Councillor Reg Rankin Timberlea - Beechville - Clayton Park West District 12 Newsletter Halifax Regional Municipality Winter 2013/2014 Dear Residents, I extend a heartfelt hello to all residents. Welcome to the many new residents who have recently moved to our community. We are fortunate to live in a very multicultural, diverse community with a mix of old neighbourhoods and new neighbourhoods. Our district continues to grow as new development takes place. I am proud and honoured to be your municipal elected representative. I am always pleased to hear from you and encourage you to contact me with your concerns or suggestions. Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to continuing to work with you throughout the next year. As we begin 2014, my family and I extend best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year! Yours in Service, HOW TO CONTACT ME My Office is here to serve you Councillors’ Support Office Halifax Regional Municipality P.O. Box 1749, Halifax, NS B3J 3A5 Phone: 490-4050 Phone: 499-3744 Fax: 490-4122 Email: reg.rankin@halifax.ca Web: www.halifax/ca/districts/dist12 My Council Constituency Coordinator: Melody Campbell Phone: 490-2012 Email: melody.campbell@halifax.ca The Citizen Contact Centre hours are 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Reg Rankin Trails in Clayton Park West *Submitted by Wendy McDonald, Halifax North West Trails Association Have you checked out the Mainland Common Loop Trail, off the Mainland Linear Trail at Westridge Drive? This trail has been recently refurbished by the local volunteer community trails group. For additional info, residents can go to the website. www.halifaxnorthwesttrails.ca. Our next projects include review of the opportunities for connecting the Active Transportation Mainland Linear Trail with the popular Chain of Lakes Trail and Trail Planning in Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area. Remember that all HRM trails are ‘Dogs ON Leash’. Share the trails with respect to all users. The local OFF Leash Park is at Glenbourne field, off Parkland Drive. Belchers Marsh and Pond Park and Trails are also in our District, a popular 2.5 km neighbourhood trail. Watch for guided walks next spring. If you would like to be in touch, connect directly with the Trails group on their web site. We are actively recruiting new Board members. Councillor Reg Rankin Timberlea - Beechville - Clayton Park West District 12 Newsletter Page 2 Snow and Ice Service Standards The Halifax Regional Municipality is committed to keeping streets and sidewalks clear and safe from snow and ice. Even before a snow event occurs, HRM’s snow operations are set in motion to facilitate safe movement for both motorists and pedestrians. Snow and ice operations, however, do take time. The goal is to set an achievable standard which aligns the level of service with the financial constraints of the HRM budget. In order to achieve this standard, routes must be classified based on the impact on the various street of the overall transportation system. HRM has classified all of the routes and will service them (salt, sand and plow) in the following order of priority: Streets Sidewalks Priority 1 Streets & Roads First Priority streets include main arterials, emergency routes to hospitals and fire stations, major bus routes, and snow routes in major hilly terrain during weather situations. HRM’s goal is to have a plow or salt pass every 3 hours and make Class 1 streets safe and clear of snow within 12 hours of the end of snowfall. Priority 1 Sidewalks First Priority sidewalks include main arterials and sidewalks within the Capital District. HRM’s goal is to clear these sidewalks within 12 hours of the end of snowfall. Priority 2 Streets & Roads Second Priority streets include residential and rural routes with medium to low volume traffic and gravel roads. HRM’s goal is to start cut throughs at intersections to allow access onto the local streets after 10 cm’s (approximately 4 inches) of accumulation and to make Class 2 streets passable within 24 hours of the end of snowfall. Priority 2 School Route and Transit Route Sidewalks HRM’s goal is to clear school route sidewalks within 18 hours of the end of snowfall. Priority 3 Residential Street Sidewalks & Walkways HRM’s goal is to clear residential sidewalks and walkways within 36 hours of the end of snowfall. Intersections & Bus Stops HRM’s goal is to clear bus stops (starting with high volume stops) within 48 hours of the end of snowfall. Important Notes on Service Standards • In snowfalls greater than 30 cm (approximately 12 inches), or in blizzard conditions, service levels may not be achieved. HRM’s crews will