MikeCohen.ca

City Councillor for CSL District 2: my 2011 look back

As the year 2011 draws to a close, I would like to take a look back in my capacity as the Côte Saint-Luc city councillor for District 2. 

In November 2009 I was acclaimed for my second term in office. The electorate, in fact, returned Mayor Anthony Housefather and the same eight councillors who were voted in after the demergers with Montreal in 2005. I think we make a good team.  One of Mayor Housefather’s first acts was to assign portfolios to each councillor. This is a system that works well as we are all responsible for different aspects of how the city functions. In my case I handle communications, corporate identity, intercommunity relations, sponsorship and now the Trap, Neuter Release (TNR) program for cats.

Here is my look back at some 2011 highlights.

Rembrandt Park

Plans to construct new tennis courts at Rembrandt Park and move the basketball courts to another section were put on hold after the city came to an agreement with the English Montreal School Board for a long term lease of the tennis courts at the Giovanni Palatucci Facility (former Wagar High School). They had not been operational for the previous two years and could only be brought back to life with a total makeover. Council decided to allocate funds to rebuild those courts since they are centrally located. That will be completed next May. 

I am very pleased to say that since my election, there have been many positive developments at Rembrandt Park. We flattened the former soccer pit there. For years we had problems with youth rolling benches down the hill and using the area as a kind of hideout. Incidents of people throwing rocks late at night under the cover of dark were plentiful.  

We have added new park equipment and introduced a much appreciated water spray system. This winter we are introducing something completely new: a synthetic ice surface. It will be enclosed within the gates of one of the tennis courts. Synthetic ice is a solid polymer material designed for skating using normal metal-bladed ice skates. Rinks are constructed by interlocking panels. District 2 resident Steve Stein is the man behind the concept and we will have a formal opening of the facility in early 2012.

Rembrandt Park will be back on the agenda for some changes in 2012.  I know that we must deal with the lighting system there and we will determine if there is sufficient funding to do something. I will be consulting with residents before that happens.   At the Tennis Committee we came up with some new proposals regarding Rembrandt. My hope is to have a special placemaking session, whereby some area residents will be invited to be part of the process.  Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover their needs and aspirations. This information is then used to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolve quickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale, do-able improvements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and the people who use them. Stay tuned for more information.

Graffiti Issues

Residents of Les Villas Merrimac, a small town house development located at the corner of Merrimac and Rembrandt (with some units fronting on Cavendish), contacted me regarding a rash of graffiti appearing on their property. I arranged a meeting with the residents and had three officers from Police Station 9 and Councillor Glenn J. Nashen (responsible for the public safety portfolio) join me. We surveyed the area and gave them tips on how to help us identify the perpetrators. Some residents believe they actually caught the culprit, a young teen, but when he was apprehended no spray paint could be found.  The main message here is that we hope the perpetrators know that people are on the lookout.

Traffic

I held my annual June District 2 Information Meeting. This is a concept I campaigned on whereby residents can sit down with their elected official with the focus on specific concerns in the immediate neighbourhood. Representatives from Public Works and Engineering joined me. We engaged in discussion and dialogue regarding the Cavendish/Kildare intersection, traffic issues, construction at the Cavendish Mall and Marc Chagall and the municipal snow dump.

Beth Chabad

Beth Chabad finally moved into its new community centre on Kildare Road and Marc Chagall. The facility is not completely ready. While much work needs to be done over the winter months, when Rabbi Mendel Raskin (pictured with me here) gave me a personal tour of the sprawling facility I was incredibly impressed. This facility was almost two decades in the making. Beth Chabad operated out of the Côte Saint-Luc Shopping Centre, the Cavendish Mall, Bialik High School and trailers in their parking lot. Our Building Inspection Division  devoted a lot of time and energy to ensure the facility was up to code and all safety measures were adhered to, enabling them to move in for the high holidays. Rabbi Raskin remains a golden ambassador to our community. He remains active year-round, with his wonderful wife Sarah,  organizing high profile events and inviting the community at large to take part. It is this type of attitude which will no doubt contribute to a healthy membership at his shul.

New Town  Houses

Les Cours Marc Chagall, the 21 unit town house complex on Marc Chagall Avenue, began to take shape. New developers Gerald Issenman (pictured) and David Brown enlisted real estate dynamo Anita Benabou Rozenblat and most of the units are already sold, with occupancy expected  for next summer.

Quartier Cavendish

The Cavendish Mall was renamed Quartier Cavendish. Developer Joe Levine moved forward with his new development, Centrepoint Homes, http://centrepointehomes.com/go/  which when completed will be a thing of beauty. A number of the homes will be in District 2. It has been very exciting to see the progress made since half of the Mall was demolished. New roads were constructed in recent months and we will introduce new street names – The Avenue, Jubilee and Park Place.

