Vallhalla Newsletter April 2015

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Don't know about you ... but I am sure happy to see the snow gone.  
The background picture this month was taken by the storm water management system at Atkinson Park.    
Streetlights
More streetlights problems have been reported this month.  Two on Buchanan alone.   It was suggested to the town that since the LED Streetlighting was passed by council, would it not be a savings to our town to replace the problem reported streetlights with the LED Streetlights, that will be changed out anyways, to save funds.  The following was the e-mail received: Hi Eric, I just wanted to let you know that even though Council has approved the LED streetlight change out program, IES Operations still has to respond to and repair/change blubs when a resident calls us with problem streetlights.   The following was my response: In the future, unless I think it maybe a safety hazard, I will not report anymore Streetlight Problems in our town until the change over.
BTW: Even though the consultant agreed to ALL the proposed streetlight locations on Old Yonge accept one … I would like to make the recommendation to our town that we have one on the post at Old Yonge and the intersection of Closs Square. The email back from the police detective a few years back stated this area is dark that enhances vandalism. Vandalism has been reported numerous times along this section from Closs Square down to the Power Stream Transformer. (21 Old Yonge) Vandalism includes: Fences on the eastside (feel sorry for these residents …), graffiti, Parks gave up replacing the trees and shrubs in this area because they were constantly vandalized (Speak to ____), in this same area I had reported needles and drug stuff, and there is always garbage to be picked up daily in this location when I’m walking my dog. On the weekend its beer cans, bottles, … So IMHO, if more light can stop just one problem it is well worth it to the community. It would also help illuminate the intersection at Closs Square since this is hidden intersection when going past the turn up the hill. What is going to be worse now is if Canada Post plans to install Community Mailboxes on the east side of Old Yonge just before you get to Closs Square going north. I think they should leave the Community Mailbox in the location they are in now.
Since the above e-mail I did contact two of the YRP Officers we work with and asked them to get the powers at YRP to e-mail and/or call our contact at the Town regarding this matter.  


Update  YRT/VIVA  
  • YRT/VIVA Update:   The Transit Facilities Technician called me at home again and sent the following e-mail: Eric, The information you provided was reviewed by my supervisor and an update has been provided below.  A discussion with the Town of Aurora contact you provided was completed. The Town has indicated that the path in question is included in their annual inspection program for review and scope of work development for their annual program.  In addition, as part of YRT’s 2015 Concrete Upgrade Project, YRT will be reconstructing the concrete pad at stop #2620 on Yonge Street south of St. John’s Sideroad.  In the interim, cold patch has been placed at the stop to mitigate any trip hazards.   (Please refer to the slideshow on the right.)   The idea was to get YRT/VIVA to pay for the problem walkway since our town did not have it included in the budget for this year.   Over the last few weeks the sidewalk path is much improved.  The cracks are not as high as they were.   During my discussion with the Facilities Technician I asked why they just don't go back to the contractor who did the job at #2620.   There was a long discussion ... but the main reason was the time element between when the job was done and when it was noticed.    I suggested to just PIN it.  What that means is to support a section and pour a foundation / footing under it.    The technician stated they will demolish it all and install the new bus pad properly.   Can you imagine the cost to correct this stop for just one location?
  • Update regarding the bus stop sign at Batson / Yonge where the bus has not been runing for "X" years will be removed over the next few weeks.    

  • Update regarding a proposed VIVA stop in front of McAlpine and SAC.  The following e-mail was received: Hello Eric, We received your request for a vivastation on Yonge Street between St. John’s Sideroad and Orchard Heights Boulevard (stop number 2512 and 2620). These stops are currently serviced by a number of YRT conventional routes, Route 98 – Yonge, Route 22A – King City and Route 31 – Aurora North.  The YRT/Viva 5-year Service Plan outlines standards for selecting new vivastation locations. Since the introduction of additional vivastations will add travel time delays, similar to the installation of traffic signals, stations should only be added when an increase in ridership at the stop equals or exceeds 300 boardings per day (not including shifts from adjacent vivastations). Stations should also be located at least 750 metres apart with an average station spacing along the revised section length of at least 1 kilometre between stations.  The approximate walking distance to the nearest vivastation (Orchard Heights) is 520 metres. A vivastation is not warranted at this time, however, we have recorded your request for future consideration.


