The Mayor of Monmouth: Art in the Park

Showing posts with label Art in the Park. Show all posts

May 27, 2014

“TAR IN THE PARK”

By Harold G. LeBoeuf

Tarscape in Willistead is going to be an ugly, expensive mess.

The first annual Tar in the Park will be held on Saturday, June 7^th, and Sunday June 8^th. It will be preceded by a Beer Festival extravaganza on Friday, June 6^th, which is certain to bring loud noise, loud music, boisterous and at times inebriated revelers well into the morning of June 7^th. As in the past, it will greatly disturb the normally serene residential neighbourhood and prevent local taxpaying residents having peaceful and quiet enjoyment of their homes and property in a manner that could be classified as a legal nuisance.

This first annual event is being brought to you at tremendous expense to the taxpaying public by Mayor Eddie Francis, Councillors Drew Dilkens, Jo-Anne Gignac, Ron Jones, Bill Marra, Hillary Payne, Ed Sleiman and Fulvio Valentinis, Director of Parks and Recreation John Miceli, Chairman of the Board of Willistead Manor, Stephen Marshall and the Board Members, and the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918). These promoters of the event have spared nothing in order to make this a tremendous success including the hefty price-tag, trees, grass and the serenity of what was once the beautiful, historical estate of Chandler Walker. We should all show our gratitude and appreciation of those still seeking office when it comes time to vote in the upcoming municipal election.

I hasten to point out that there do exist persons who defied the edict of Mayor Eddie by not casting their vote as suggested they should, and who are worthy of our support. They are Councillors Alan Halberstadt, Irek Kusmierczyk and Al Maghnieh. All three deserve kudos.

Top Ten Reasons You Should Not Support “Tar In The Park”

10. You have already contributed enough money for this event through your tax dollars.

09. You shouldn’t have to pay an admission charge to enter a public park.

08. The tar roadways will be hot and burn your feet.

07. You don’t want to show support for the promoters.

06. Only a very small percentage of the revenue goes to restore the Manor and can never make up for the expense of the project and continuing maintenance.

05. You will not sit idly by and allow them to think this will go away.

04. Historic properties mean something to you and they shouldn’t be defiled.

03. You don’t support promoters who force their Will on the public.

02. Elected officials have a sworn duty to listen to the citizens.

01. Show Mayor Eddie that this is a democracy and not a dictatorship.

Together we can make the first annual event of Tar in the Park the worst attended event since 1978.

Together we can make it understood that Tar in the Park is no longer wanted in this neighbourhood and it is time for the Rotarians to act on their prior threat of changing the venue for this event once and for all.

Together we can make it understood that Beer Festivals in a quiet residential neighbourhood and a public park do not belong and must cease to exist.

Together we can demand an end to those persons who are determined to turn these historic grounds into a money-making amusement park for the benefit of the pet projects of the promoters at the taxpayers’ expense.

Harold G. LeBoeuf.

April 28, 2014

Part 3 - TO TREE OR NOT TO TREE - WHAT IS THE QUESTION?

By Harold G. LeBoeuf

Question 1:
Do you think that any of the workers for Belmont Excavation are certified, trained arborists?

Question 2:
Do you think that Belmont Excavation is a registered corporation or business in the Province of Ontario?

The answer to both questions is “No!”, but the second question requires an in depth explanation and doesn’t mean that there isn’t a legal corporation behind the work being completed in the Park. That explanation will take up several Parts which will follow in due course.

On December 4^th, 2013, I caused correspondence to be sent to the Minister at the Provincial Ministry of the Environment requesting that his Ministry get involved with the proposed project at Willistead Park. The request specifically was for the Ministry to conduct an Environmental Assessment. The matter was referred to Mr. Archie Parastatidis, Senior Environmental Officer for the MOE in the Windsor Area Office. This gentleman (and he truly is a good person) contacted John Miceli at the Windsor Department of Parks and Recreation. After lengthy conversations between the two, Mr. Parastatidis sent me an e-mail, the content of which I will set out completely here because it contains specific information given to the Ministy by Miceli which totally contradicts facts that Miceli presented to the public forums and to the Mayor and the members of City Council. He writes the following:

In response, the proponent of the project described in your December 4th, 2013 e-mail is the City of Windsor. Municipal undertakings, if applicable, follow the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class EA (Environmental Assessment) planning process. The Municipal Class EA itself includes a series of Schedules that identify municipal projects subject to the Municipal Class EA. The Municipal Class EA process is a self-assessment process. In all situations where the Municipal Class EA process is applicable to a project, it is the responsibility of the proponent, in this case the City of Windsor, to ensure that the planning process as set out in the Class EA document is undertaken. It would appear that the City of Windsor, as proponent of this project, has determined that this project does not fit any of the projects identified in the Municipal Class EA. This Ministry’s Southwest Region EA Coordinator has reviewed the aforementioned Schedules, and the City’s project as described in your e-mail, and has advised that there is no basis to challenge the City’s interpretation that the Municipal Class EA does not apply to this project.