Bialik High School

I continue to work with Bialik High School, specifically in regard to ensuring that parents dropping off their kids abide by traffic bylaws and not block local driveways. When I welcomed new principal Ken Scott to the community last summer, that is the first subject we addressed.

Aquatic and Community Centre

In the city at large our gorgeous $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre (ACC) opened in September, only 10 months after construction began. Two thirds of the funding came from the provincial and federal governments. We had an exciting opening ceremony and a few months later Minister of Municipal Affairs Laurent Lessard came for a tour. There is an indoor competition pool, an indoor recreation pool, a fitness room, a teen lounge, a games rooms, a kids room and babysitting service, a large rentable space for parties and conferences (something which community organizations were particularly interested in), a dance and aerobic studio, senior lounges, a library branch, an art studio and more. We are also now open for business in regard to  naming rights. If a family or company wishes to have their name associated with any part of the complex, they should approach me.

When I was first elected and received the Intercommunity Relations portfolio I decided to develop a data base of every community organization operating within the confines of Côte Saint-Luc. Once that was in place I began holding meetings, where representatives from these organizations would come together and report on their activities. This turned out to be an excellent networking opportunity to begin with. In between meetings, we started to email them information about activities we thought they should know about.  Each meeting is, in fact, hosted by a different organization. This past fall we convened at the ACC, recognizing that many groups will probably want to use/rent this facility.

Canada Day

I co-chaired 2011 Canada Day festivities with Councillor Allan J Levine. It was a perfect day in terms of the weather and by the time the fireworks display began there were thousands of people in Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park. During the evening we had a citizenship ceremony, a human rights walkway installation, music and dancing from Fresh Entertainment and The Directors Showband, games for kids and much more. The fireworks were dedicated to our Canadian troops overseas and a member of the Canadian Forces  joined us as a special guest. At the left we handed out Canada Day cupcakes.

Seniors Programming

Councillor Sam Goldbloom and I co-chaired the annual Seniors Golf Open at Meadowbrook. I also emceed the event’sd awards banquet. This is an event I always enjoy. The same goes for the Senior Men’s Club Gala Dance, which took place in November in the ACC’s new multipurpose room.   Dynamic Men’s Club president Sidney Margles, with an assist from D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Lawrence Bergman, arranged for Quebec Finance Minister  Raymond Bachand to come address the group. (Bergman also brought Premier Jean Charest to CSL for the annual Yom Hashoah commemoration at the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation).

Cats Committee

The city’s Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program for cats officially got started. City council provided $5,000 in funding and Canadian Pacific Railway added another $2,000. I decided to establish an actual Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC). We have a small, but dedicated, committee which had a busy year of trapping.  Our mandate will expand to a lot of education in the community. I represented the city at a major animal welfare conference in November. We need more people to work with us so please give us a call. The provincial government and the City of Montreal finally appear to be taking some important initiatives where animal welfare is concerned and we will follow this closely.

Dance Championships

Côte Saint-Luc’s Gymnasium was chosen as the venue for a major provincial Dance Championship. It was an absolutely fabulous event to attend. Celebrity television judge Jean-Marc Genereux was on hand to watch. His son was among the competitors.

In Passing

Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko of Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation walked down the aisle with prominent makeup artist Mindy Shear…The  Israeli Consul General of Israel, Joel Lion, moved to Côte Saint-Luc with his family…Star singer Ranee Lee came to our annual Blood Donor Clinic in May as a special celebrity guest….Côte Saint-Luc remained  a leader in social media, via our CSL TV and Facebook pages and a new app for smart phones. We produced a monthly calendar of events, mailed to each home, produced a special e-newsletter and our Côte Saint-Luc Courier tabloid newspaper twice during the year….The annual Maisons Fleuries contest  showcased the wonderful work our residents do with their gardens. An awards ceremony was held at City Hall in November…Finally, in December we adopted our 2012 budget, with an average 2.87 percent  

There are a lot of good things going on in Côte Saint-Luc. It is why I chose to live here for most of my life! Please subscribe to my blog at www.mikecohen.ca. Read me in The Suburban Newspaper, The Jewish  Tribune, The Montrealer, The Montreal Jewish Magazine, Sandboxworld.com and others

Rembrandt Park, traffic and snow dump dominate District 2 meeting

1.     Introduction  

Rafi Zeira (right),  a District 2 resident, was introduced. As people entered the room they heard Rafi’s Accordion, a new CD he has just released with his wife Fay and their collaborators Michel Tordjman and Larry Hughes. All four were on hand to showcase the Jewish medley, which took a year and a half to produce. I also introduced special guests Councillor Steven Erdelyi, responsible for public works and the environment; Beatrice Newman, manager of customer service and administration;  Charles Senekal; manager of engineering; Mohammed Ali, project manager in the engineering division and a CSL resident;  Harold Cammy, manager of sports and facilities for Parks and Recreation.  I explained that these meetings have been held once or twice annually since I was elected. Everyone was reminded that they can always call me at City Hall or send an email to mcohen@cotesaintluc.org. 

