It is with deepest concern that we are sending this letter in strong opposition to the possible building of the “College Street Extension”.In this 21st Century saving the environment has wisely become a world focus and keeping any existing conservation areas intact and/or improved upon should be a top priority in this country, in this province and especially in a city such as Guelph. It is pure lunacy to destroy any wetlands, trails and natural areas along the Hanlon Creek. This precious area would be destroyed forever, never to be enjoyed by future generations.To close the Kortright/Downey access to the Hanlon would create a huge bottleneck of traffic that would go through a residential neighbourhood full of children. This giant traffic flow would be created by everyone trying to “get out of the subdivision” and by all members trying to “get to” the YMCA-YWCA at the Hanlon.If this drastic change was already a consideration when houses were built north of Niska on Ptarmigan, then putting in an island and sidewalks to make it appear as a cul-de-sac was purposeful deception and to widen that area now is cruel indeed.As well, it seems that a lot of money will be spent to lengthen Ptarmigan, a “dead-end” drive that would not exit onto a larger highway system, but rather would continue into another residential area.Most families moved to this area because of the natural surroundings of the Hanlon Creek and because they care deeply about saving the environment. It seems beyond belief that destruction of the Hanlon Creek in any way has even been considered. PH & JH
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I am writing in regard to the proposed College Avenue Extension.
As a concerned citizen living in the Kortright Hills area, I have attended the May 10 Public Information Center meeting at the Holiday Inn on Scottsdale. A number of the plans indicated that an arterial road will connect the end of Ptarmigan Drive (at Niska Road) to the intersection of College Avenue and Stone Road. These plans would result in two things: 1) it would entail widening the Ptarmigan Drive court, thus resulting in a reduction of at least 20 feet in the existing driveways meaning that the arterial road would be on peoples’ doorsteps (one can just see the value of the properties plummet); and 2) the extension would cut across a class 1 wetland and the surrounding woods of Hanlon Creek, an area home to snapping turtles, herons, deer, geese, ducks and swans, and other numerous woodland creatures. This area, which I believe is owned by the Grand River Conservation Authority, also is used by cyclists, runners, walkers (both animal and human), those who like to explore nature, and the children leaving in the Woodland Glen area who cross it to walk to Kortright Hills Public School. Needless to say, this area (one of a few NATURAL areas left in Guelph) would be destroyed.
If the City and the consultants deemed it important enough to schedule the May 10 Public Information Meeting, why wasn’t a knowledgeable City person present at the meeting? The individual present wasn’t equipped to answer my questions and kept sending me to the consultants for answers, whereas the consultants said that arterial roads are the responsibility of the city.
As early as last fall, a number of individuals from the Kortright Hills area asked the city councillors and the planning department if an extension of Ptarmigan Drive to the intersection of College and Stone was still in the planning. We got a categorical NO from both parties. The May 10 plans indicate otherwise. Therefore, my question to you is: are Council members and members of the planning department in the habit of misleading the public? This flip flopping of the issue gives me the sense that the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
My final point: Should council and the City of Guelph decide against the Ptarmigan extension, can the Ministry of Transportation force the city’s hand to pick this extension as the logical one? LM
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I’m writing as a citizen at Ground Zero of the proposed College Avenue Extension (135 Ptarmigan Drive). At the May 10 Public Information Centre (PIC) at the Holiday Inn, an arterial road from the end of Ptarmigan Drive to the intersection of College and Stone was identified as a key component of 3 of the 6 proposed Municipal Road Alternatives. As I’m sure you’re aware, this road would cut across one of Guelph’s special areas, the wetlands and woods that surround Hanlon Creek. The area that will be affected is an important part of the network of natural areas that makes Guelph distinctive. The proposed College Avenue Extension, as shown on the map presented at the PIC, or in any form that crosses Hanlon Creek, will destroy this important natural area.
This is an exceptionally bad concept that has been before Council on a number of occasions already (and rejected) yet here it is back on the table. Consultants from Stantec and your own staff have assured me and my neighbours that it’s “only an option”. I take no comfort from that assertion: if it’s an option, it can be chosen.
I would like you — personally — to exercise the leadership needed to take this “option” off the table at the start of this process. Will you do that? RL
College Avenue Extension Map
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Several years ago, Council removed the proposed extension from the Official Plan. More recently the project was removed from the Guelph Wellington Transportation Study by a motion of Council.
At our meeting this week (May 22, 2007), Guelph City Council unanimously reaffirmed its position on the proposed College Avenue extension. Our position will be communicated to the MTO and their consultants.
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I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your quick action and firm leadership on this issue. It’s not by accident that Guelph stands out in Canada as a wonderful community. It’s through decisions like this that we’ve achieved this status. RL