Municipal Projects that are not subject to the Municipal Class EA would be subject to an Individual Assessment if not exempted by section 5 (2)(a) of Regulation 334, made under the Environmental Assessment Act. Section 5 (2)(a) exempts an undertaking by a municipality if the estimated cost of the project does not exceed 3.5 million dollars. The City has advised this ministry that the estimated cost of the 200mm sewer installation is $225,000 and the estimated cost of the asphalt path and sub-drain is $235,000 for a total estimated cost of $460,000.00. (emphasis mine) As such the project is captured by the exemption afforded by section 5 (2)(a).

Based upon the foregoing, the City’s project as described in your December 4^th, 2013 is not subject to the preparation of a Class Environmental Assessment, no an Individual Environmental Assessment.

Yours truly,

Archie Parastatidis

Senior Environmental Officer

MOE Windsor Area Office.

And here I thought that only lawyers were capable of writing such gobbledygook!

In reply to this I wrote back the following:

Forgive me if I seem confused, but your reply definitely seems to indicate that nothing can or will be done, and the City of Windsor is free to carry out its plans for Willistead Park, and freely go about destroying one-of-a-kind trees in this City and several precious varieties with abandon, and destroy the fauna and habitat for small animals and birds. I honestly thought that our Province had taken a position a long time ago with respect to this kind of damage to our environment, and I am greatly disturbed that your office feels that such an undertaking can be completed with impunity.

I will be reviewing your information with my clients, and I believe that we will proceed with the appropriate Court Action to test the City’s ability to proceed with this type of destruction. If those instructions are received, you will be subpoenaed to give evidence.

Yours truly,

Harold G. LeBoeuf

Barrister and Solicitor.

Hopefully that letter is somewhat easier for you to read!

I had several conversations with Mr. Parastatidis after that letter, and I truly found him to be an honest and extremely helpful individual. He agreed to be a witness is required and offered any other assistance he could.

I have told you that information because it is important to the cause. Firstly, note that Miceli told the officer that the cost of the project was estimated at $460,000.00 with $225,000.00 being for the sewer and $235,000.00 for the asphalt paths and sub-drain. If you had occasion to attend any of the public forums at the Manor, and/or attended the City Council meetings where the project was discussed, you know with certainty that these figures and that breakdown was never presented on any of these occasions. The truth is that these figures to this day have never been mentioned by Miceli to anyone other than the MOE officer. WHY? Now you know from whence I approximated the total cost of the project to be a half a million dollars. I approximated the cost of the electrical stations and pathway lighting and, I must confess, I was probably far too low in my guesstimate. The Department of Parks and Recreation and its director, Mr. Miceli, is the topic of a future installment.

Now about the trees. If you go to the website for Willistead Park, a site that has been updated to include the proposed pathways, you will learn that “The property surrounding Willistead Manor, appropriately name Willistead Park, contains over 300 trees, including Windsor’s only persimmon, a tree native to the southern United States. As well, the park boasts a rare Shumard Oak, several Kentucky coffee trees, London Plane, Chestnut, European Elm and a Tree of Heaven. In the secluded shade of Willistead Manor courtyard garden, visitors can experience the elegance of a true English garden in the Paul Martin Gardens. Lustrous shades of green are reflected in a number of different shrubs, including Oregon Grape, laurel, euonymus, and shiny leafed mahonia. Hot pink, white and red impatiens add sparkle to this quiet, peaceful area.”

I challenge you to try to visit the Paul Martin Garden. You simply cannot. I have had visitors in the park ask me why on earth can’t they go into the garden when it is advertised for visitors. Well, that’s a question for the Board of Willistead Manor. But, I did ask that question to a member of the Board at one of the public meetings and she told me, “We have to keep it locked at all times because of vandalism.”

If you don’t already know, the City’s contractor is preparing to cut down trees that are in the way of the proposed pathways. I watched two members associated with the contractor last Friday (perhaps some of you did as well). They were walking the proposed pathways and marking the trees that had to be cut down. Now I don’t believe that either of these gentlemen are certified arborists because I have seen them doing excavation work and work for the electrical stations. How then do they know which is the rare persimmon, which is the rare Shumard Oak, Kentucky coffee trees, London Plane, Chestnut, European Elm or the Tree of Heaven. I’m betting that they don’t know and probably don’t care. If it’s in the way of the pathways, then they go.