BONG  above found at Old Yonge / Closs Square Sunday Morning April 26th behind the bushes.  Less then 60ft from where the needles where reported.  This is the fourth bong found over the last year in our area.  What is a Bong used for?  

Pink Markers   
You may have noticed the above pink stake markers in our area.  The purpose is to show the contractor where to install a sign. This specific stake was for a muncipal street number sign.  The main purpose of those green street number signs is to help emergency responders locate an address quickly.   You will note that even our parks and parkettes now have a muncipal street number address. 


OLD YONGE Speed Cushion Update

An e-mail was sent to Councillor Able stating that "OLD YONGE" is ready for the Speed Cushion Pilot project and requested that he ensure Old Yonge is on the list of streets to be considered.  The following e-mail was received.  
Good day Eric;

I forwarded your email the traffic department which is under Infrastructure.

I've asked that Old Yonge be identified as a location for speed cushions.

Council received an update on this item on Tuesday. The next phase is to consult the residents at each location.

Your background information highlights that step and should help bring your location to the forefront.

Thank you for bringing this forward. Your timing couldn't be better

I will follow up and keep in contact

Regards

John Abel   

Staff have stated to me, the design of the Speed Cushions that is to be installed, will allow for emergency vehicles to travel freely without slowing down. The wheelbase of emergency vehicles is wider then a regular car. When I asked about ambulances traveling over the speed cushions, staff stated that their wheelbases are also wide enough to pass through the Speed Cushion without slowing down. That surprised me, I did not know that our ambulances had that wide of a wheelbase. So if all the above is true, Emergency Services should have no objections to the N E W Speed Cushion design for Old Yonge. An example of a Speed Cushion that will allow for emergency vehicles to pass freely is shown below.     



Water Tower  
Have you noticed the Water Tower under construction by HWY 404 just north of the State Farm Head Quarters? It will be a landmark for our town being built on one of the highest locations in the area. You can already see the tower from Wilson Park. When you travel north on HWY 404 you can see it being built a few kilometres away.

Since the Water Tower will be a landmark for our town and is being built by the Region of York I wanted to ensure that our Town Logo will be on the tower when completed. So I contacted the Senior Project Manager in charge of the Tower project and asked a number of questions, giving suggestions, … The following is a confirmation e-mail response: Hi Eric, It was great to talk to you. As discussed the Tower will be approximately 41 m ( 136 ft) high. It will be white with a blue cone (see the Newmarket tower on Yonge street north of Davis). It will also bear the Town logo as well the Region’s logo. Should you have any other question, please do not hesitate to contact me.
After receiving his e-mail I called back for clarification on the location of the logos …. It seems that our Town Council will decide what location our Town Logo will go on the tower. I did request that only the AURORA Logo be shown on ALL four sides of the top cone. The Aurora logo facing directly West, South, East, North. I also requested that the blue base cone be the Aurora Logo Blue. He understood and stated that would be up to our Town Council to decide.

The top cone of the water tower is assembled around the base of the structure and then pulled up by cables to its resting place.

If you want to know how a water tower works and its purpose check out this YouTube video.

Electrical Outages / Improvements
April 5th at 11:30 am  cause unknown out for 3minutes

April 20th 9:20 plus four additional outages over the next half hour.  Auto trip relay.  Was informed that it was a windy day and the probable cause was a tree branch on the line. 

April 20th 1:30pm   was an Automatic Close.   This occur when the system recognizes a problem.   Cause unknown.