 
Left to right: Mohammed Ali, Charles Senekal,  Beatrice Newman, Harold Cammy, myself and Steven Erdelyi.

 2.     New Town Houses  

Gerald Issenman (pictured below)  was introduced as the developer of new townhouses on Marc Chagall Avenue. He is reviving the 21 unit complex which Jerome Winikoff had previously attempted to build. The same architects have been retained from the original project. Landscaping has been upgraded. If all goes well he hopes to starts building sometime in July, with units ready for occupation in December. Mr. Issenman owns the Côte Saint-Luc Building Corporation. Among his properties are the Bonaventure Arena, apartments on MacDonald Avenue and many more.  Units will cost about $425,000 for an interior and $435,000 for an exterior.

 3.     Digital Signage

 I expressed my appreciation for the Kazoo Digital signage we have up at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare. CSL gets a certain amount of promotional space and Kazoo sells the rest. It is working out nicely and Kazoo might add one or two more digital signs elsewhere in the city.

 4.     Rembrandt Park/Tennis Courts

Last year Harold Cammy was at the District 2 meeting, at which time he unveiled plans for us to build three new tennis courts at Rembrandt Park. There was a lot of opposition to this move and we took the time to consult. First and foremost, people were worrying about a lack of parking spots in the immediate area. In the meantime, all park renovations in the city were put on hold as we focused our financial objectives on the new $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre (ACC), two thirds of which will be paid for by the provincial and federal governments. In the meantime the city began negotiating a new lease with the English Montreal School Board for the five courts on the premises of the former Wagar High School. An agreement was reached and for the summer of 2012 those courts will be completely revamped. Mr. Cammy explained this will be far more cost efficient than constructing new ones at Rembrandt. There have been discussions at the council table, inspired by new city manager Tanya Abramovitch, to create a “cultural park” with picnic tables and space for performing arts. Over the years a lot of money has already been poured into this park. Mr. Cammy called on residents to send their ideas for  what they would like to see the park used for to Councillor Cohen.

 Comments and Suggestions

  -There were suggestions that more benches be added. While this will be looked into, benches are costly. The option of sponsoring a bench on behalf of a loved one was raised. (The following day Beatrice Newman reported to me that some new benches had been delivered and installed.)

-Replace the sand near the swing areas with bark chips or recycled rubber. Councillor Erdelyi cautioned there may be health hazards with those options.

-Replace the old skateboard pit with a picnic table area.

-Fix the wet patchy spots in the area where the soccer pit once sat.

-Close up the cement garbage containers next to the benches

-Install a speed bump at Merrimac and Rembrandt where cars are making quick turns. (Manager Senekal said that if such a suggestion or complaint comes in writing it will be looked at by the Transportation Committee.)

-For the “No Dogs Allowed” sign adjust it to include the cost of a fine if you are caught as  people continually ignore this rule.

-Introduce outdoor exercise equipment at parks (Councillor Erdelyi indicated that will in fact be occurring soon at a number of spots.)

-Bring back the rosebushes to Rembrandt Park (The following day Beatrice Newman confirmed that the bushes disappeared because they were dying and diseased. An order has been placed to plant new ones.)

 

5.     Traffic Matters (Kildare and Cavendish)

 I indicated that  many of my calls are about this corner and there is no simple solution. I lauded Charles and Mohammed for how responsive they are in general to citizens, particularly in regard to Kildare and Cavendish. A lot of time and money has been devoted to this corner over the years. It is not an easy fix. Mr. Senekal explained that attention is now being devoted to the reconfiguration of Cavendish Boulevard and the new road (The Avenue) which will lead to the Mall housing development. Once that is in place phase two will involve some significant proposals vis-à-vis Cavendish and Kildare. Mr. Senekal and Mr. Ali have developed some impressive options to really improve the situation. People will have to be patient as this must be discussed at the council table first. There were many suggestions of how to fix the situation, including Shirley Rosen (below) who has been on top of this situation for a long time. A common complaint was that Police Station 9 should be giving out more tickets to cars which are repeatedly not waiting for a green arrow to turn left on Cavendish coming from Kildare. There was a request for me to address this concern to the local police commander. I then took the opportunity to announce that I wish to invite all residents of District 2 to submit their own ideas as to how to fix the problem.