In fairness, the European Elms have long since been decimated by the Dutch Elm disease. What about the others? Who is going to protect such rare trees? It appears that no one is. I don’t know one tree from another (well, I know the oak trees and the fir trees) and I am not a trained arborist.

What on earth are they doing to such a once in a lifetime historical Heritage Park? Why are they doing it? Is it sufficient to say that the pathways are required to benefit Art in the Park so that the Rotary Club will donate more money for the care, maintenance, repairs and restoration of the Manor? If you attended the first public meeting, then you will recall that the Director of Art In The Park rose to his feet and took umbrage at my suggestion that the event be moved to the river front (which the Rotary Club threatened to do just a few short years ago) or to the Ford Test Track where there is already an abundance of asphalt roadways that would more than suit its purpose. He said, “We were never consulted about these changes and we absolutely don’t need the changes for Art In The Park”. The media attending still have the video tape of him saying that. That statement is a far cry from what you heard the Rotary Club tell City Council on the fateful day Council made its decision.

So I ask again, Mr. Mayor, Councillors, Members of the Board of Willistead, what on earth are you thinking?

Please post your thoughts below.

April 27, 2014

WHAT ARE THE TRUE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF ART IN THE PARK?

Part 1
By Harold G. LeBoeuf

The cost of the changes to the Willistead Historical Park have been estimated by the Department of Parks and Recreation at $400,000.00 (no substantiating documents are available) and this cost does not include the following:

1. Underground electrical cabling to supply four terminals spread throughout the park that are intended to supply vendors of Art In The Park with taxpayer funded electricity so they won’t have to use their own electrical generating equipment;

2. The cost of installing underground electrical wiring and ground level lighting throughout the park to illuminate the pathways, an item to be completed as discussed by the Board of Willistead Manor;

3. The cost of maintaining, repairing and servicing the myriad of asphalt pathways which, because of the intended use by trucks and other vehicles, could be extensive;

4. The labour and equipment costs for snow removal throughout the Winter months, all of which has been promised by the Department of Parks and Recreation;

5. The hourly and equipment costs for policing the pathways due to vandalism and park entry after the posted closing hours. Both are rampant now.

The added cost for items 1 and 2 will approximate $100,000.00 but, again, no substantiating documents are available.

The added costs for items 3 through 5 will be ongoing in perpetuity until such time as the pathways and/or the historical heritage park no longer exist.

Since the inception of Art In The Park in 1978 to the end of fiscal year 2012, the Financial Report for Willistead and the City states that the event has resulted in $1,133,829.88 being given to the City ostensibly for the maintenance, repairs and restoration of Willistead Manor and grounds. In more simple terms, over the thirty-four years that Art In The Park has existed, the Rotary Club has paid to the City approximately $33,347.65 per year.

The City is going to spend approximately $500,000.00 for the changes to the park for the use by the Rotary Club’s two day event each year. Again, in simple terms, it will take fifteen years for Art In The Park to pay for the capital outlay for these changes assuming Art In The Park will be around for fifteen more years. In this scenario, that will be fifteen years whereby no funding is provided for the maintenance and repairs of Willistead Manor and the grounds. The alternative scenario is that Windsor taxpayers are going to pay the costs for the changes and perhaps Art In The Park will provide approximately $33,347.65 over the next fifteen years.

Keep in mind that neither scenario deals with the annual costs of maintenance and repairs of the asphalt, snow removal costs, or policing costs.

This truly is a no win situation and it may have been better had the taxpayers authorized their municipal government to pay $400,000.00 directly for repairs, maintenance and restoration of the historical Manor and the Heritage Park and preserve one of the few remaining historical gems that our City has.

I wonder how much money Art In The Park has generated for the Rotary Club over the thirty-four years. Since the local chapters of Rotary are all part of Rotary International, I wonder how much is paid to the International body arising out of this event. As stated on its web site:

“Our club has been a substantial contributor to the Rotary International Foundation.”

Harold G. LeBoeuf - Windsor

Your comments are welcome. See below.

March 1, 2014

PARKS BOSS, WILLISTEAD BOARD REACHING TO JUSTIFY $400,000.00 PAVEMENT PROJECT

Giovanni (John) Miceli, Executive Director of Parks and Facilities and Stephen Marshall, Chair of the Willistead Board of Directors have been trying very hard to qualify their push to add more than a kilometer of twelve foot wide paved roads (ten feet of pavement plus two feet of gravel shoulder) throughout Willistead Park. From the beginning their justifications have raised the brows of frequent park goers and area residents. At first they argued that they wanted to make the park more accessible but at 54" wide the current paths already meet the accessibility standard. Next they claimed that they are planning for "future" accessibility standards but those max out at 72 inches wide; not twelve feet wide. Their rationale also did not explain why they were adding several extra paths because the current paths already cover the park in its entirety. When they presented their master plan for the new park paths the true purpose was revealed. The new path circuits overlay the exact route of Art in the Park vendor exhibits to a "T". Click on this link to view:

http://www.citywindsor.ca/residents/parksandforestry/City-Parks/Documents/Proposed%20Pathways.pdf