Was informed by our contact that PowerStream will be replacing old hydro lines on the west side of Yonge Street in the Aurora Heights area.  

Minor Variance requested at 219 Old Yonge
One of our subscribers notified me of the Minor Variance request for 219 Old Yonge. I had no idea. Our town notifies the surrounding neighbours of the property in question. The town also puts up a sign. The one they put up is so small and faces the road. So when you are driving by the property, you don’t see it. When you walk on the sidewalk, personally I would require magnifying glasses to see what was on the sign.

The Minor Variance is to allow a learning centre use on the subject lands. (The Learning Centre is for Autistic Children.)

One subscriber and I (on behalf of other neighbours who have e-mailed me) spoke against the variance at the meeting.

The applicant stated that specific staff and our Mayor are in support of the variance. The applicant stated that this was a perfect location for them because of all the grass, trees, land …. During  the hearing the Committee of Adjustment asked specific questions and notified the applicant that the Lake Simcoe County Region Conservation Authority looks like they have a line on the house from the map that they have received. This would mean that the applicant would NOT be allowed to use the backyard. The Committee of Adjustment suggested the applicant may want to check this out first. The applicant looked at the owner & her colleagues in the gallery for “X” seconds and commented back to the committee stating it was ok. They would NOT use the backyard.  Hmmm ... who will monitor this?  Where will the children play outdoors? 

The following are some of our concerns.
1. Increase in traffic flow / congestion during week day rush hours on a road that our town states the volume far exceeds its design and type.
2. The applicant stated it is NOT a school but a Learning Centre. Yet on their Web site and in the Auroran they say it is a school. Reason: Learning Centre is NOT monitored by the authorities but a school would be. This was a real concern to many that no government authority would ensure the children / property would be safe …
3. Old Yonge narrows at this location.
4. Applicant stated they would park at the Oakland Hall Inn and walk over. The owner stated they had an agreement if I heard correctly. What happens if the Oakland Inn changes hands down the road?  Will the new owners keep the agreement?  Is it a verbal agreement?  
5. We had concerns that student drop offs and pick ups could become a safety issue especially in the winter.  Think about one or two cars waiting on Old Yonge to get into the driveway while another driver is trying to get out on the road from the driveway. 
6. The topography of the driveway is long, slopes downward to the dwelling and is single lane. 
7. Parking concerns now but more so in the winter.
8. Where will they put the snow?
9. For a learning centre looking after children there will be no place for them to play outside. The property is not fenced.
10. Schools have specific standards. This property has NO sprinkler system, from my understanding there is one 2pc washroom on the main level.  Think about that for the possibility of a maximium of 25 children plus staff and guests.
11. The property is NOT accessible for the physically challenged.
12. What is interesting is that the applicant already had 219 Old Yonge Street as their contact address both on their Web site and Letter Heads well before the Committee of Adjustment meeting.  No wonder they agreed to anything. 

In my opinion, there is a need for a government monitored School for Autistic Children in Aurora but 219 Old Yonge is the wrong location.

Conclusion: The minor variance was passed by the committee with a close vote of 3 to 2. All I can say is we warned them.  When I stated that the property is not accessible for the physically challenged and not fenced the committee should have picked up on this and asked a number of questions.  Unfortunatly, this did not occur.   

FYI: The Learning Centre charges $24,000.00 per student plus a one time registration fee of $1,500.00    


Joint Operations Center
The plan is to add a monthly picture to the slideshow above from Wilson Park so you can see the progress of this 24 million dollar project. 
Dates to Remember
Some of our Subscribers will be showing their Art Work at the Art Show and Sale at the town hall both May 2nd & May 3rd.
Mothers Day is Sunday May 10th  
Victoria Day (long weekend) Monday May 18th

Collections (BTW: Clear bag program will NOT be implemented.)
Garbage Thursday May 14th, & 28th
Yard Waste  Thursday May 7th & 21st

If you need more bins they can be purchased at the town for the following:
Blue Box  $13
Green Bin $25
Kitchen Catcher $7
Backyard Composter $31

If your Blue Box or Green Bin is damaged / broken bring it with you to the Town Hall, 100 John West Way or the Town Operation Yard at 9 Scanlon Court.  The Town will replace it free of charge.  FYI: There is more of a selection regarding Blue Box size at 9 Scanlon.  

