Several residents attended an information meeting at Severn Community Public School last Monday, to hear about the city’s proposal for Transitway expansion in the west end. Currently construction is underway to extend the Transitway from Bayshore to Pinecrest, however a crucial link in the system is missing between Pinecrest and Lincoln Fields, joining up with the southwest Transitway.

Bay ward Coun. Alex Cullen called the meeting, bringing Steven Stoddard of the city’s planning transit and the environment department, to explain staff’s current outlook.

Both Coun. Cullen and Mr. Stoddard explained that in 1994 the region approved a plan to complete the connection, which would see a tunnel beneath the Pinecrest Rd., the OC Transpo garage on Queensview Dr., and a similar tunnel beneath Connaught Ave. At that time, the city purchased the homes on Connaught, which would have been removed for the construction. But in 1995, when the province backed out of funding municipal projects like transit, the city was left with the bill. After re-examining the 1994 proposal, Mr. Stoddard said staff were told the project would cost about $138 million. Come May, Mr. Stoddard told the group, city staff will be asking councillors for consent to begin an environmental assessment, in which they will investigate an alternate route to the missing section of the Transitway. The new proposal would see the Transitway run along the north side of the Queensway, similar to the current phase under construction. However, this addition would require an additional 17 metres, approximately, to be taken from the backyards of residents along the south side of Roman Ave. “You can’t really go half measures,” Mr. Stoddard said. “The only honest thing to say is that (the city would) need the whole lot.”

Bay ward Coun. Alex Cullen and city planner Steven Stoddard provide residents with the details of a proposal to expand the Transitway in the west end, which could involve the expropriation of 25 homes.

In fact about 25 homes would need to be expropriated in order to complete this proposal. While councillors have yet to make a decision about beginning the environmental assessment, which is required before developing plans for a project like this, Coun. Cullen said residents should not be surprised if both committee and council agree to the plan.

“My job is to go to bat for you folks, and I will go to bat for you folks,” he said. “But my job is also to be honest with you folks.”

The councillor said that given the city’s priority to complete the Transitway and the much-decreased cost of implementing the new proposal, it’s very likely this will go ahead.

“I think, to be fair, we’re looking a something that’s going to happen in the next 10 years,” he said, adding that nothing’s confirmed as staff have yet to provide a report and recommendation at the committee level.

Several residents from Roman Ave. expressed concern that they were being asked to sit on any plans for renovations while the city makes its decision. Others were upset with the idea of losing value to their homes while the city contemplates this project.

To address these concerns, Coun. Cullen explained that should the homes need to be removed for the construction project, the city is required by law to provide fair market value, assessed by the building’s neighbourhood, in the case of any expropriation.

Furthermore, if the transit committee decides to go ahead with the study, the councillor said he would urge other committee members to have the city purchase the homes quickly rather than leaving the homeowners waiting. And if the study results in no action on this plan, he said, the city can simply sell the homes again.

But, Coun. Cullen reminded the group, “We are some miles away from that.’

Should this plan go ahead, he added, further meetings would be held in the community. Environmental assessments are required to examine all reasonable options, the councillor explained, so any community input would be received and considered as part of the process. However one recommendation made during the meeting is already off the table. Residents asked the councillor why the city has not examined removing the bus garage on Queensview Drive as opposed to the 25 homes on Roman Ave. Were that an option, Coun. Cullen said it is likely the homes would not be impacted.

“That what if isn’t going to happen,” the councillor continued. “Because it’s a multi-million dollar facility.

“You have to start the process somewhere and we thought it was important to let you know what’s coming.”

The full staff report is expected to be presented to the city’s transit committee in late May.