There was a suggestion that we put cameras mounted at the corner of Kildare and Cavendish to help give out more tickets.

 On a related issue, one resident of Marc Chagall suggests that the traffic pots – meant to slow down speeders – be painted yellow so they are easier to see.

 6.     Public Works

 A main topic of discussion here was the height of snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue. Dr. Paul Weinstein, who resides at Le Marquise next door, said that he is less concerned about the aesthetics than the amount of garbage there which he fears can spread disease. He also said that the state of the dump is leading to increased pigeon droppings on balconies. Across the street from Le Marquise, on part of the land where the new town houses will be built, he noted that proper grass cutting was not done and as a result white dandelions are growing. Beatrice Newman explained that someone from Public Works mistakenly thought that area was private property and this is why it was not attended to immediately. Dr. Weinstein also repeated a request he had about the planting of trees inside or directly outside of the fence of the dump. He reasons that eventually these trees might grow high enough to block the snow hill. We spoke to our horticulturalist, René Lapointe, who said that trees were in fact planted where he asked a number of years ago but they will never grow high enough to cover the hill. Furthermore, we did look into planting more but there simply is not any more sufficient fertile land to do so.

 Dr. Harry Shizgal and other asked whether we could try to bring in equipment to cut down the size of the hill. I have asked for this to be done, but as Councillor Erdelyi interjected the estimated cost to do so is somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000. For budgetary reasons, he explained, the city will likely wait until the snow melts. Dr. Weinstein asked that we investigate any alternative options which perhaps were not looked at in the past such as covering the hill with something to make it melt quicker.

 7.     Cavendish Mall

Many people have been asking when construction will begin on the new housing development at the Cavendish Mall.  Charles Senekal said that the first thing which needs to be done is the demolition of the pavement. Work will then begin for the infrastructure for the various streets. If all goes well, that phase could be completed  by early fall.

  8.     Beth Chabad

 I communicated with Rabbi Mendel Raskin of Beth Chabad last week. He can only say at this point that he hopes to see some progress on the first phase of the project soon, which would allow them to relocate from their temporary trailers and the space they rent at Bialik into their new home.

 

Mohammed and Charles chat with Aubrey Zelman, president of the Meadows Condominium Association and the owner of Gourmetchip.com. 

 

 

 

Rafi's Accordion CD launch at CSL CIty Hall

Côte Saint-Luc City Hall was the site of  a CD launch on June 6, prior to my District 2 Information meeting. Rafi Zeira, his wife Fay and two  friends – Michel Tordjman and Larry Hughes -were on hand to present their catchy CD as quiet background music as people entered the room to talk about matters such as traffic, new construction, parks and keeping the streets clean.

The CD is called Raffi’s Accordion. It is a medley of Jewish songs of six tracks and 38 minutes long.

“My parents sent me to study acordion at the age of nine,” says Zeira, a native of Israel. “I played on and off through the years, but only in family gatherings. When I met Michel, we played together for charity in and around the Jewish community. I decided to make a CD so that future generations will remember me and the songs. We worked for about a year and a half on it.”

 Fay has worked in photography and design as a hobby and designed the CD cover. Tordjman  has been playing drums for 40 years.  “I play many different styles of music and have recorded a few CDs,” he says. “One of my dreams was always to produce an artist. I also enjoy working on music and theory. Rafi being such a great musician and friend of mine, was someone I wanted to produce. What made it exciting for me is that this would be his first CD.  He trusted me and gave me all the freedom I needed to be myself. I am looking forward to producing his second CD.”

As for Hughes, he  has been a musician in Montreal for the past 41 years. “I played with some of Montreal's and Canada's top acts,” he says. “ I currently own and run a recording studio on the West Island. I am very impressed with Rafi’s expertise on the accordion and I enjoyed engineering his first CD.”
To get your copy email rafisaccordion@gmail.com. Here is an interview with the team:

 

 

District 2 Info Meeting is Monday, June 6

A Côte Saint-Luc District 2 information meeting will take place on Monday, June 6  (7:30 p.m.) at City Hall (5801 Cavendish Boulevard). I created this initiative when I was first elected in the fall of 2005 as a way to maintain closer relations with constituents and talk mainly about issues related to the surrounding neighbourhood. Since then a number of other councillors have done the same thing.

