Sandwich South needs a reality check

 

Click here to donate to our GoFundMe The Sandwich South Master Servicing Plan is moving ahead A shiny new "Emerald City" is being planned south of Windsor Airport. But the data doesn't support this grand physical expansion. Windsor leadership is very quietly moving ahead on a long term municipal expansion south of Windsor Airport. This project is infinitely bigger than the widely promoted Country Road 42 Secondary Plan that includes the proposed new hospital site. The expansion, to be paid for by Windsor residents, covers a land mass the size of all of Windsor's central neighbourhoods combined. Are Windsor's leaders attempting to recreate the city somewhere else rather than investing in and improving our established neighbourhoods? The financial magnitude of the project has not yet been publicly disclosed. It includes very costly public infrastucture investments such as road widening, as well as re-aligned and expanded sanitary and storm sewers.  Because much of this currently rural land is flood prone, it will also require expensive specialized stormwater management systems to protect existing downstream Windsor neighbourhoods, as well as the adjacent Town of Tecumseh. And because of the proximity to Windsor Airport, special additional measures will be required to reduce the risk of waterfowl attracted to the pools of standing water created by this future stormwater diversion. Right now, the area is active farmland, so water retention ponds are unnecessary today. This servicing plan creates a framework for what could eventually become an entirely new community the size of a small city. The Sandwich South Master Servicing Plan site's area is equivalent to that of Windsor Wards 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 combined. Since Windsor taxpayers will be footing the bill and the city's future population and employment growth are less certain than ever before, why are we investing in such an ill-conceived expansion? This month, the public are invited to give their input before this infrastructure expansion project is approved to move to the next stage. Putting the enormous scale of this project in perspective The Sandwich South Master Servicing Plan covers a currently largely uninhabited 6,400 acre / 2,600 hectare area (outlined in red in the map below) from the E.C. Row Expressway in the north, Walker Rd. in the west, Highway 401 in the south, and Banwell Rd. in the east. It surrounds the 990 acre / 400 hectare County Road 42 Secondary Plan area (the purple perimeter on the map) being planned for the proposed single site acute care hospital, as well as commercial, industrial and low-density residential development. To better understand the scale of this project, the map below represents the size of the area: The area outlined in black is the same size as the Sandwich South Master Servicing Plan. It's equivalent to the area stretching 11 km all the way from the Ambassador Bridge to the WFCU Centre in East Windsor, and from the Detroit River to Tecumseh Rd. Building wider roads to stimulate more car dependency! To demonstrate what is being proposed, one of the public engagement stations shows the many roads to be widened. The accompanying text describes a  need to address future traffic congestion. The coloured lines along and within the project area's red perimeter highlight these roads. Why is there is no mention of the phenomenon of induced demand in the accompanying presentation? For further reading: Traffic engineers know you can’t build your way out of congestion. It’s the design of the roads themselves that cause more traffic. Why is this plan disconnected from Windsor's energy goals? The road widening plans show no compatibility with Windsor's 2017 Community Energy Plan, which specifically commits the city to reduce: per capita energy use by 40% from 2014 baseline by 2041;  per capita Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 40% from 2014 baseline by 2041. Issues that matter to residents: Urban sprawl concerns ignored During a previous public engagement exercise in January 2020, the public articulated many fundamental concerns, including environmental and other consequences resulting from the urban sprawl to be created by the Sandwich South plan: There is no evidence the concerns voiced earlier this year were taken seriously. Though this reflects a major shortcoming in the public consultation process, it's critically important to continue to keep municipal decision makers accountable. So don't give up!   CAMPP has submitted its comments on the Sandwich South Master Servicing Plan We expressed many concerns, including: Uncertain demographic and economic growth: The plan includes the same flat demographic projections that were used when the County Road 42 Secondary Plan was approved by Windsor City Council in August 2018.  