Following is the text of my presentation about the Stores-to-Shores Phase 1 project - focusing on its generally poor outcome - to the recent Committee of the Whole (COW). With a non-scheduled member of the public limited to 5 min, once a month, I there can't go into great detail - thus add some observations, thoughts after the text quoted below. Also on Phase 2.
Before I begin my 5 min to the COW, Councillor Dailly, also Chair, somewhat vaguely asks me not to mention names. But I don't do Hugs & Slugs. And wonder what his agenda is, as now must others present in the Council Chamber. Is this about shielding others from having to take responsibility?
In politics everybody has an agenda, but no matter how personal politics are at City Hall: my COW presentations and blog-posts are neither. They are a constituent's commentaries in person/print - frequently ending in looking at transparency and accountability among elected officials and administrative staff.
Publicly.
That's how commentary works in the real world - that's how it ought to work in Nelson.
Yet - while usually done by general news-media - not so in Smallishtown, where the advertising-dollar supersedes the constituency's need to know. Therefore severely limiting local information flow - Facebook Likes hardly constituting that. And that taken into account by those in charge.
Hall St Phase 1: And What Next? - COW 23 Jan, 2017
It would behoove Council to realistically evaluate - never done thus far - what Phase 1 actually did accomplish, then take that into account before committing again to - nothing definitive.
Council was involved noticeably only twice in Phase 1. The first time - in its first public outing after being elected - to present this phase to the public - and the second time to give the shop away.
While what was presented was short on reality-based images: it left the public with the clear impression that the whole Hall St. corridor would splendidly provide a leisurely walk downhill, with greenery, places to rest with benches and public art. That's the story Council had - that's the story Nelson got. Infrastructure adjustments were given way less attention in this presentation.
So what have we got in Phase 1 (and are still to get with the I.O.D.E Park):
1. The Park
With this park-as-was clear-cut, what is left - and will be for years to come - is a steep, rocky hill with spotty top-soil: now prone to being fried in hot sun and eroded in heavy rains. Whatever few very young trees to be planted will provide little cooling shade and extensive enough root-systems to keep soil damp and in place. So - if the two totally exposed benches and one picnic-table should be occupied - there will be no reason for anyone else to climb up there.
The "social steps" at the foot of the park proved to be dangerous immediately: an insufficient barrier to keep more people from falling off was improvised awkwardly - after the fact.
2. Hall St. Plaza
This stretch of Hall - by the public expected to become a tiled PLAZA with benches and greenery, as announced by the MMM Group (presumably in charge of design) - became a parking-lot for about 20 cars. With free - thus heavily money-losing - parking since the transformation, not one but two embarrassingly pretentious posts announce this parking-lot as Hall St. Plaza.
3. Pedestrian-Crossings
The crossings on the north-side of Baker/Hall are designed so that few are using them as indicated, but if all were to: many would wade through rain rushing towards storm-drains placed exactly where pedestrians have been used to (and still are) crossing. These drains are dangerous at any time, but particularly with people unwittingly stepping down into them when covered by snow build-up.
4. Vernon/Hall Intersection
Disliked by all driving in any direction, and pedestrians walking along the north-side of Vernon now expected to cross three times at the intersection, if they want to continue along that side. This north-side crossing was blocked so that cars coming up now don't have to stop for pedestrians, as stopping in adverse weather presumably could mean not making it to the top at all or sliding back.
5. 300 Hall Block
This stretch now is a concrete wasteland with even less safe "social steps", and abundant original greens there and tall trees on the rec-center side removed.
6. Orthodontist Parking & CJLY Lane
Although the importance of retaining this parking-access was agreed to be figured-in - it was ignored in engineered design/execution (now blamed on Telus), just as the lane was disregarded and blocked within that process.
A "Design Review Committee" - run by Kevin Cormack, CAO, but never openly approved by Council - was "supported by the MMM Group". My question in 2015 was and still is: if this committee "reviewed" whatever - "supported" by the M&Ms - who was in charge of actually designing and engineering this mess, and - most important - who failed to control it?
Therefore - what about Phase 2?
Questions Council should ask proactively before funding that: to stop this downhill-slide from ending-up in the lake!