Officials from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, Public Works, Engineering and Councillor Steven Erdelyi will be on hand to speak and respond to questions on a variety of important issues. This includes an update on what is planned for Rembrandt Park and outdoor tennis in the community; the Cavendish-Kildare intersection; traffic and safety matters; cleanliness of the streets, parks and sidewalks; how to lodge a complaint with public works; plans for a new town house development on Marc Chagall Avenue; the Beth Chabad Community Centre; the Cavendish Mall housing development; and the new Aquatic and Community Centre. Councillor Erdelyi is responsible for the public  works portfolio

District 2 encompasses Merrimac, Rembrandt., Kildare  (betwen Rembrandt and Marc Chagall), Sir Walter Scott,  Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle  (between Cavendish and Brandeis),  Cavendish Mall, Cavendish (Manoir Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior) and Honoré-de-Balzac. For more information, call (514) 485-6945 or email mcohen@cotesaintluc.org.

District 2 Meeting Summary for May 31, 2010

1. Introduction
 

Councillor Mike Cohen welcomed everyone  to this District 2 meeting. More than 60 people were in attendance. Many others called and emailed in advance, asking for a summary to be posted on the mikecohen.ca website. This is always the case.  Councillor Cohen reminded everyone that since he was first elected four and half years ago he has made it a point to have these meetings. He in fact  introduced the concept and several of his colleagues have followed the same lead.

 2. Mayor Housefather
 

Councillor Cohen  was pleased to introduce Mayor Anthony Housefather, he himself a resident of District 2. The mayor provided everyone on hand with a comprehensive breakdown of the Cavendish Mall dossier.  He noted that council finally adopted Plan 44  A, which shows how much negotiating went on between the city and the Mall over a four year period.  The Mall will soon be given permission to demolish part of its building.  In its place, a housing development will take shape. He indicated that our hope is to see town houses and single family homes at affordable prices so that young families will settle there. The mayor encouraged everyone to attend special public meetings about the Mall at City Hall on June 7 (7 p.m.) and June 14 (7 p.m.).

The audience was also updated on the new $17 million Aquatic-Intergenerational Centre we will construct on Parkaven next to the large outdoor pool. We received $11 million in federal and provincial grant money. The facility will have an indoor pool, a fun pool for young children and plenty of meeting space. This will become the new home of our senior groups, saving us $100,000 in annual rental fees at the Côte Saint-Luc Shopping Centre. We will also be able to have special events there, such as the Volunteer Appreciation Evening, alleviating the need to rent a hall. The mayor encouraged one and all to attend a public information meeting on this project at a date to be announced soon.
 

3.   Rembrandt Park 

Harold Cammy, the Manager of Sports and Facilities with our Parks and Recreation Department, gave an extensive preview of the planned changes for Rembrandt Park. Councillor Cohen noted that work is only scheduled to begin in September. While council has approved a plan, one of the main reasons for holding this meeting now was to consult the public.

Rembrandt Park presently has two courts. They are the only two truly public courts in the city. The Côte Saint-Luc Tennis Club is private and there are fees attached. Rembrandt is free with a CSL Fun Card and has a nominal fee attached without. 
 
 
The city has decided to add four more courts at Rembrandt. One of the reasons for this is that the courts on Caldwell, in the parking lot of the old Wagar High School, have been deemed unsafe and cannot be used any longer.
 

Mr. Cammy said that four courts will be built where the present two exist and in place of  the basketball court.  Two other courts will go up on the grass area further along towards Merrimac. This is the spot that was once a soccer pit that we filled a few years ago. Plans also call for a parking lot with enough space for nine cars.
 

Why get rid of the basketball courts? For the past number of years seniors have complained that the courts attract young people from outside of the community late at night that are up to no good. Michel Martel, the CSL chief of Public Security, was on hand at the meeting and confirmed this to be the case. So did Rembrandt Ave. resident Ruby Goodman, who works as an attendant at the park.
 

This is a $900,000 project and it will include new lighting.
 

There was a lot of feedback on this issue. Some, like Rob Leibner, were very passionate about not eliminating the basketball courts. Others like Doug Roseman were not crazy about the need for a parking lot.
 

As Mr. Cammy and Councillor Cohen emphasized, all of the comments were heard and recorded. They will be brought back to the Tennis and Parks and Recreation Committees.
 

4. Work on Kildare Road
 

At the May 10 Côte Saint-Luc City Council meeting the contract to sleeve the aqueduct on Kildare road, between Rembrandt and Merrimac, was awarded to  Les Entreprises Canbec Construction Inc. and authorized a payment of an amount not to exceed $322,191.00 plus applicable taxes. In the winter of 2009 there were several water main breaks on this stretch.  The CSL engineering division did a terrific job containing the problem. We were not able to complete the necessary work last summer, which involves a complete pipe replacement. Fortunately we had a mild  winter and no incidents. Because of the heavy traffic flow  involving Bialik High School we decided to wait until  July when classes are out to do the project.