Unrealistic new housing needs: We pointed out that the City's entire 20-year projected new housing needs are already being addressed in existing neighbourhoods, through new infill and subdivision projects that are in various stages of planning or construction. Climate Change ignored: There's a complete disconnect to the City of Windsor's climate change policies and action plans. Environmental impacts not evaluated: There is no evaluation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of developing so much active farmland. What negative impacts can be anticipated from the construction of the proposed greenfield hospital 13 km from the heart of Windsor? Consider the environmental consequences of the daily increased driving dependency by thousands of patients, visitors and volunteers, but most importantly, the 5,000+ healthcare workers, many of whom live within walking distance of their workplace today. Costs not disclosed: The plan presents various elaborate options, but there's no disclosure of costs, which may be monumental for Windsor taxpayers. This makes it impossible to provide meaningful feedback.  Flood risk analysis incomplete: Updated flood mapping has not yet been completed, which also limits the usefulness of the public's feedback. Read CAMPP's comments here We urge you to provide your feedback on the Sandwich South Master Servicing Plan. The deadline is October 30, 2020.   Access the public engagement at www.sandwichsouth.ca And now, a reality check: Windsor's 20-year Strategic Vision  describes 3 goals:  1. More jobs in Windsor 2. Addressing Windsor’s reputation 3. Improving quality of life in Windsor Let's imagine what could happen if the astronomical sum of money needed to realize the Sandwich South Master Service Plan was invested in the city's existing neighbourhoods, earmarked to serve the people who already call Windsor home. We could redesign our streets for people and increased active transportation, without widening to accommodate more cars. We could have frequent, efficient and affordable public transit for all. We could have upgraded sewers and stormwater management infrastructure, and feel safely protected from flooding. We could build our new hospital in an existing neighbourhood that is accessible and environmentally responsible.  How would this alternative vision for Windsor's future positively affect the city as we know it today? How much more attractive might Windsor be to new businesses and to younger generations?    Help make this our reality! Windsor-Essex residents deserve a more transparent and accountable decision making process, especially for projects that will affect our community for generations to come.   Access the public engagement at www.sandwichsouth.ca In their own words: Members of our community comment on the issues "60.8% of ALL Windsor & Essex County residents are within a 10 km drive from Met. Only 25.5% (of city & county) are within 10 km of the CR42 location. 86% of all 130,000 ER visits per year are from Greater Windsor. CR42 will put our only ER the farthest from a city centre than any other city in the Country." "I am appalled at the Windsor Essex Development Commission using my money to try to sell this greatly flawed hospital plan ...Giving out "Free Signs"  Outrageous" "Sandwich south doesn't include a plan for affordable housing, stretches public transportation routes (less efficient), is only in range for active transportation for those who live in the immediate neighbourhood, and causes damage to climate change." "I think Premier Doug Ford needs to look at the issues of transportation, flooding and the cost to city tax payers for infrastructure on the land. I acknowledge that Windsor has grown from the inner city. However, I think we need a new location." "It would certainly be folly to even consider the bean field location. Most of the companies in the city are in sunset industries, already we are seeing many of them close down. Sunset industries do not produce growth." "I'm completely fed up with the group that runs the show here. They have never answered any of my questions on this proposed project. None!" "Please people, take a step back and realize what's going on here. Any mall needs an "anchor" store. A big player to anchor all the little stores in between. Mr Dilkens is using our hospital and healthcare and access to it, to anchor a suburb, to justify millions in taxpayer funded expenses to fill in farmland. Well enough, in some eyes, but it also deprives current neighbourhoods of two existing anchors, including 4,000 jobs (Windsor's 2nd largest employer) and their offshoots. New Hospital? Yes. A singular hospital & ER fenced off by an airport? Please, this location is chosen for & by developers, not patients, city or county. (PS not "mega". Same or less beds. Same or less services. One ER)." "An environmental and economic disaster waiting to happen, which is why even developer-owned Conservative and free-spending Liberal governments have not moved forward with this location. Dilkens just bought us hundreds of acres of swamp land."