Neither the Parks Department nor the Willistead Board have refuted this. This did not deter them from re-jigging their accessibility argument. Their next explanation was about having accessibility to the new garbage receptacles that are embedded several feet below ground. These are an overly complicated and expensive way to keep teenagers from tipping them. Now they need to use a dedicated truck with a custom hydraulic attachment to pull them out of the ground for emptying. The new park roads, they say, are designed to gain access to these garbage cans. Once again, their explanation was refuted because all of these receptacles are already located on the current,existing paths and only at four entrance points to the park. They are already in the most accessible places and the new proposed roads terminate at these same locations. During this debacle of false arguments it was revealed at a Heritage Committee meeting ( the issue was deferred by City Council to the Heritage Committee) that the real intent of the Willistead Board is to "monetize" the park. That is, to maximize it's revenue earning potential by seemingly facilitating Art in the Park with paved roads for a better Art in the Park experience and as a solicitation for more such venues. Mr. Miceli and Mr. Marshall get angered when residents ask them how adding permanent paved roads would enhance an event like Art in the Park, the success of which, is predicated by grass and trees in a park setting. Miceli blurted during the Heritage meeting: "You are getting the paths whether you like it or not". On Monday evening of March 3 the Parks Department, the Willistead Board and the Heritage Committee will present their plan and case to City Council for approval. Park goers and area residents will likely be there as well.

They are not Done

It appears to be that the Willistead Board and the Parks Department are not all that convinced that they have a water tight case. Stephen Marshall sent a communication out to various parks contacts in Toronto, Amherstburg and Detroit to bolster his appeal. Read it here. Click to enlarge:

With his request he got what he asked for but the result does not speak to his favour. All of these parks, with the exception of Casa Loma and Colbourne Lodge are mega parks that require bikes or cars to traverse them. Casa Loma and Colbourne are on the escarpment and only have paved lots with some small flower gardens. High Park is so large (400 acres) that it sports a couple of micro-climates. The rest of the parks are either large nature reserves or interconnected bike paths that run the gamut of the Don Valley. The Ford Property not only has roads running through it as one might expect from an auto baron's property; it also features man made canals so that boats can get in too. Any of these parks are comparable to taking a ride through Point Pelee. No comparison at all to a small historic property like Willistead Park. Fort Malden is small and the path is not all that long. The Amherstburg Trail runs through the downtown streets. It really doesn't qualify as a park at all.

Guilty By Omission

Mr. Marshall and Mr. Miceli put more than a little effort in to produce this list of parks but they left out one very important park that is right next door to Malden Park and at the foot of the Amherstburg Trail. That historical park is the Kings Navy Yard. Did they really miss one of the most important parks in this area? The Navy Yard fly's in the face of every argument that Miceli and Willistead's Board have put out there. Is that why they omitted it from their list? What makes this park effective and attractive is it's grass, trees and flower beds and all of its paths are all covered in smooth pavers. The Kings Navy Yard is totally accessible and it even sports a seniors home on the edge of its south flank. Well coiffed and maintained, clean and respectful of its historic intent and plenty of garbage receptacles of the normal kind. A picture of it here:

Kings Navy Yard in Amherstburg. 72" wide paths with smooth pavers.

It becomes very evident that facilitating Art in the Park is what this is all about. Adding all of these paved roads to the park will do nothing to improve Art in the Park or to expand it. Just as many patrons will come if it is left as grass. They always have. Paving the vendor route will do more to wrist-lock and limit the number of vendors and their locations than just leaving it alone. It will invite graffiti and vandalism. With just grass there is flexibility to add extra vendors whenever needed. Paving this park will make it look like an empty, purposed flea market for 362 days of the year. It will detract from the parks aesthetics and historical intent. It will make the wrong cultural statement about Windsor, Ontario. This is certainly not what Willistead Park and Manor are all about.

After this harsh winter that $400,000.00 would be better spent if it was used to resurface city streets. In fact, the amount of proposed asphalt for this project is almost enough to re-pave all of the streets that surround the park. This would certainly do more for Art in the Park than destroying the very park that made the event as successful as it is. Citizens of Windsor who use this park on a regular basis know their park well. The Parks boss and the Board Chair should too. It should be apparent that spending tax payer money on a needless project will do more harm than good. To this park, to Old Walkerville. To the City of Windsor.

Here are some more images. Click on them to enlarge:

The city's accessibility guidelines. Why is ten feet required?

