Members of Council discussed the recommendations proposed regarding the Downtown Pedestrian Mall and Parklet Program.
There was a very lengthy discussion held at the Committee of The Whole meeting on the seven recommendations put forward for Council’s consideration. Council agreed to again deal with Recommendations 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 separately from Recommendation 2.
Councillor Hanlon reiterated that the reasons for Recommendation 2, that would see the reduction of the area of the Pedestrian Mall, was made for many important reasons, safety being the priority. Safety of pedestrian users, accessibility for para-transit vehicles, and ease of access to the area for those with mobility issues or those who are unable to walk long distances were also reasons behind the recommendation.
The following is the complete list of recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Staff recommend extended dates for the 2023 – 2025 DPM to coincide with the end of the school year (last Thursday of the week school closes) and to finish on Labour Day Monday of each year.
Recommendation 3: Staff recommend 3-year period for approvals of the Discretionary Use applications for Parklets.
Recommendation 4: Staff recommend parklet rates remain as per 2022 program.
Recommendation 5: Staff recommend an application period.
Recommendation 6: Jersey Barrier Safety Requirement
Recommendation 7: Staff recommend the development of a new By-Law for building standards of Parklets.
Recommendation 2: Staff recommend a modified footprint for DPM, to include Water Street from Adelaide Street to Clift’s Baird’s Cove. This modification will alleviate safety concerns with vehicles and pedestrians sharing the same road space.
The majority of Council expressed their desire to keep the current footprint of the pedestrian mall and asked staff to find ways to improve accessibility, and ensure safety is upheld without having to reduce the current area of the pedestrian mall. Concerns were also expressed about the negative impact to business owners that would be excluded from the pedestrian mall if the footprint was to be reduced.
The issue of the effects that the Pedestrian Mall has on businesses located outside of the downtown area was also raised.