continue working until all streets and sidewalks are clear and safe from snow & ice. • During significant snow events “cut throughs” (one lane plowing) may commence on residential streets to allow single lane access prior to full street width clearing. • While the objective is to maintain sidewalks to a bare condition, many factors are key to achieving success. Wet snow packed to ice, freezing rain and sudden freezes after rain can produce a heavy ice build-up on sidewalks. Sand will be applied to provide a degree of traction. • In the case of multiple snowfalls, where there has been insufficient time to complete all sidewalks, operations will return to the highest priorities and start over. • Plowing, from either street or sidewalk operations, will result in snow at the end of resident’s driveways. HRM is NOT responsible for removing this snow. Volunteer ESL / ELL (English as a Second Language/English Language Learner) Tutors are needed at Keshen Goodman Library 330 Lacewood Drive Volunteer tutors, ages 19 and over, are needed to help adults who are learning English as a Second (or additional) Language. Many participants need help with general English conversation practice and speaking skills. The program takes place once a week: Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:30 PM or Wednesdays 1:00 - 3:00 PM, 3:30 - 5:30 PM or 6:30 - 8:30 PM For more information, visit www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca and click on “volunteer” at the bottom of the page, ask for an application at the library or contact Jen at 490-6408 or email hillj@halifax.ca. Councillor Reg Rankin Timberlea - Beechville - Clayton Park West District 12 Newsletter Page 3 Winter Parking Ban Information During the 2013/14 winter season, HRM’s Traffic Authority will continue with the trial of a modified winter parking ban. The changes offer some flexibility to those who are most affected by the ban, such as shift workers, residents without a driveway and business owners, without compromising HRM’s snow and ice clearing operations. The overnight parking regulations will be in effect from December 15th until March 31st, and will be enforced only during declared snow and ice operations. When in effect, the parking ban runs from 1:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. If you require on-street parking during the winter months, please plan ahead and find alternate parking in the event of a snow storm. CityWatch phone & email notifications on the parking ban This past winter season, HRM offered residents the option to subscribe to direct notifications letting them know when the overnight winter parking ban would be enforced. Residents can subscribe to our CityWatch program to receive phone and email messages by emailing citywatch@halifax.ca or by calling 490-7403 with the following information: • Please indicate that you are requesting to sign up for notifications about the overnight winter parking ban • You have the option to provide up to two phone numbers and up to two email addresses or a combination of both Design and Construction Updates As you may have noticed, 2013 was a busy year for design and construction projects in District 12. The following projects were completed during the 2013 construction season: Dunbrack West – Ross to Farnham Gate – Curb Renewal & Paving Resurfacing Halifax Mainland Linear Trail – Washmill Lake Drive to Ramsbook Court – Trail Dunbrack Street – Langbrae to Farnham Gate – Paving Resurfacing Dunbrack Street West – Langbrae to Ross – Curb Renewal St. Margaret’s Bay Road – Raines Mill Road to Civic 1138 – Microsurfacing 2 St. Margaret’s Bay Road – Nine Mile Bridge to Brentwood – New Sidewalk Chain Lake Drive East – Washmill to Lacewood – Planer Patching 1 Farnham Gate Road – Dunbrack to Scotch Pine – Planer Patching 2 St. Margaret’s Bay Road – Beech Tree Run to Lakeside Park – Planer Patching 2 Chain Lake Drive East West – Washmill to Lovett Lake – Paving Renewal Chain Lake Drive – Lacewood to Washmill – New Sidewalk St. Margaret’s Bay Road – Raines Mill Road to Beech Tree Run – Extensive Microsurfacing One of our larger construction projects of the season was the replacement of the Nine Mile Bridge over the summer. The project was completed on time and on budget. To those in the affected community, I know that the construction created an inconvenience and it contributed to an extended commute. Thank you to all the area residents and the area businesses for your patience during the bridge replacement. The opening of the new Nine Mile River Bridge on August 23, 2013 Councillor Reg Rankin Timberlea - Beechville - Clayton Park West District 12 Newsletter Halifax Water Update – Beechville Lakeside Timberlea Halifax Water is tasked with providing regional wastewater services to meet the long-term requirements of the Beechville, Lakeside, Timberlea (BLT) Community, an area that will ultimately accommodate a population of approximately 25,000 persons. Halifax Water, in consultation with local trails groups and the community, has developed an approach that will see approximately 8.4km of wastewater pipe installed underneath the Chain of Lakes Trail and a portion of the BLT Trail to provide the required wastewater service to the community, at the lowest cost, and in the most environmentally sound method. Work within the trail commences at the end of Raines Mill Road in Lakeside and continues towards Halifax until reaching the Joseph Howe Drive Superstore. The pipe work within the trail will be undertaken in phases that will see sections of the trail closed when work is underway, while the remaining sections of the trail stay open to trail users to minimize public inconvenience. Options for detours around closed sections of the trail are being reviewed. It is estimated work in the trail will take approximately 6-7 months with work getting underway as soon as late December 2013, or early 2014. The construction tender for the project was let the first week of December. Upon completion, the trail will be reinstated to pre-construction condition or better. For full project details please visit www.lakesidediversion.com I, on behalf of District 12 residents, would like to wish Mr. Bill Estabrooks, our former MLA in Timberlea - Prospect, a well-deserved retirement. As you are aware, Mr. Estabrooks did not reoffer to run for the current term. I have had the opportunity to work with Bill on many issues in our District. He worked diligently for his Riding’s residents, and as a Minister in our last provincial government, he worked to improve the lives of all Nova Scotians. Bill will be missed as a member of the Legislature. We thank Bill for all of his service and contributions to our community. HRM’s District 12 covers parts of three Provincial ridings. I express my congratulations to the Honourable Diana Whalen, MLA Clayton Park West, on her appointment as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, as well as being the Deputy President of the Executive Council. I also want to extend congratulations to our two new provincial representatives, Patricia Arab, MLA, Fairview - Clayton Park, and Iain Rankin, MLA, Timberlea Prospect. I look forward to working with each of them in our shared communities. Page 4 Local Area Project Updates Radio Transmitter Lands Case 17002: Rockingham South, Halifax Mainland HRM staff are currently working on the Stage II Development Agreement for Phase I of development on the radio transmitter lands. Phase I includes the development of single unit dwellings, townhouse units, two multiple unit dwellings and the conveyance of parkland. Please note that this project is in District 10, however, is of interest to residents in District 12. Northcliffe Site On Tuesday, November 26th, Regional Council approved a sale agreement of 3 acres, of the approximately 16 acre site, where the building was formally located for institutional development. The zoning is parks and institutional and zoning will remain unchanged. The tennis infrastructure and programmed recreational open space are not surplus to municipal requirements and will remain for HRM recreational purposes. Please note that this project is in District 10, however, is of interest to residents in District 12. Lacewood Transit Terminal The first phase of construction has now begun on the new Lacewood Transit Terminal. The terminal will be located along Lacewood Drive, between the Canada Games Centre and the Mainland North Linear Parkway Trail. The entrance to the terminal will be directly across from Radcliffe Drive. The contractor will be working this winter to clear and fill the site. Shape your City – Shape your Budget HRM residents are invited to contribute to the 2014 budget consultation process by participating in online engagement. Citizens are encouraged to share their thoughts on service priorities and how they would like to see their municipal tax dollars allocated. Please go to shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/hfxtax and click on the budget allocator tool found there. This allocator tool will allow you to say what municipal service you value most and where HRM needs to focus for the next budget year. Delivery Note: Due to the delivery routes followed by Canada Post, it is possible that some of these Newsletters may appear in other Districts. Please accept my apology for any confusion.