Aerial view of proposed paths. Same as Art in the Park vendor route.

High Park. Pretty massive park. Over 400 acres.

Casa Loma. All Parking lot.

Edsel and Elanor Ford Estate.

For more information about this issue

a group of concerned citizens has formed a Facebook page called

"Save Willistead Park"

You can view it or participate in it here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/588452161219766/

For contributed pictures of Willistead Park
or if you would like to contribute some of your own,
Sara Venney has a photo page here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/556580677768729/

Please do not forget.
This issue will be before Council this Monday evening at starting at 5:30 P.M.
If you are concerned about this issue
your presence can make a difference.

February 4, 2014

Rotary Club, City Looking to Monetize Willistead Park

Walkerville residents are concerned and worried about the City's plan to lay asphalt over more than an acre and a half of Willistead Park without any neighbourhood involvement or discussion. The plan to do so centers around adding more events to the park and facilitating loading and unloading for Art in the Park vendors. Twelve foot wide paved paths will mimic the exact vendor booth route as detailed in the Rotary Clubs vendor application form. The plan is being spearheaded by Stephen Marshall, Chair of the Willistead Board of Directors, John Micelli, head of the Parks Department and member of the Willistead Board of Directors, and Phil Cohen, Chairman of Art in the Park and member of the Rotary Club. None of these plans were known to the general public until late October of 2013 when surprised park goers with the help of Ward 4 Councillor Alan Halberstadt managed to temporarily halt an army of heavy tractors and dump trucks from further ripping up Willistead Park. Since then, Windsor City Council has deferred the issue to the Heritage Committee who in January of this year more or less rubber stamped Willistead's original plans under the steerage of Windsor's Heritage Planner John Calhoun (he had previously rubber stamped the plan anyway), John Micelli and Councillor Fulvio Valentinis who is also a member of the Heritage Committee and who is rumoured to be planning a run for Ward 4's Council seat in this year's coming municipal election. The Heritage Committee will be presenting City Council with their recommendation later this month. Last week the Rotary Club's annual check in the amount of $25,000.00 was presented to Mayor Francis at a special event held at Willistead Manor. It is important to note that the Rotary Club is a client of the Willistead Board. The Rotary Club is on contract with the City of Windsor to organize and run Art in the Park in exchange for a percentage of generated revenue from the event.

Area residents and park goers alike are certain that this plan is a mistake and that it will ruin the park for all of Windsor's citizens and tourists alike. They insist that Willistead Park which measures only one kilometer around its periphery is too small for the city's planned eight extra paved road runs. "Pavement will bury the beauty, serenity and history of the park and it really is in violation of the parks historical intent. Every perfect view of green grass, magnificent trees and colourful flowers will be cut up by repeating bands of pavement" say's Sara Venney who resides on Monmouth Road. Others are concerned about heat that will be generated by the asphalt and about graffiti which is already a growing nuisance in Old Walkerville.

Local residents do love Art in the Park. They literally clean their streets and alleys a week or so in advance to show off their neighbourhood. Walkerville residents went as far as swarming the park with lawnmowers and leaf bags to save Art in the park from being cancelled during the year of the City Strike. People don't even mind losing their parking spaces to the thousands of annual Art in the Park patrons or putting up with hundreds of city buses winding through their streets during this annual two day affair. Windsorites know that Old Walkerville is a special place and that it's anchor is Willistead Park. '"Why mess with such a great formula and brand" is the local sentiment. Indeed. Making it like any other park does not speak to any logic. Some say that Walkerville's hosting of Art in the Park is like having a neighbourhood celebration every year where everybody is welcome. It's something unique and special to Old Walkerville. There is also weighty caution that outfitting the park for additional events for the sake of generating more revenue is not good for Art in the Park, Old Walkerville or Windsor. People are concerned that it will cheapen the events and turn the park into the likes of a permanent swap meet. The park, Walkerville, Windsor and the region at large will lose a significant cultural edge. Many Windsorites believe that Art in the Park is the event that it is because of the natural green back drop that Willistead Park provides. "Pave it and they will come" is unfounded and wrong headed. It will not attract more patrons or vendors and it is doubtful that it will ever be the icing that attracts new events. Adding extra pavement is certainly not worth it's price tag of $400,000.00 ($100,000.00 shy of the City's entire allocated pot-hole repair budget). That money could be better spent elsewhere like the continued renovation and upkeep of the manor house and all of it's outbuildings. It could be used to add even more drainage tiles and catch basins and for extra top soil to fill in the central depression in the park (many have commented that this is all that was ever needed to re mediate the parks occasional flooding. Some of that money could be allocated for things like better security. For more trees.

