Three new Community Safety Zones designated in Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill council briefs

YorkRegion.com
May 21, 2015

Last week, Richmond Hill council designated the following three locations as new Community Safety Zones: Avenue Road from Carville Road to Weldrick Road West; Red Maple Road from High Tech Road to Silver Linden Drive; and Red Cardinal Trail from Humberland Drive to Brightsview Drive.

With the addition of the three new safety zones, Richmond Hill will have eight designated community safety zones on municipal roadways that experience a high volume of vulnerable pedestrian activity, such as near schools, parks and playgrounds.

The purpose of safety zones is to modify driver behaviour, while providing more safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists.

Once the appropriate policy criteria are met, signs will be placed in specific areas warning drivers and pedestrians of the new safety zones, and police will monitor them.

Bylaws will also be enforced 24 hours a day and seven days a week and all fines for traffic-related infractions will be doubled as per the Highway Traffic Act.

The new community safety zones are expected to be in effect by late summer.

New Oak Ridges library one step closer

With council’s approval of the schematic design and additional project funding, a key component of the next phase of the Oak Ridges Library is in place.

Public visioning workshops held last fall indicated that, to fully meet program requirements for the new library, the square footage should be increased from 16,000 to 19,000 square feet.

Council approved the increase at its Feb. 9, 2015 meeting.

The larger floor area increases the cost of the library project from $8,651,700 to $10,434,700.

The funding sources for the additional $1,783,000 will be allocated from the Library Service Development Charge Reserve Fund ($978,900), the Capital Asset Continuity Reserve Fund ($695,300) and the Federal Gas Tax Reserve Fund ($108,800).

The new library will have many unique features, including self-serve technology, an urban living room and a computer education centre, among others.

Last Thursday, the design concepts were unveiled to residents at an open house.

The new library will be located at the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Regatta Road, serving the growing population in Oak Ridges.

The design for the new library was awarded to Perkins + Will Canada Inc. last September and in December, council approved the creation of a steering committee for the project to facilitate communication between the project team, the library board and council.

The Oak Ridges Library is expected to open in fall 2017.

Richmond Hill Blooms for another season

The annual Front Garden Recognition program is in bloom again this season, but under a new name.

Richmond Hill Blooms is designed to help beautify the community by encouraging residents to create and recognize attractive, colourful and well-maintained gardens.

Staff delivered a presentation to council about the newly revised and updated recognition program.

Every residential garden that is nominated will be recognized and awards will be given to the top three gardens in each ward.

The judging responsibility will be shared between Richmond Hill staff horticulturalists (who will determine the shortlisted gardens) and members of the Richmond Hill Garden and Horticultural Society (who will select the top three gardens per ward).

The shortlisted gardens will be judged in accordance with the Ontario Horticultural Association’s gardens and special planting criteria.

The Front Garden Recognition program was introduced 15 years ago in conjunction with the Community in Blooms program.

Since that time, the civic beatification program has grown in popularity and size, with 2,000 gardens nominated in 2014.

To learn more about Richmond Hill Blooms, including how to nominate a neighbour’s garden or even your own, visit RichmondHill.ca/RichmondHillBlooms.