Appleby GO Mobility Hub

Public Consultation Summary

June 2017

burlInGTon MobIlITY Hubs

sTudY

Table of ConTenTs

IntroductIon

PartIcIPant Feedback i. Workshop ii. coffee Shop consultations & Stakeholder open Houses

next StePS

aPPendIceS i. appendix a: complete Workshop Feedback ii. appendix b: Feedback received from coffee Shop consultations & Stakeholder open Houses

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On May 18th, 2017 the first round of consultations was held at the Appleby Ice Centre in Burlington regarding the Appleby GO Mobility Hub. Members of the public were invited to attend and bring forth their ideas and visions for the Mobility Hub. There were approximately 25 attendees.

The evening started with a presentation and was followed by a voting exercise in which the attendees were asked to answer questions regarding their preferred development styles, preferred land use, and what they liked and did not like concerning different design features. A copy of the presentation and voting results are available at www.burlington.ca/mobility hubs.

A workshop followed the presentation which included four stations: Public Spaces and Community Features, Private Spaces, Getting Around (Mobility), and a general “What Else?” station where participants were able to write down additional comments at any point throughout the evening. The attendees were asked to divide into groups and choose one of the aforementioned topics. Participants were asked: “What’s here that

InTroduCTIon

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you value and want to protect? What’s here that you do/ don’t want more of? and What’s not here but should be?” After a fifteen minute discussion, the groups were guided to the next station. The outcome of these workshops is summarized in the following section.

Along with the formal public consultation, three ‘coffee shop’ consultations were held at the local Starbucks (675 Appleby Line), where members of the public were encouraged to meet with City Planners and discuss their vision for the study area.

Additionally, the City hosted two stakeholder open houses which were open to the public, landowners, and other interested parties to discuss their specific properties, interests, or concerns with the staff one on one. Feedback from these conversations is outlined in the following section.

WORKSHOP

Public Spaces and Community Features• Consider implementing more amenities such

as, a grocery store and more diverse retail opportunities.

• Incorporate smaller retail franchises. • Provide amenities for a range of ages and

abilities, including children.• Winterize public spaces.• Create spaces for community events and

gatherings.• Improve infrastructure in Sherwood Forest

Park, including seating.• Improve capacity of existing library.• Integrate heritage elements into new

development.• Create sufficient landscaping and open

spaces around employment uses.• Create unique public design elements, i.e.

public art, architecture, murals.• A good example of an existing public space

is located at Appleby and Pinedale beside Yogurty’s, and includes retail component, public art and seating.

ParTICIPanT feedbaCk

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• Ensure that urban design complies with CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles, i.e. lighting, emergency lights.

• Create more parkettes within the study area.• Create more nightlife activities, including

patios, clubs and entertainment uses.

Private Spaces• Create unique architectural designs that

complement the area.• Better distinguish retail units through design.• Concern for multi-storey buildings due to

added congestion and increased density.• Increase residential uses near the station,

i.e. on empty lots northeast of Fairview and Appleby.

• Ensure appropriate street setbacks are used.• Create retail uses on the ground floor of new

developments.• Address high cost of retail spaces to

accommodate small businesses.• Create larger retail footprints.

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Getting Around (Mobility)• Address traffic issues within Appleby, i.e. at

Harvester and Fairview.• Create safe pedestrian connections from

retail facilities to parking lots.• Improve connectivity within study area and

across the rail tracks, i.e. bridge connections.• Improve access to services and amenities.• Create dedicated bicycle lanes on Appleby

and Fairview.• Create synchronized signals.• Address barrier effect created by QEW.• Extend Centennial bikeway connections to the

GO station.• Improve cyclist safety.• Increase number of bus shelters and benches

in the area.• Create a dedicated transit right-of-way.• Increase transit frequency and consider the

use of shuttle buses during rush hour.• Do not expand parking at the GO station.

What Else?• Consider ways to improve the attractiveness

of the area, i.e. odours from industrial uses, urban design of buildings.

