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John Webster A Strong Voice for Markham Ward Five |
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What is Happening to Main Street Markham?
Update: Nov. 17, 2009 Phil Howes, Manager of the Markham Main Street Business Improvement Association, has created a website with information about the Environmental Assessment. Please click here for a link to his site.
Update: February 21, 2008 - Projected Schedule
Background
For the past decade, there have been many committee meetings about the future look and use of Main Street Markham. As the beginning of the next step draws near, there have been a tremendous number of rumors and "The Sky Is Falling" type statements. My answer to these is "Don't Panic".
The Main Street Markham Committee, chaired by Ward 4 Councillor Carolina Moretti and myself, have been meeting monthly. It is a committee of committees in that there are members from the Markham Conservancy Committee, The BIA, several Ratepayer's groups and individual citizens. The committee has been making sure that all the previous studies have formed a part of the background information that will be looked at by the consultants who will run the Environmental Assessment.
An Environmental Assessment is a process where all the comments from all the groups will be listened to. However, they don't start from square one. The previous studies are the starting point, and to that they request and include input add comment from the public, other groups, the engineers and other consultants. This environmental assessment will have more consultations in the process than most, because we want to get it right. One of the last steps in the study process will be a report to Council which will allow for further public input, in an open forum, before it can be endorsed by Council. I admit that there are many competing interests and the process will have it's challenges, but by working together, I'm confident that we'll come up with a pedestrian friendly, historic, and functional roadway in both the residential and business areas.
I am often told that these meetings are just window dressing and that the decisions are already made. Nothing can be further from the truth, and I would suspect anyone who says such a thing as having a hidden agenda. Over the next year there will be many meetings which will be well publicized, and if you e-mail me your contact information, I'll try to also send you notice when something comes up.
The time is right to move forward as the 9th Line is is well on it's way, the Box Grove By-Pass is almost done, and the Markham By-Pass, now called the Donald Cousens Parkway is almost finished.
The plan is for for the award of the project to be discussed at Development Services Committee next month (late November 2007).
I'll have more information after that time.
Projected Schedule
February 21, 2008
A lot of work has been done since Council approved the choice of the consultant who will coordinate the Environmental Study for Main Street Markham from Highway 48 to the Donald Cousens By-Pass.
The staff at the Town of Markham and the Consultant have been working on the scope and details of the contract, and they are about ready to start engaging the public.
The first phase will be the technical meetings and will also be meetings with stakeholders and with public. This will take about 14 months to make certain that all are heard and their thought, ideas and concerns are answered. The result will be a full report of recommendations will be filed about April of 2009. After that there is a period of 60 days for more comment and then the report will be considered complete.
In the meantime, the Technical Advisory Group and the Community Information Group will be meeting and once the base information has been compiled, then there will be public information meetings that I encourage all to attend. These meeting will show the concepts that have been looked at as well as all other possibilities, and the public will now comment and make further suggestions. Please don't miss these meetings. I anticipate they will be held in the fall after everyone has returned from their summer activities and there has been sufficient information pulled together to make suggestions.
After the public has decided on a final plan, there will be a year of Budget and Detailed Design work. I anticipate that the first phase of construction, if all runs as planned, will start around 2011. However, that's my opinion; I couldn't get a definitive answer from the staff and consultants, because they are not far enough along in the project to commit.
Please click here for a PDF of the Announcement of the EA as of Feb. 28, 2008
I will keep this page updated with links as they come available, as well as meeting dates when they are set.
Where can I park on Main Street Markham?
March 3, 2009
I am always amazed when i am asked this question.
There's plenty of parking and it's always free. Main Street itself has un-metered parallel parking on both sides, and numerous municipal parking lots can be accessed from subsidiary roads.
I think it is human nature to think that if there is no empty space in front of the store, then there is no parking. I find when I go to a major shopping area, that I end up walking the equivalent of a block, just to get to the building, and then once inside I must walk another block and a half to get to the store I want.
Main Street Markham has parking on the street, and there are many public parking lots as well as parking lots that the shops look after right behind.
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