phases and that connected the proposed park at the south end of Tallgrass to Lyons Creek Parkway was not included.
The citizens had resigned that the motorized access at Tallgrass and Mann joining Lyons Creek Parkway was a lost cause, but to now remove the remaining pathway will completely cut off Lyons Creek community from Lyons Creek. Classic "bait n switch", and a very expensive one to citizens who have invested into the community.
Leave comment or join our community Facebook page at www.bit.ly/lyonscreekfb for better quality photos and more info.
While some of their push back for example, on having full motorized access from Lyons Creek road has merit, one cannot help but observe the diminishing promise of full, city sanctioned and supported foot access to Lyons Creek by the new Lyons Creek community.
It was curious to note that during the session today, the pathway between the phases and that connected the proposed park at the south end of Tallgrass to Lyons Creek Parkway was not included.
The citizens had resigned that the motorized access at Tallgrass and Mann joining Lyons Creek Parkway was a lost cause, but to now remove the remaining pathway will completely cut off Lyons Creek community from Lyons Creek. Classic "bait n switch", and a very expensive one to citizens who have invested into the community.