• Improve landscaping, and consider the use of native species around creeks and natural area to help bee and bird populations.

• Redevelop the southwest corner of Appleby and Fairview; consider the addition of a grocery store and residential uses.

Key feedback identified during the Coffee Shop Consultations and Stakeholder Open Houses include the following:

• There is a lot of traffic in the area, particularly over the QEW.

• Synchronize traffic lights.• Consider a double left turn lane onto Appleby

(south).• Create improved, separated cycling routes and

infrastructure throughout the study area, i.e. improved bicycle parking by GO station.

• The Centennial Multi-use Path is a great pedestrian amenity

• Condo buildings would be appropriate close to the GO hub.

• Consider stacked townhouse typology for the study area.

• Ensure future development accommodates all ages and abilities, including families.

• Establish larger setbacks from creeks.• Create a wide range of amenities close to the

GO station to accommodate commuters and residents, i.e. grab and go grocers

COFFEE SHOP COnSultAtiOnS & StAKEHOldER OPEn HOuSES

The following sessions were held to obtain additional feedback from the public:

Coffee Consultation #1: Starbucks, 675 Appleby Line (Fri. May 19/ 9:30-11:30am)

Coffee Consultation #2: Starbucks, 675 Appleby Line (Tues. May 23/ 6:30-8:30pm)

Coffee Consultation #3: Starbucks, 675 Appleby Line (Tues. May 24/ 9:30-11:30am)

Stakeholder Open House #1: Burlington Centennial Pool (Thurs. May 25/2-4pm)

Stakeholder Open House #2: Burlington Centennial Pool (Tues. May 30/6:30-8:30pm)

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neXT sTePs

• Ongoing Site Analysis;• Establish Land Use and Design Framework

(March- September 2017);• Draft Land Use Concepts (June - November

2017); and• Appleby Mobility Hub Land Use Concepts

Public Meeting (September/October 2017).

For additional information on the progress of the Mobility Hubs Study, please visit the project website:

www.burlington.ca/mobilityhubs

FINAL REPORT > >>

STAGE 1PRELIMINARY STUDIES AND LAND USE CONCEPTS

STAGE 2AREA SPECIFIC PLANS

City of Burlington Mobility Hub Planning

BACKGROUND REVIEW & ANALYSIS ESTABLISH LAND USE & DESIGN FRAMEWORK PREPARE AREA SPECIFIC PLANS

Project Initiation

we are here

JAN 2017

SEPT 2017

NOV 2017

JUN2018

Vision Workshops: Public Meeting #1

Land Use Concepts and Associated Reports

Land Use Concepts Workshop: Public Mtg. #2

Delivery of Policy for New Of�cial Plan

Final Delivery of Area Speci�c Plans

Develop Preferred Land Use Concept

Policies and Recommendations Workshop: Council Workshop

Policies and Recommendations Workshop: Public Mtg. #3

The next steps of the Mobility Hubs Study for the Appleby Mobility Hub include:

aPPendICes

APPEndiX A

May 18th Appleby GO Visioning Workshop - 4 corner workshop feedback

PUBLIC SPACES AND COMMUNITY FEATURES • library, little shops, grocery store • increase size and longer hours of library; more

books too• turn over of stores in the plaza is high

• some stores are not visible from the street (ie. Blocked by McDonalds)

• no chain stores to anchor mall • lots of restaurants – very saturated • other amenities would be desirable in mall• need more open spaces and gathering

opportunities • winterize public spaces • traffic around Appleby (into plaza and

Fairview) is a problem • festivals in Sherwood – need spaces for

events• families – what would attract them

• more parks • no venue spot for gathering in malls and

plazas • safe pedestrian connections within shopping

areas across parking to all store in mall/plaza at the SW corner of Appleby and Fairview • make more enjoyable • connection point

• accessible sidewalks • underground walk passages under roads • Sherwood Park very important

• Limited in what you can do (ie. Soccer fields and not much more)