End of COW presentation
Additional Observations/Thoughts - Phases 1, 2
1a The Park
It is doubtful that the final result will actually look as oversimplified above. Trees will be much smaller. Rocky outcrops and the hill's uneven grade will necessitate major 'terrain modifications'. Paths and rest-platforms will have to be shored-up safely on the downhill-side, kept level, possibly with steps. There may have to be railings. On the plan these platforms and paths take-up considerable space - and one may wonder how much of the layout is based on just wanting to keep the untouchables out (or once in - easily confrontable). There will be no reason for anyone else to be up there: nothing to see or do!
The tree canopy - with its filtered sunlight and extensive roots - used to protect flora/fauna: self-sustained naturally. Installing watering-systems now would be difficult - thus extremely expensive. For what gain? To have an uninteresting, manufactured environment superimposed on one naturally pristine.
The MMM Group's rendering of the Hall St. Plaza shows a luxuriant abundance of trees backing it in the I.O.D.E Park. Considering what has been cut down and is planned: this will never happen.
This park-makeover plan - including the clear-cutting - was not openly/officially approved by Council.
Hall St. Plaza: MMM Group
2a Hall St. Plaza
Unceremoniously turning this plaza-as-planned into a parking-lot may have been prompted by the Co-op's parking-variance approved by the previous Council: allowing Nelson Commons to cut under the circumstances necessary parking-spaces by about half. Already their crammed-for-space lot has been full frequently - and this is winter: with few tourists and city folk not inclined to be out and about that much.
As an aside - the Co-op allowing customers to park free for 2 hrs means they can shop there - done in 30 min tops - and comfortably take care of any other business they have downtown!
Anyway - this plaza-to-parking switch also was not openly/officially approved by Council.
3a Pedestrian-Crossings
When I talked about the odd location of storm-drains on the north-side of Baker/Hall with someone involved in positioning them - he referred to "high-paid engineers" and concerns having to be taken-up with Public Works. Like canes, walkers, heels.
5a The 300 Hall Block
While the "social steps" at the Hall St. Plaza proved to be dangerous - band-aided with two smallish rocks and one planter: here - with two pubs close by - it will be easy for carousers to fall off these "steps" into traffic moving uphill briskly - what with no STOP sign at the intersection, a few meters away.
Not once did the public see definitive renderings of any Phase 1 segments.
Phase 2 - Hall/Lake to Waterfront
Two items stand-out particularly in its preparatory process:
1.
The intersection of Hall/Lakeside now takes a little more attention to get through - but so what? There are no accidents! Nobody is complaining! Blocking the entrance - where it reasonably is - and moving it east turns it all into the evil twin of the Vernon/Hall intersection.
Cars coming down Hall attempting to get to the dog-walk/wharf (how could tourists even know - without a clear sight-line yet?!) would hold-up just about everybody else, while waiting to get across Lakeside into the entrance funnel. Delivery trucks? Buses? This will not improve - but negatively expand! - the confluence of Hall/Lakeside. A stretched-out three-step whammy!
Also - not to forget: the Stores-to-Shores concept was trumpeted as our only direct downtown/lake link. With this bizarre change - gone!
This decision should not have been made by Council without first listening to Nelson drivers. And concerns from traffic-experts at the cop-shop. A decision made with not enough necessary in-depth preparation and under pressure from consultants who - clearly not knowing Nelson - don't exactly have a stellar record here!
Pressured into having only two choices: roundabout or 3-way-stop. Disregarding a third: leaving it all alone (and making less money)!
2.
Little effort was made with this dissociated, unimaginative "concept rendering" of the waterfront to even just give it the semblance of a reality we could possibly expect. "The final design may vary" - I'll say! Lounges? Neck-breaking steps? And - nothing?
Coming from the recent experience of no-plans Phase 1 plans: with the same people behind design, engineering, execution and supervision - history is bound to repeat itself.
Unless formal constraints are applied now by a Council coming to meetings thoroughly informed/prepared.
City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca
Deb Kozak, Nelson Mayor
dkozak@nelson.ca
Kevin Cormack, Nelson CAO
kcormack@nelson.ca
Colin Innes, Nelson Public Works
cinnes@nelson.ca
Pam Mierau, Nelson Development Services
pmierau@nelson.ca