Eric … are there ways I can save some money?
Thank you for your e-mails regarding this section of the Newsletter.   Really happy that I was able to help.   
  • Plan your day.   Fuel costs are high.   Plan your route, just don't go out for one thing.  Ensure your tires are inflated the manufactures specifications. 
  • If you need to purchase something check out Amazon.ca Warehouse Deals.  No shipping cost to your home if over $25.   I personally found Amazon terrific.  They have given me numerous credits that I never even asked for.  If you use their VISA card you receive CASH back off your statement.   If you sign up for the Amazon Visa Card on check out you receive a $20 credit against your order.  Just ensure you pay off ALL your credit cards monthly.
  • Your HEALTH can be costly if you get sick.  Ensure you wash your hands and try to walk regularly.  Don't sit too long.   Found that presciptions at Costco are the lowest.   Look for the Costco deals in store.  Anything ending with 97 cents has been reduced from the original Costco price.   Often the Newmarket Costco will but stuff drasticlly reduced up by the cash registers. 
  • Get a Aurora library card.  There are a number of things at our library you can borrow.  Gardening, Do it yourself, Videos, ....
  • Turn off the lights.  Use energy efficient bulbs.
  • Take shorter showers.
  • If you have ten year plus appliances  ... they may have been energy efficient back then ... but they may not be now. 
  • Do you have a freezer working with hardly anything in it?  Clean it out and turn it off. 
  • If you have an old beer fridge runing it could cost you dearly. 
  • Buy generic or wait for a great sale.   Anyone need some Imperial Margarine? 
  • Run your dryer / dishwasher during low cost hours. 
  • Did you know that vanity lighting is one of the most costly areas for energy use in your home?   You may want to reconsider the fixtures and / or change the bulbs.
  • Grow your own food. 
  • Think over each expensive purchase for a few days before purchasing it.
  • Almost EVERYTHING goes on sale.  Wait for the sale.  
  • If your employer provides discounts ... incentives ... why not take them up on it? 
  • Is the item really worth what I will be paying for it?  Take the price of the item and divide by the amount you make.  Example: It a jacket cost $100 and you make $10 an hour ... is it really worth ten long hours of work? 
  • Personally I should eat a meal or snack before I go grocery shopping.  Make a list and stick to it.   

You will be surprised at how much you can save.

The charts / graphs for
Aurora Homes Sales Statisitcs
have been updated. 
Click the home below to open a new window.



 

Volunteering
How many hours have you volunteered this month?   Try something you may enjoy doing. 

Until next month, keep safe, keep laughing, stay healthy, and say hello to everyone you meet. Do what you can to help those around you.  There is always someone worse off than you.   How fortunate most of us are.  
Cheers, Eric 
Web site: www.McCartney.me  E-mail: eric@mccartney.me 



 Road Drainage Problem on Spruce near Keystone Court
A Vallhalla Newsletter subscriber sent me the following concern:
Hi Eric, Sometime back I advised the Town about the incline of Spruce Street at Keystone Court, prior to the second paving. I let them know that it pools water after each rainfall and ices in winter and hopefully the engineers would have that section corrected prior to final paving. The problem still exists ...
Please refer to picture below. 

The following message was sent to Town Staff:
Is it possible to correct this problem since there is a drain next to the water?  Example: grade it properly … Is the project / work from this contractor warranted?  Thank you for your time. Cheers, Eric

We received the following message from staff that was C.C. to three other members of that department on Thursday April 29th. 

Hi Eric, This location has been added to our list of Asphalt repairs for 2015 




 
 
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