HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-09-27
DOWNTOWN ACTION & ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
September 27, 2018 City of Kitchener
The Downtown Action & Advisory Committee met on this date, commencing at 4:05 p.m.
Present: Aaron Francis, Bryan Gracan, Bryan Santos, Bryn Ossington, David
Harmes, Linda Jutzi, Melissa Bowman, Sarah Marsh,
Scott Thomson (Chair)
Staff: Hilary Abel, Chloe Howell, Lauren Nelson, Mistie Brown
Delegations: Mark Zuzinjak; Associate – Landscape Architect / Urban designer, GSP
Group
Steve Allen; Manager, Engineering Design & Approvals
Jon Seip; Engineering Technologist, City of Kitchener
Updates
1. ACAC – Aaron Francis
ACAC is talking about monuments, memorials and plaques; there is currently no group at
Kitchener City Hall that adjudicates placement and design. Hopefully this can be an
important part of ACAC’s work in the future.
2. BIA – Linda Jutzi
The Downtown Kitchener BIA’s Annual Town Hall Meeting will be held Tuesday October
16, 2018. This meeting will provide a year in review, talk about membership and potential
draft budget for 2019.
The Downtown Kitchener BIA is working hard leading up to Oktoberfest. In an attempt to
recreate the “Benton Street experience”, they are sharing the space outside Kitchener City
Hall with Rogers Hometown Hockey and having outdoor huts with vendors, an outdoor beer
garden, German food and beer. The hope is these activities will keep downtown alive after
the opening ceremonies.
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DOWNTOWN ACTION & ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
September 27, 2018 City of Kitchener
The mural on Eby Street will go forward; however, there was a pause in order to work with
the artist more fully on the mural design. Installation is expected to be spring 2019.
Discussion Items
3. Queen Street Place-making Project
The City of Kitchener hired GSP Group as a consultant for the Queen Street Place-making
project (on Queen Street from Charles to Duke, including Vogelsang Park and Goudies
Lane). With an 8-10 week construction timeframe, completion is expected summer 2019.
Some notable features of the new space include:
Widening sidewalks to encourage storefronts to utilize the space outside their store
and encouraging pedestrian activity;
Replacing catch basins and using trench drains;
New street lights, globe style to keep historical feel;
Catenary lighting above sidewalks;
A combination of permanent and movable furnishings including chairs and tables;
DuraTherm patterning on asphalt at the intersection at King and Queen Streets, in
Goudies Lane and likely some design elements carried to Vogelsang Park area.
The intersection at Charles Street and Queen Street is designed to act as a gateway into
the area. The space is meant to be used as a transitionary zone, with a combination of
paved and green space. The corner will likely be available for use by food trucks and pop-
up markets.
4. Information on rental housing affordability and availability
Lauren Nelson provided the committee with information on affordable housing and
availability in Kitchener. Some key points to come from the presentation are as follows:
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DOWNTOWN ACTION & ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
September 27, 2018 City of Kitchener
It is important to understand the legislative framework giving authority to local
government to make planning decisions. Zoning bylaws, development applications
and community improvement plans are all ways to address housing in the region.
Useful to look at the some of the costs of development: land value, construction
costs, development application fees, parkland dedication fees and development
charges are all things to consider when looking at the cost of developing property.
What is actually meant by ‘affordable housing’? First, it can refer to the market
perspective of what is deemed ‘affordable’; it can also refer to a provincial term
which includes subsidized housing, government supported housing or not-for-profit
housing.
What incentives and tools are out there to encourage the development of affordable
housing? DAAC felt that there needs to be better defined incentives for landlords
and developers to create affordable housing.
Generally, Kitchener is below provincial levels of households in core housing need,
but close to national levels. “Core housing need” is when any of the following are
met:
o Households are spending over 30% of income on housing expenses
o Housing does not meet the needs of the composition of the household (i.e.
not enough bedrooms)
o Housing requires significant repair
The Region of Waterloo is the Service Manager for Housing in our area and, as
such, has a mandate to create housing and homelessness plans, owns and
operates Waterloo Region Housing and provides funding and programming for
affordable housing.
Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
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