Charles Senekal, the city’s traffic engineer, reported that work will begin July 5.  A week prior we will put in temporary pipes for potable water. Work will end mid August.  Mr. Senekal said he will be doing his best not to inconvenience folks as much as possible and for 90 percent of the time he will make sure we have two lanes open on Kildare (one eastbound , one westbound). Only in a very rare circumstance does he foresee us having to completely close Kildare.  He will not be closing Sir Walter Scott Avenue completely at any stage other than an unforeseeable situation that may arise, perhaps for an hour or two during the asphalt work. This would also affect Ilan Ramon Crescent. We will have to close Rembrandt completely at Kildare (only for one day). Motorists can access via Merrimac.
A lot of people asked whether as part of this work, the rough pavement surface between Rembrandt and Cavendish will be redone. Mr. Senekal noted that it is not in the budget of this project. Councillor Cohen said he will work towards it being taken care of.
There were many questions about the traffic lights at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare. It is a familiar situation. Motorists often find the wait at the light is too long. Pedestrians find the crossing signal too brief. Sidney Margles, the new president of the Senior Men’s Club, recommended pedestrians cross on the north side of Cavendish and Kildare.
Mr. Senekal said that he continues to monitor the situation. We have made many modifications and tried to accommodate different needs. There were a number of suggestions made and he will take these to the traffic committee.
 

 5. Sir Walter Scott/Kildare Road /Ilan Ramon  
 

Councillor Cohen was pleased to announce that after many years of discussion, council has finally agreed to place stop signs on both side of Kildare Road and Sir Walter Scott, together with a  protected crosswalk. This will be in place after  the piping and repaving is done on Kildare.  Many young families and seniors have complained that this is a busy corner to cover.
 

Ilan Ramon residents complained about the fact so many cars from the Westwood apartments on Kildare are parking on their street overnight and blocking corners.
 

 It was explained that the Westwood is having its garage redone. The city has taken the unprecedented step of getting permission from the  Ministry of the Environment to allow cars to park in the snow dump area. This cannot be done, however, until all car owners sign waiver forms. Chief Martel said his team would keep an eye on any cars violating parking rules.
 

Last year Mr. Senekal and Councillor Cohen took a walkabout on Ilan Ramon with residents to hear concerns. That will be repeated again on June 17.
 

6.  Marc Chagall Ave. Update (Town   Houses, Chabad)
 

When will construction begin on the new Marc Chagall Town Houses? We are awaiting certain information from the developer before a permit can be issued. We hope this will occur soon, as almost all of the 21 units are sold.
 

 Beth Chabad will need a new home when the Cavendish Mall starts demolition, probably in August. Their community centre on Kildare and Marc Chagall is not ready yet, but they will probably have to find a way to move into the facility gradually. Some say they will start operating out of the basement.
 

 7.Bialik Traffic

Councillor Cohen indicated that a lot of progress has been made over the last number of years on this dossier.  The school administration has been cooperative. We have established student traffic committees.  Florian Gaudreau, the head of security and facilties, has been most helpful. Two  Grade 10 students, Gabriel Alon and Zack Campbell, recently earned community service points from their school for doing some traffic analysis.
 

Mr. Gaudreau filed this report prior to the meeting.
 

Subject: Morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups are creating traffic congestion issues along Kildare. Neighbours on both sides of the street are quite upset.
 

Introduction:  In the past several days I have been present for both parts of the day. The following is a partial solution that I hope will ease the congestion so that we could all use the street in a more collaborative way.
 

Morning traffic: This part of the day seems to be the most congested. The flow of traffic is restricted coming from the Meadows condo complex and the Westwood apartment block. Traffic is also affected along Merrimac because school traffic impedes drivers trying to access Kildare.
 

Main problem: The main problem seems to be that parents insist on dropping off their children right at the walkway. This backs traffic all the way up the street. To further aggravate the traffic, there have been cars parked illegally along Kildare; not just once, but several mornings in a row. 
 

Afternoon pick up: The traffic has been less of a problem during the afternoon, but safety seems to be more of an issue. The reason traffic backs up in the afternoon is because of our crossing guard, who has to contend with a flood of children leaving the school.
 

Possible solution to morning drop off: We will try putting a second person out there to encourage parents to move further along the drop off zone. This may ease some of the problem. I would like to ask the city’s permission to paint the curb of the sidewalk in order to signify the presence of drop off zone. I believe this will cement the idea of where to drop off the children.
 

Possible solutions for the afternoon pick up: The only traffic problem that can be addressed is that of parents parking in the Westwood parking area. The complaint that I received was that the parking area was so jammed that one of the tenants couldn’t get out of her assigned parking area. I have been telling parents not to park there, but it may take some time to get the point across. The duration of the afternoon traffic is much shorter and less congested because there are two city buses and two regular school buses to accommodate the flow of children.
 