Area residents are quite content with the current layout of the park and its paths yet they are not afraid to offer suggestions for meaningful and practical improvement. Currently the park is serviced by four main paths that cover the park from north to south, from east to west, from the Niagra Street main entrance to the side entrance on Devonshire Road and to the Children's play set. Another acre of the park is already paved for vehicular entrance into the park and for parking around Willistead Manor and its coach house. Every area of the park can be seen and serviced from these centrally located paths. All existing garbage receptacles reside along these current paths and their maintenance will be made easier as well. Adding eight twelve foot wide paths will only add to regular maintenance costs. All current paths are 54 inches wide or wider in order to satisfy today's accessibility standards. Although there have been no accessibility issues to date, area residents suggest that the existing paths be widened to 72". This will also allow for club cars and small vehicles to marshal vendor goods and equipment along the entire length and width of the park. As it is, the majority of these vendors are transporting everything with wagons and hand carts so this suggestion will give them another option. Simple grass also allows for more flexibility in vendor placement and will even accommodate more vendors because the route will never be locked in place by the proposed, permanent vendor roads. The nub of this plan is to make the park even better than it is. Keeping the existing paths but almost doubling their width makes the park enjoyable for all Windsor residents and guests. It maintains the natural green state of the park while at the same time making the park easier to service. Its a win, win plan.

So far, the Willistead Board has refused to look at this plan or to allow any stakeholder input. Park goers and area residents are naturally anxious for Windsor City Council to see the merit, the dollar savings and the long term advantage of leaving this one of a kind historic property in tact.

Here are some pictures of Willistead Park as it exist now. Pictures are borrowed from the "Save Willistead Park" and "Willistead Photo Pages on facebook:

Queen Victoria fountain on a sunny day.

Art in the Park in the grass 2009.

This area will be paved over.

Fun at the park. Check out hide and seek behind tree.

Family enjoying the grass.

Heavenly place.

Music in the grass

Just grass and trees. So cool.

Walking the dog. Chasing squirrels.

Morning haze.

This view already has a 12 foot wide path cut through it.

Couple on Willistead Path.

Classics on grass.

Area residents cutting grass during city strike.

For more photos please go here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/556580677768729/

Proposed 12 foot paths. Over 1.5 acres of added pavement.

January 14, 2014

Heritage Committee Recommends Asphalt Roads in Willistead. Why?

Determined Parks Boss Routes Park Lovers,

Heritage Committee.

Area in background will be broken up by 12 foot wide asphalt roads.

John Micelli, Windsor’s newly minted Parks Department leader since Don Sadler retired last year, will have nothing to do with the heritage or green aspects of Willistead Park. In a January 8 meeting with the Heritage Committee, deferred to by City Council, Micelli made his position loud and clear: “Your getting paved paths whether you like it or not”.

Micelli’s entire argument focused on standardizing Windsor’s Parks with 10 to 15 foot wide paved paths for the accommodation of trucks and equipment. Problematic, he says, are the recently installed garbage receptacles in Willistead that are embedded ten feet underground to deter bored teenagers from tipping them over. The Parks Department brings in a large truck with a specialized attachment to pull, empty and re-seat the containers. It was pointed out to the Committee that all of the receptacles in Willistead are next to existing paths and park entry points with the exception of one that is ten feet away from the childrens play set and 35 feet from an existing path. His other reason is to accommodate Art in the Park which, as one Heritage Committee member pointed out, is The “elephant in the room”. The proposed circuitous asphalt track and its tributaries will replace as much as 11 percent of Willistead’s grassy, treed surface. That is a lot considering that Willistead measures only 1 kilometer around its perimeter. The path plan mimics the Art in the Park Vendor map. Micelli also introduced a revised path plan for Willistead that eliminated one secondary and redundant tributary and modifies the proposed paths in the North West corner of the park. Area residents were expecting a compromise in width to 72 inches but that was clearly not what was offered. It became apparent that Micelli does not want to compromise on his 12 foot wide paths. Area residents and park users do not want the paths at all. Asked if the plan revision was posted on the city’s web site Micelli answered “No”. This admission left the Walkerville delegation to speculate that Micelli is going to try and get his wide paths approved when this issue is brought before City Council later this month. Lastly, Micelli brought up the Accessibility card which others pointed out was a non starter because the current paths and entry points are already in compliance.

This is how the east side of the park looked up until this fall.

Same area with gravel bed for new path.

Delegations at this Heritage meeting were as follows: Howard Weeks, founder of the group “Save Willistead Park” and son of past Mayor Bert Weeks, Gayle Jones, a lawyer and Windsor’s Diversity and Accessibility Officer and John Micelli , Windsor’s Parks Boss, although he seemed to play more of a Steering Committee role than anything else.