• More benches!• Increase book stock at the library – takes

months to get books on hold • Use heritage as focal point to build around

and create connections to them through the community

• Use bridges over roads to connect areas • To feature areas – West to East• To match the Centennial multi-use trail

• More commercial space • Need more public transit – hours and

frequency • Open spaces around employment • No more malls • Keep key retail – ie. Shoppers• More amenities – doctor • UNIQUE features! – such as architecture,

public art (create an identify) • Good example of a public space is at Appleby

and Pinedale corner beside Yogurty’s – ice cream/food commercial/public art, benches

• Seasonal needs • Walking trails and sidewalks

• Visually inviting • Benches • Architecturally appealing• CPTED (Crime Prevention through

Environmental Design)• Lights along paths and to the street • Emergency lights • Walking trails along creeks (north of tracks)

• Connect to other trails • make walkways more visually enjoyable

• example: Junction West Rail Path – murals • everywhere, but Appleby connection from

North and along the main corridors to the area

• more parkettes – spaces to enjoy (such as Yonge/St.Clair- trees, benches

• more nightlife – why do we have to go to Toronto • such as patios, clubs, entertainment

• unique identity ie. Trinity-bellwood park • place where people want to gather

GETTING AROUND (MOBILITY)• proximity to services is beneficial • dedicated bike lanes on Appleby and Fairview • lack of signal synchronization • Fairview/Appleby and Harvester/Appleby

congestion• QEW is a barrier • Additional active transportation bridge over

QEW 6

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• Lack of suburb – suburb travel by transit • Changing travel/work dynamics (tele-

community) • Extension of Centennial bikeway connections

to GO • Perception of safety re: cycling • Lack of bus shelters/benches in the area• Empty buses and poor route structure • Dedicated transit ROW • Appleby in poor shape and congested (at

Harvester and Fairview)• Pedestrian crossing requested on Fairview

between Appleby and GO Station (west entrance)

• Smaller, more frequent buses • Shuttle service to GO stations (start a pilot

project) – especially during rush hour • Paid parking at GO stations • No more parking expansion at GO • Segregated bike lanes • Utilize existing transportation infrastructure

better through TDM • Appleby for cars, trucks, buses

• Cycling on adjacent routes

PRIVATE SPACES (Private Buildings At-Grade) • Transparency (windows)• Mixture of glass/character elements • Laybys • Avoid monotone colour • Greenery • Avoid boring • UPC (Upper Canada Place – example shown

at this station) • not inviting • dead tree • entrance is too heavy • balconies over sidewalk not good • ground floor height too low • no sunlight

• mixing of materials is good *• not enough distinguishing retail units • greenery/landscaping on the boulevard • different character for each hub • wider sidewalks • weather protection/colonnade system

• laybys • connection to the north side of the QEW

(uptown) • traffic going north on Appleby • parking lots in uptown (bring people down on

buses)• mix of buildings with residential at grade • sims square located downtown (building

example shown at workshop corner) • classy looking • redish tones • looks upscale

• bigger sidewalks • bigger ROW for trees • concerns with multi-storey buildings

• congestion, density • impact of industrial space on placemaking –

land use compatibility • goods movement – large trucks driveway

along tiny streets • residential needs to be near the station

• empty lots northeast of Fairview and Appleby

• Pinedale apartment buildings • No traffic – how do they make it work?

• Condos on Appleby and Corporate drive • Internal shops = bad idea • Setback too far • Large balconies, more balconies • Recessed building • Semi-public balcony space with coffee shops • Weather protection on ground floor during

winter season • Lost/underused space in pedestrian zone/

planting zone • Tree lined boulevard

• • Condo unit would not fit in • Too much industry • Southwest corner of Fairview and Appleby

most appropriate for residential • Balconies • Not claustrophobic • Ground floor commercial • May be different to rely on on-street parking

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and downtown parking lots as Downtown businesses do • Parking may spill over into the GO lot