Conclusion: I hope this report will effect change and that we can come to a satisfactory resolution to this problem. I’m truly sorry that this situation has gotten to the point it has. I totally understand the concerns and frustration of our neighbours. It is my hope that we resolve these problems as soon as possible.
 

8. Digital Signage
 

Councillor Cohen announced that the city’s first ever digital sign will soon go up at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare. We have installed the concrete base and done the electrical for the  digital sign and the frame is being manufactured. We have been in contact with Kazoo Media (provider of sign) and they indicated it should arrive and be installed by end of July the latest.  This sign will not cost the city anything. It will advertise city events and include some commercial material as well.
 

9. Mike’s blog
 

Councillor Cohen asked everyone to read his blog at www.mikecohen.cato really know what is going on in the District and the city. On can also subscribe by filling their email address on the right hand side of the screen.

District 2 constituents: Please bookmark Monday evening, May 31, 2010

District Meeting of June 1, 2009 With Police Commander Bissonnette

DISTRICT 2 COUNCIL MEETING

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2009

CITY HALL

 

1. Introductions

Councillor Cohen introduced Police Station 9 Commander Sylvain Bissonnette, Sergeant France Denault, Director of Public Works David Tordjman, Traffic Engineer Charles Senekal and Councillor Glenn J. Nashen (responsible for Public Safety). Councillor Cohen thanked the more than 30 people in attendance for coming out to discuss issues specifically as they pertain to District 2.

Left to right: Councillor Glenn J. Nashen, Sergeant France Denault, Police Commander Sylvain Bissonette, Councillor Cohen, David Tordjman and Charles Senekal.

2. Police Station 9 Commander Sylvain Bissonnette

Commander  Bissonnette was introduced by Councillor Cohen as a most approachable individual who has developed such a wonderful working relationship with Côte Saint-Luc during his time in office. He spoke about issues related to traffic violations,   speeding, breaking and entering and summer cadets.  Just two weeks ago, Station 9 sponsored a soccer day at the Wagar Field in order to encourage youth about the model of fair play and teamwork. The station also has a new program called “Bounce.” Patrol cars have soccer and basketball balls in their trunks. When they see young people congregating they stop and give the group one of the balls, encouraging them to go off to a soccer field or basketball court. “It is important to keep the kids busy,” he remarked.

In regard to traffic, the Commander promised some major operations in the coming weeks to catch speeding vehicles, those going through stop signs and motorists using cellular phones without hands free devices.

Crime in Côte Saint-Luc is quite low, said the Commander. Last fall there were a series of breaking and entering incidents in the community, particularly in Hampstead. The perpetrators were caught and put in jail. “If you ever see something suspicious call us,” he said.

Recently, Police Station 9 held an emergency simulation day at Bialik High School.  The Côte Saint-Luc  Volunteer Citizens  on Patrol (VCOPs), Public Security and Emergency Medical Services were all involved. The day was a big success and a necessary activity to ensure the police are prepared to act with all of its partners in the case of an emergency.

The Commander said that he soon expects to welcome two to four summer cadets. These are usually young people training to become police officers who are assigned different tasks.

As for traffic, Sergeant Alain St. Marseille is responsible and he has overseen many operations in trouble spots. This has included looking for motorists going through the stop sign at Merrimac and Kildare and vehicles going to and from Bialik and incurring different traffic infractions. There have been several “blitzs” in the last couple of years.

Councillor Nashen spoke about the various traffic slowing methods employed by the city, such as the new middle of the road crosswalk signs and the planters on Marc Chagall.  He announced that on some streets, new speed cushions will be installed. Councillor Nashen spoke about the success of the VCOPs. There are presently some 65 members, most of whom are retirees.

Commander Bissonnette praised the presence of the VCOPs. He said that just a week ago a nine year old child went missing. He was immediately able to call upon 10 VCOPs to assist in the search. Within 90 minutes the child was found.

The Commander was asked some questions:

-What can be done about kids who drive their bicycles on the sidewalks? Jerry Weiss said he recently encountered youngsters doing so. When he told them they should be on the street, the kids swore and gave him the finger. The Commander said his station does it best to appeal to these children via visits by the community officer to schools.  If police catch kids driving on sidewalks they are stopped.  Councillor Nashen said that Public Security and VCOPs issue warnings.

-Can Police Station 9 enforce the fact that cars are not supposed to rest on the large yellow painted area in front of their parking lot on Kildare? During the Bialik High School drop off and pickup, it is extremely difficult for a motorist from Rembrandt to actually get onto Kildare. The Commander agreed that the yellow painted line is there for a reason, specifically for police to exit quickly in the event of an emergency. When school resumes in September (it is now exam time) he will consider having some operations to try and enforce this area.