Mr. Weeks presented passionately around a couple of points: Mainly that stakeholders were never made aware of changes to the park until heavy equipment came to tear it up. Willistead’s Board of Directors claim otherwise but as of this writing there are no area residents who have stepped up to verify involvement. Weeks repeatedly called for stakeholder participation in the process but was rebuffed in each attempt. He asked if there was any assessment to determine what is actually needed to improve accessibility. Micelli pointed out that Gayle Jones was present to address accessibility issues.

Proposed 12 foot asphalt roads represented in yellow. Close to scale

Yellow represents total area to be covered with asphalt. 1.5 acres approx.

Ms. Jones introduced herself as Windsor’s “Diversity and Accessibility Officer”. She clarified that she was unaware of the Willistead path issue and played no part in it until a few hours before the current Heritage Committee meeting. That clearly answered Howard Weeks’ question about an “Accessibility Assessment”. She spoke in certain terms about what is acceptable and what is not. Jones reminded that 54 inch wide surfaces are quite OK for accessibility in outdoor public areas (Willistead complies) but that 72 inches would be her preference. She also stated that she preferred smooth surfaces such as cement or asphalt over pavers even though pavers do meet the requirement. She said that pavers make an acceptable compromise if they are installed on the edges of a paved surface because they can be used as warning or cuing surfaces for white cane technique.

After all delegations completed their presentations it was time for the Heritage Committee to chime in and vote on the subject. There were some who questioned the added paths but they were coaxed by Micelli to keep moving forward. The group voted in favour of the new paths per Rev. 2 by a narrow margin. They voted that the paths should be no more than 72 inch wide and that they should be paved with asphalt. This recommendation will be presented to City Council later this month.

Area residents take control and save Art in the Park during City Strike.
This exact area already has a twelve foot path running through it.

Classic tree lined straight entrance will be torn out.
Serpentine paved road to weave through trees

This view from Devonshire Road no longer exists.

The Parks Department has budgeted $400,000.00 for these proposed changes. Also in attendance at the meeting were Councillors Allan Halberstadt who is also a member of the Willistead Board of Directors and Fulvio Valentinis who is a member of the Heritage Committee.

Art in the Park on real grass.

Old brick path being replaced with 12 foot wide road bed.

***All photos courtesy of Willistead Facebook Photo Page.

See links below for some great shots of Willistead Park.

Most taken by area residents.
Click on images to enlarge.

For more information about paved pathways for “Art in the Park” follow these links:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/556580677768729/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/588452161219766/

November 7, 2013

Park's Officials Pitch Pavement. Park Lovers Bury them with Wisdom

Park supporters voice their concerns

Real wisdom prevailed during last evening’s public meeting about a city plan to carve up the natural complexion of Willistead Park with a twelve foot wide paved ring road. Park regulars and area residents were angry on several counts: That the project appeared out of nowhere without a single resident knowing about it was a big one. So was the intent to hard pave over ten percent of the parks natural footprint. Willistead Manor was packed Wednesday night with angry opponents of this plan who were upset that the city did not take into account any stakeholder input about the delicacy of this smaller, historical property; especially in lieu of the city’s current push for a new Master Parks Plan.

The entire house expressed support for the Parks Department’s drainage improvement plans. Nearly none supported the plan to build a 12-foot-wide paved vehicular track girdling the inside of Willistead Park. When neighbours discovered a huge compliment of heavy equipment invading and digging up the park a couple of weeks earlier, Walkerville residents Howard Weeks and Gerry Pouget quickly organised and put a halt to the paving process. Mr. Weeks started a Facebook page (Save Willistead Park!) which is now nearly 500 participants strong and growing. This prompted Ward 4 Councillor Alan Halberstadt to plan and chair last nights emergency meeting. "...neighbours “passionately love this park as it is.” said Halberstadt.

Park’s officials including John Miceli the city’s executive director of parks and facilities and Mike Clement, Windsor’s Manager of Parks Development, said the current paths are “not where they need to be” in order to support the needed new drainage system and that the park is not fully accessible to disabled peoples. The house quickly reminded them that the current paths in the park are already accessible to people with disabilities. The park already has four large entrance points with wide paths reaching through the park in all four directions, to all critical points of the park. The park is also fully embraced by sidewalks around it’s perimeter with one entry point that accommodates vehicle entrance to a fully paved parking lot. As for drainage, the crowd found out that the park already had 100 year old drainage but that it had failed years ago. The newer plastic and filtered system with catch basins is much superior and should last at least that long. Pavement has nothing to do with the drainage.

