Michele Lawson, STAFF
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Mar 23, 2010 - 6:00 AM
BARRIE - The good, the bad and the ugly of life in Barrie’s historic neighbourhoods has been told by hundreds of people who live there, councillors heard recently.
Nearly two years ago, the city decided to seek guidance from area residents in regards to a provincial intensification directive, and now they have the results of that consultation.
“This strategy is about a back-to-basics look at what we as a city are doing well, what we are not doing so well and what we need to do to improve the livability of this central area of our city,” said project planner Stacey Forfar.
“This process is people-led as residents themselves are shaping this strategy through their involvement.”
Since her contract began in May 2009, Forfar has been working with the Historic Neighbourhoods Strategy (HNS) committee, led by Ward 2 Coun. Jeff Lehman and facilitated by communications consultant Lynn Morrow. Sixteen 16 residents from Barrie’s six oldest neighbourhoods are on the committee as well.
These designated areas follow the curve of Kempenfelt Bay and encompass the downtown core.
“This was the original ring,” said Forfar following the meeting. “This was Barrie 100 years ago.”
As a result of ongoing awareness initiatives and surveys sent out to approximately 6,000 households and residents in the affected area, themes began to emerge from the collected data, which is central to the $170,000 development strategy.
Residents said they would like to see graffiti and garbage removed more quickly, parklands better maintained, and historic buildings and features to be “meaningfully accommodated” in new developments, which could incorporate vintage-style street signs and furniture to highlight the past.
“Being the historic area of the city, there is a large inventory here of historic homes and buildings that for many residents play a large part in the identity of their neighbourhoods,” said Forfar, who also reminded council about the businesses and industries that were initially housed along the streets closer the water.
“This legacy, however, has left us with ground contamination in some areas here that, although not an unusual situation for many other cities, remains something that will need to be addressed when it comes to re-development.
“(This) being the oldest parts of the city, the area also contains some of the oldest infrastructure in the city – and in many cases that is the least capable of handling intensification.”
As these construction upgrades come about, residents asked to be kept well informed.
The Ontario government, under the Places to Grow Growth Plan, has designated the City of Barrie an Urban Growth Centre. As a result, the identified historic neighbourhoods are being targeted to more than double the number of residents and jobs that currently exist – primarily through high-density infilling.
The HNS’s compiled data shows the area has many positive community indicators, such as increasing household income, home values and resident education levels. And crime rates are on the decline.
Having completed the bulk of resident consultations, Forfar initiated the council presentation as part of her plan to keep all the stakeholders as up to date as possible, something that was recognized and praised during the meeting by Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard.
“It was timely to get in front of them,” said Stacey Forfar, who will now complete a draft strategy for public review by early May at the latest. “Then we will finalize it, based on comments received, and send it to council in June.”
More information about the HNS can be found here