|
Oak Ridges Community Centre |
 |
 |
|
Sunday, 14 August 2011 21:14 |
Oak Ridges residents will no longer feel like Richmond Hill’s “second-class citizens” with the opening of a new community centre, Ward 1 Councillor Greg Beros said.
The Oak Ridges Community Centre project is on schedule and expected to open in December, said the lifelong Oak Ridges resident, during a tour of what will be the town’s largest and most eco-friendly facility of its kind.
The $30.7-million project is under budget and is not expected to exceed forecasted expenses.
While the facility is still very much a hard-hat and steel-toe construction site, the views from the building’s western exposure across the shores of Lake Wilcox illustrate Mr. Beros’ claim the environment was the prime factor in the building’s design.
From the renewable energy functionality of the centre and interactive and educational resources to the building’s relationship to the surrounding Oak Ridges Moraine, it’s easy to see this faciity will be like no other in town.
“We have made painstaking effort to take environment to heart with every aspect of this centre’s design,” said Mr. Beros, who heads the project’s steering committee.
“It’s not the King City moraine or Uxbridge moraine — it’s (named) Oak Ridges moraine for a reason, so we want this centre to epitomize what the surrounding area is really about,” he added.
The 56,000-square-foot centre will be equipped with a 7,700-square-foot gymnasium, plus a fitness centre and a pool featuring six 25-metre lanes and a water slide.
What separates this facility from others are green sensibilities that are too many to mention.
A partnership has been established with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to provide an ecological education centre within the building. Town and Toronto Region Conservation Authority nature trails will lead to the education centre, where you can learn more about the land you have just walked across.
Environmentally sensitive glass has been placed throughout the building, equipped to retain warmth during the winter while repelling glare and heat infiltration during summer. The glass also provides lake views from multiple areas of the centre.
A green roof across the building’s back deck will be layered with 10 centimetres of soil and sprout various plants to cool and shade the centre during the growing season.
Next spring, 70 per cent of the green roof will be planted, increasing to 90 per cent the following year.
High efficiency insulation, automatic shutoff lights, low-flow toilets, grey water collection from the roof and an air filtration system in the pool area contribute to a 40-per-cent energy savings and 50-per-cent water savings in daily operation.
Such measures have the community centre in line to achieve at least a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating from the Canadian Green Building Council. The town, however, is still pushing to achieve the higher gold rating, town environmental services director Terry Ricketts said.
Outside the building, 50 per cent of the property is expected to be left in its natural state to reduce maintenance costs, while parking lot medians will act as bio-swales, stocked with iron-enriched sand to filter runoff before it enters a stormwater management pond and is deposited into nearby Lake Wilcox.
Centre employees will also be encouraged to be green, as there are staff bicycle storage facilities and staff showers available to those who commute on two wheels.
While the efforts taken to reduce a carbon footprint are great, Mr. Beros said many people will derive additional pleasure by recognizing their own fingerprints in the building’s amenities and design.
“Some residents may not believe it, but we do take their comments into consideration and I think many will see their input in the available features,” Mr. Beros said.
“After all, it’s their money that builds this and we want to respect the taxpayer,” he added.
One such public request being fulfilled is the large family change room, equipped with 12 stalls, each appearing roomy enough for a parent with a stroller and several children.
“That was something we heard a lot — ‘get the change rooms right’,” Mr. Beros said, adding, as a father of two, he shared that exact request.
The second-term councillor is “stoked” for the day he can proudly welcome his community to the new centre, claiming Oak Ridges has lacked the services and amenities available in the rest of town.
Soon, instead of residents heading south or north to Aurora for a modern community centre, Mr. Beros foresees residents from southern Richmond Hill and the surrounding area coming to the Oak Ridges Community Centre for its unique amenities.
“This has been a long time coming and this will really give Oak Ridges a proud sense of identity,” he said, adding talk of a modern community centre has been ongoing since he was a boy.
“This is an exciting time for Oak Ridges,” he added.
For more information visit www.richmondhill.ca/orcc |
|
Strategic Plan |
|
|
|
Tuesday, 10 May 2011 12:57 |
|
Richmond Hill Recognized for Its Strategic Plan Receives Honourable Recognition from the Association of Strategic Planning RICHMOND HILL –The Town of Richmond Hill was awarded honorable recognition by the Association for Strategic Planning for its Strategic Plan. Recognized in the Government, non-profit or academic organization category, Richmond Hill is only the second Canadian municipality to be recognized in the 10 years the award has been granted.
The Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award honours excellence in strategic planning. It aims to promote an ongoing commitment of the highest merit in strategic planning, strives to fuel originality during the course of strategic planning and gives credit to organizations pioneering a new strategic practice.
“This is a great honour and also not the first time we have been recognized for the work we undertook in developing our Strategic Plan,” said Mayor Dave Barrow. “These special awards recognize not only the hard work of Town staff and Council, but also acknowledge the community itself and the people who participated.”
The Strategic Plan, which focuses on the goals and aspirations of the people, provides a long-term vision and direction for the Town by stating: “Richmond Hill, where people come together to build our community”. The plan clearly articulates a mission, vision, goals, outcomes and strategies that respect the balance between people, the environment and the economy, while also inspiring change.
“The community engagement process was forward thinking for many reasons,” said Mayor Barrow. “It was unique. The consultation methods stressed the importance of the Town going to residents for their opinions rather than waiting for residents to come to us.”
Over 2,000 people were consulted during the People Plan Strategic Plan process. Online surveys, community forums, social media, ethnic forums, youth contests, email blasts, event launches, summits, community roundtables, brand and marketing materials were some of the consultation mediums that were employed. Other original ideas used to develop the Strategic Plan were the use of appreciative inquiry and emergent strategy, the commitment of Council and staff and the use of an integrated approach to conduct the public consultation for both a Strategic Plan and an Official Plan simultaneously.
The Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award was named after Richard Alan Goodman, an expert in organization strategy and innovation. He was a professor of management at UCLA Anderson School of Management for 37 years. As an industry expert to the governments of Spain, Israel and the United States, Goodman was a trusted advisor to many clients. A member of the Board of Directors for the Association for Strategic Planning, he was integral in the creation of the annual award. |
|
Beros Sworn In At Ceremonial Inaugural Meeting |
|
|
|
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 15:22 |
|
New Richmond Hill Council “Set The Stage” for Upcoming Term 2010-2014 Council Officially Sworn In At Ceremonial Inaugural Meeting
RICHMOND HILL - Last night, the Town of Richmond Hill 2010-2014 Council was officially sworn in at its Inaugural Meeting. Mayor Dave Barrow Councillor Beros and Members of Council, upon the stage of the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, set the stage for the next four years.
The proceedings began with each Member of Council delivering their Declarations of Office followed by Mayor Barrow taking centre stage to speak on Council’s behalf of what lies ahead in this new term of office. The Mayor started by committing to the audience that Council will continue to involve them in their decisions by following the Town’s process used for public consultation in the recently adopted Strategic Plan: “Rest assure that Council will continue to engage you to progress with us because, together, we are the place where people come together to build our community.” Councillor Beros spoke of his passion for the Oak Ridges community and his personal commitment to continue to listen and meet with residents to continue with initiatives started in his first term. |
|
|