Miceli put together a power point presentation that seemed more about diversion from the issue than about resolution. He talked about tree species and cherished historical aspects of the property but attendees politely waited him out as they were already well versed about Willistead. At one point Miceli pitched a study that indicated that ageing Baby Boomers demand wider paths in their parks. He was addressing a full room of people most of whom were boomers, and retirees who clearly indicated that they did not want anything to do with the ring road. Ida O’connor, an octogenarian who resides on Monmouth Road expressed that she uses the park every day to walk her dog “Sunny” along the existing paths and grassy areas without problems and that the park does not need extra paving. Others mentioned the heat that all of the paving would generate and many were leary about the city’s long term plan to maintain and repair the road.

Miceli clicked onto an architectural rendering of the park plan. It is thick with truck paths and tributaries and seriously out of scale making it look more palatable to the less attentive. From that drawing it is obviously apparent that the accessibility that the Park’s Department people were pitching was for Art in the Park vendors. It clearly follows the exhibit path around the circumference of the park. Its about getting their tents, displays and merchandise in and out of the park. It even cuts into the north west corner of the park where there is barely enough room to accommodate a paved track that wide. Miceli asked the audience whether the issue was “solely the width of the pathway.” With that he got a loud ear banging: “No paths at all!”

Miceli repeatedly tried to compare Willistead Park to Jackson Park where he already installed these wide paved pathways. He was told by members in the audience that there was no comparison to be made. Jackson Park is 65 acres compared to Willistead’s 15 (approximately 1.5 city blocks). It was also made clear that technically Willistead was not a park at all but rather one man’s (Edward Chandler Walker’s) back yard and that it was gifted to Old Walkerville with the rule that it was to be enjoyed by citizens in the same state that it was enjoyed by his family. Certainly a good reason to make exception.

Some time into the meeting a number of things were revealed: This plan was largely driven by the Willistead Board of Directors in conjunction with the Rotary Club; their regular business partner. It was then (oddly enough) rubber stamped by John Calhoun who is Windsor’s Heritage Planner and then rubber stamped again by City Council. It should be noted that Councillor Alan Halberstadt is also on the Board of Directors for Willistead. He made this abundantly clear during the meeting. Halberstadt pointed out that there were a few of the board members dispersed among the crowd but that the Chair was not in attendance. During the question and answer period one citizen chimed tongue and cheek that perhaps Art in the Park has outgrown Willistead and that the Rotary Club might want to seek out another venue like Ford Test Track Park that already has a very accessible ring road. Art in the Park organizer, Phil Cohen, chairman of the Art in the Park and member of the Rotary Club abruptly emerged from the crowd and said he took those comments as “an affront.” “It isn’t like we’re here to pillage and take away from Willistead … whether we have pathways is immaterial,” he said, reminding that Art in the Park has raised more than $1.1 million for Willistead restoration work since 1970. He added that both of his parents slipped and fell in the park on one occasion. Another area resident and lawyer pointed out with a pretty convincing argument that this addition to Willistead Park might violate the property's heritage designation.

Halberstadt, being caught between the board that he resides on and the constituents he represents indicated that area residents should voice their concerns directly with Willistead’s Board during their next meeting to be held on November 14 at 4:30 P.M. The issue will also be addressed in City Council on November 18. Area residents are already organizing to attend both of those events.

CTV Video Link Here:

http://windsor.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1039111

October 15, 2013

Willistead Test Track to Host Art in The Park

Residents of Old Walkerville and users of Willistead Park are furious with the City of Windsor's decision to build a ten foot wide paved track around the perimeter of Willistead Park. There was no advance warning to residents of the area and no public consultation; something that the current administration is advocating for the city's Master Parks Plan. The question becomes: How did this go so far without any primary stakeholder consultation? This is a $400 thousand dollar project in a key historical park that seems to have just sprung up in the park over night. Residents also noted that the project seems to be attached to the street remediation project taking place on Willistead Crescent. The budgets may be associated. People do not want any paths added and are most concerned about the amount of asphalt that the Parks Department is planning to use. The track is proposed to be ten feet wide so that vehicles can use it as opposed to driving over the grass; something that they have been doing for as long as the park has been in existence. Measurements taken today indicate that the track will be 12 feet wide with shoulders taken into account. The obvious intent of this track is to accommodate Art in the Park vendors. They can drive around the loop, set up shop on either side of the "road" and drive out. City officials say it is about wheel chair accessibility. At ten feet wide wheel chairs can do the loop four abreast. Park lovers and advocates would like the park to remain "as is" with grass only and no paths other than those already in the park. Parks officials say that they are willing to speak to residents about the situation. People are concerned about the original, intended aesthetics of this noble grassy park. Let's not forget that it was someones estate and yard at one time. No one seems impressed about a circuitous track at all; especially if it is just to accommodate Art in the Park which is an annual two day event.

Park work associated with this project.

Track to circle park at 12 feet wide, shoulder to shoulder

Crew works feverishly towards completion of track.