When asked what the future could look like for the Brendale Square area, a passionate group of residents had plenty to say.
Students in the Masters of Planning program at Ryerson University held a public open house and visioning exercise at the Active Living Centre last night, a follow-up to a site tour and briefing by Town staff and councillors last month. They have been invited to partner with the Town of Huntsville to evaluate the existing conditions in the area and create a report with options for potential future uses. For the purpose of the study, the Brendale Square area is defined as bordered by Main Street E, John Street, Manominee Street, and Chaffey Street.
In the past, Ryerson students have been involved in local studies on active transportation, sustainability and affordable housing; some of their recommendations were later incorporated into Town policies.
Residents were asked to comment on three topics related to the area: existing challenges, a vision for what it could look like in the future, and how the municipality could assist with implementation of such a vision when the area comprises multiple properties with nine different owners.
How a concept could be implemented is completely dependent on whether or not the owners want to do anything. It’s their land and they have the decision-making power.
Nicola Sharp, Ryerson University Masters of Planning Student
“We’re getting a very positive response (from the owners),” added student Danielle Culp. “The business owners we’ve spoken to so far seem very committed to this project… We’re really excited to have that kind of buy-in and support from the businesses. It’s really going to inform our process and make sure that what we do recommend actually aligns with the vision that the owners have as well. That’s the big picture: we want to make sure that with the public, with the business owners and with the municipality that there’s a way that we can create some balance and unification.”
At the ‘Challenges’ table, the discussion addressed existing conditions, including the state of disrepair in some of the area, the number of empty or aging buildings, the frequency with which it floods, the possibly contaminated and unstable soil beneath the area, and poor traffic and pedestrian flow. But there was also acknowledgement of the need for a positive focus to get the current owners working in harmony, rather than impugning any of them for the current state of the area, and that there would need to be a strong business case for any future changes to ensure they are sustainable.
Vision for the area was wide ranging, with attendees also recognizing that some of the suggestions could be too expensive or too difficult to implement to be feasible. Among the ideas were a square rimmed by mixed-use development including cafés, stores, offices and a variety of housing spanning all ages and incomes – a space where people could both live and play; a natural area connected to the Muskoka River by canal; and an above-ground parking area with mixed development above. Places like Collingwood, Vancouver’s Granville Island and Hobart, Tasmania’s Salamanca Market were referenced as examples of vibrant areas that attract visitors and which could be used as models.
Implementation, the students noted, was the most difficult of the topics to discuss, but there were still suggestions for how the municipality could help to spur development in the area, including partnering with the owners on a parking solution, waiving development fees, addressing zoning constraints, and seeking funding for further assessments like a geotechnical study to determine what’s below the surface. Council could also extend the current Community Improvement Plan or the Business Improvement Area to include the Brendale Square area, although attendees noted that the latter would come with an increase in taxes that may not be palatable to some of the business owners.
Attendees at the Brendale Square open house had plenty of ideas for the Ryerson Master of Planning students, some of them captured on this overlay of a map of the area
The meeting was attended by about 35 people, including local planners, business owners, Town staff, Mayor Scott Aitchison, Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano, and Councillors Nancy Alcock, Bob Stone and Jonathan Wiebe.
Now the eight students – Sharp and Culp along with Anna Flood, Sean Guenther, Amanda Mackaay, Berta Haikin, Natalie Hickey, and Eno Udoh-Orok – have the difficult task of taking the feedback they’ve received to create a feasible vision for the area, one that respects the interests of the business owners, while recognizing the desire of the municipality and residents to have an attractive, usable area so close to downtown.
They will then present their concept and implementation plan at Ryerson on November 28, after which they will finalize their report. That report will be provided to the Town and also presented at a future Planning Committee meeting.
“It’s a really great partnership, and a really great opportunity for students,” said Sharp. “The site has lots of constraints and that’s challenging but it’s also very exciting. We’ve received a lot of support already and we’re really appreciative of that.”
If you were at the open house and would like to add further comment, or if you couldn’t attend and would like to add your voice, you can email Danielle Culp at [email protected].
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