-Sidney Margles requested that the cadets be assigned to work on foot at the Cavendish/Kildare intersection where cars are often crossing over too many lines to turn from Kildare on to Cavendish.

-Another complaint was registered about cars illegally using the 5790 Rembrandt condo driveway simply to turn around and get back on to Kildare.

3. Traffic 

Charles Senekal explained that the final phase of the Cavendish/Fleet construction is underway. The completed phases involved a double left turn from Cavendish to Fleet and some other modifications. This is working extremely well. Work is now focusing on beautification. Regarding all traffic issues, he encouraged residents not to hesitate to contact him with any concerns they might have.

David Tordjman said that in light of the major water main breaks on Kildare near Rembrandt last winter, an entire new piping system will be installed in the coming months and repaving will follow.

Bernice Shapiro complained about the limited time available at the crosswalk at Mackle and Cavendish. Mr. Tordjman said that there is 35 seconds from the time the green signal comes on. He noted that a lot of people are not aware that  you are really only supposed to cross when this countdown begins, not while it is in progress.

Eric Betito requested barriers be installed in the middle of streets, as in St. Laurent. It was explained that our streets are simply not big enough to accommodate this type of installation. If the Cavendish extension were ever to occur, then it is possible.

4. Rembrandt Park

David Tordjman gave an update on the park. There have been some equipment updates for children aged two to five. Some bushes were removed. A new water play area will soon be ready. Some painting needs to be done on the concrete and we must wait for the weather to get warmer and the rain to stop. There are plans to add more tennis courts, perhaps as early as 2010 and construct as many as 10 parking spots. The basketball courts will likely disappear. Eric Betito asked that a volleyball court be considered.

5. Sir Walter Scott  

This summer Sir Walter Scott Avenue will be repaved and have its sidewalks redone. Public Works and Engineering is now studying the feasibility of installing a crosswalk at either Sir Walter Scott and Kildare or Rembrandt and Kildare. This is to make the street safer for young families from Sir Walter Scott and Ilan Ramon going to Rembrandt Park.

David Smajovits of JPPS-Bialik speaks as his colleague Florian Gaudreault looks on.

6. Marc Chagall Update 

The Beth Chabad Community Centre will begin operating at its yet-to-be finished building on Marc Chagall and Kildare on July 1. They have no choice since the Cavendish Mall can no longer accommodate them.  It is their hope to have a more complete facility in time for the high holidays.

Sales at the Marc Chagall Town Houses are not going as well as the developer hoped. But the land has been rezoned from commercial to residential. Therefore we needn’t worry about any strip mall appearing in that spot.

Florian Gaudreault and David Smajovits were on hand from JPPS-Bialik. Florian noted that with 700 staff and students, naturally there is a  lot of traffic during drop off and pickup hours.  Just recently, Bialik assigned two staff people to work on traffic duty during these timeslots. This is a major step forward and a way to ensure more safety.   Furthermore efforts will be made to establish a new Student Traffic Committee this fall. David spoke about the multi-million dollar facelift the facility has received in recent years. He said work will soon begin on making repairs to the sports field, including a new paved track. Bialik is also proud of its green initiatives.

7.   Mike Cohen’s blog/email correspondence

Councillor Cohen  encouraged everyone to review his website and blog at www.mikecohen.ca  and feel free to correspond with him at mcohen@cotesaintluc.org

8. City at large 

New street signs are finally going up throughout the city. Talks between the city and the Cavendish Mall continue. The Mall wishes to demolish half of its present facility and replace it with a housing development.  Residents wishing to  engage in any naming rights opportunities (as simple as a bench dedication) need only call 514-485-8905

9. Comments/Concerns from residents

What is the law regarding barbeques on high-rise balconies? Councillor Nashen  went through the bylaw.  For apartments and condos use of an ‘open flame’ barbecue on a balcony is generally not permitted given that the smoke coming from the barbecue may create a nuisance to your neighbours. Also, you cannot transport a propane tank in an elevator and you are obligated to have a minimum of seven feet (7’) between the barbecue and any openings such as a door or window. 

What is being done about gardeners leaving grass cuttings on the street? Are gardeners being licensed? Public Security and VCOPs are  keeping their eyes open for such infractions. Work continues on a method by which to license gardeners.

Will there be public consultations when the Cavendish Mall project is approved by council? Yes, at least two such meetings will be held.

Can the streets be kept cleaner between fall and spring? Rembrandt Avenue was cited  as having not been properly cleaned before the first snow fall, as many leaves were still there. Residents were reminded to  call their city councillor if they notice such problems and not wait many months to report this.