• High cost of retail space • Downtown Burlington retail space is

unaffordable for small businesses • Need corner stores/small grocery within

walking distance • Small retail footprints is difficult for many

businesses • Not enough of a buffer; buildings too close to

the road

OTHER TOPICS• ensure infrastructure can accommodate

sanitary and storm water • area is not attractive – surrounded mostly by

industry (particularly Fearmans)• consider SW corner Fairview and Appleby Mall • landscaping – consider native species of

bushes, trees, wildflowers to replenish losses around creeks and in natural areas; help bee populations and birds

• hard to walk outside some days – too much smell from the pork factory

• hi-tech office, light manufacturing needed in the hubs

• improve transit to reduce gridlock/traffic • redevelop SW corner of Appleby/Fairview

• SE corner for residential • Grocery store

• People can go down the elevator to the Go train• Condo buildings could work in Appleby Go

Hub • Left turns out onto Fairview from townhomes

on south side are brutal• Need a traffic light with sensors to allow

residents to get out• Many/ frequent accidents at Appleby and

Fairview• Possible need for a double left turn onto

Appleby (South)• Need 2 west bound straight through on

Fairview• Traffic backs up to Go station almost• Illustration of what a Hub could look like

would have helped• Other photo examples would be very helpful• Makes it easier to adjust • Concern that stacked towns don’t appear to

be part of the concept• Need to make them friendly to all ages

including families• Looking at establishing larger setbacks to

widen creek blocks for larger green space/ protection of creek blocks

• Policy levers that allow residential, subject to the provision of some benefit; environmental space, grocery store etc…

• Seniors: don’t like to be more than 4 storeys off the ground

• Corningware factory in Etobicoke ; “cleaning” off site by clean use for 15 – 20 years

• Is there a market for towns in the Appleby to avoid only seniors + young professionals but no families & school aged children

• Look at airports & amenities offered- Can we improve the Go Station amenities and make them available to community beyond commuters

• Look at smaller, grab & go grocers• Centennial multi-use path = opportunity to

start angular plane to new development

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APPEndiX BFeedback received from Appleby GO Coffee Shop Consultations & Stakeholder Open Houses

The following sessions were held to obtain additional feedback from the public:

Coffee Consultation #1: Starbucks, 675 Appleby Line (Fri. May 19/ 9:30-11:30am)

Coffee Consultation #2: Starbucks, 675 Appleby Line (Tues. May 23/ 6:30-8:30pm)

Coffee Consultation #3: Starbucks, 675 Appleby Line (Tues. May 24/ 9:30-11:30am)

Stakeholder Open House #1: Burlington Centennial Pool (Thurs. May 25/2-4pm)

Stakeholder Open House #2: Burlington Centennial Pool (Tues. May 30/6:30-8:30pm)

Key feedback identified during the Coffee Shop Consultations and Stakeholder Open Houses include the following:

• Traffic concerns, especially over the QEW• Choke point near RBG for traffic• Biking- better biking routes through RBG• Massive choke points with bike lanes• Separate bike lanes, seasonal• Mainway – no sidewalk

• Sherwood park (drive to it)- like the green space as an employee

• Pig plant shut down• Appleby Mall down the street has everything

they need• Path (centennial multi-use path) is great

amenity to walk• Bad traffic• Synchronize the traffic lights• Paradigm (new development near the

Burlington GO station) is a good example (would be good for the Appleby GO area too)

• Help people visualize & understand the tools we have to deal with impacts of intensification

• Invite MPP to September session• Need to clearly explain what’s changed and

what does it mean to Burlington• Rely on media to educate people, i.e. news • dealing with Nimbyism• Concern: Moving away from bikes not towards

them• Lives close by- no way for neighbourhood

to south to get to Go – permeability issue• Mullen Park Access• Path is informal and treacherous

• Going to Appleby Line takes a lot longer • Bike parking –Metrolinx removing the bike

racks• Bike racks are full• Cameras are good, but 0 capacity. Why are

they removing them?• Lots of money spent on new bike storage,

but not enough• Public lands would be improved for bike

access

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