The following article appeared in the August 1 edition of the Guelph Tribune:
Council confirmed its commitment to a big parkade on the Wilson Street Parking Lot this week in a debate that shed light on plans for local GO Train service, including a possible second GO terminal located outside of the downtown.
This second terminal, largely meant for commuters, might be built on part of the former Lafarge quarry site, which is south of Paisley Road and east of the Hanlon Expressway, council was told.
A city staff report prepared for Monday’s meeting ties the Wilson parkade to plans being discussed for future GO Train service being extended to Guelph and Kitchener from Georgetown.
GO is expected to start an initial limited service – two trains during peak periods – within three to five years, the report says. This is expected to grow into full service with all-day hourly service and increased frequency at peak travel times.
An environmental assessment of the project started recently by the province is expected to assess the possibility of using a downtown station for GO Trains as well as one other station in Guelph.
Coun. Ian Findlay told council this other station might be at the former Lafarge site, where a developer has proposed a major commercial development that council has so far refused to support. That issue is headed to the Ontario Municipal Board.
GO Transit leases CN tracks for its trains, and the CN mainline tracks border the Lafarge site on the north side.
The new staff report says the purpose of a second GO station would be to accommodate most of the “park and ride” users of GO Trains and reduce the need for downtown parking. Downtown users of GO would be encouraged to use public transit to get to the downtown train station.
“The initial GO parking requirements in the downtown could be met by the city’s current plans to expand downtown parking,” including the planned Wilson parkade, the report says.
Constructing additional parking on the Wilson Street site and potentially also through redevelopment of the Baker Street Parking Lot would allow some monthly parking permits to be moved to those two spots from the city’s West Parkade, the report says.
“This is turn would free up parking capacity at the West Parkade to potentially serve the initial GO service needs at the Via station,” it says.
Coun. Bob Bell won support Monday only from Coun. Gloria Kovach for his motion that council consider building a smaller and cheaper parkade on the Wilson site.
His motion, defeated 11-2, called for city staff to be directed to develop concepts and cost estimates for a parkade with between 340 and 500 parking spaces. This would “provide council with the flexibility to build the most cost-effective size at Wilson and to identify other parking projects emerging in the downtown,” his motion read.
In March, council gave staff the go-ahead to prepare a conceptual design and costing for a parkade on the Wilson lot with about 500 spaces and a price tag estimated then at $16 million.
Building a smaller parkade with no below-ground parking would not only cost less, but also could be built more quickly, Bell said.
However, preparing alternative designs – one with below-grade parking and one without it – could add $50,000 to design costs and delay the project by one month, said Murray McCrae, the city’s corporate property services manager.
It’s now thought a parkade on this site with only above-ground parking could contain no more than 300 parking spots, while one that includes two levels of underground parking could probably have up to 450 spots, McCrae said.
Mayor Karen Farbridge said the Wilson parkade was identified 10 years ago as a key downtown need, and it must be built before the Baker Street Parking Lot is taken out of service for redevelopment. Farbridge said she’s convinced the city is “on the right path” in planning for a Wilson parkade that “maximizes the value” of this piece of city-owned land.
The city’s plans include possible commercial space on the ground floor of the parkade, as well as a parkade appearance that blends in well with the new city hall and a planned civic square. Ground-floor retail in the parkade could yield tax revenues for the city, said Coun. Karl Wettstein, the city’s finance chair.
Findlay said building the Wilson parkade “is all about meeting our obligations under (the province’s) Places to Grow” legislation, which requires more residents living in the inner city.