Planning and development in the Grange

Contributing to Councillor Adam Vaughan’s efforts to create a better model for community involvement in neighborhood planning within Ward 20.  This new “Framework for Community Dialogue” will include “Community Mapping” to identify sensitive development areas, and “Community Report Cards” to assess potential development impacts and to help build community consensus on future development strategies.  This will allow the GCA to access expertise and planning tools, engage effectively in development planning, address specific new developments and Section 37 applications, and champion heritage conservation.

At a December, 2008 inaugural meeting, the community approved the creation of a 16-member Founding GCA Board comprising residents active in community affairs.  Since then, the Board has appointed issue leaders and intensified its activities in collaboration with the Councillor’s office and with other organizations in the Grange.  The Board meets monthly, and has selected an executive to act between meetings.  It is also drafting a GCA constitution and bylaws (including mission, membership, and organizational structure), and developing a longer-term programme strategy and priorities.  The Board will then bring this programme for approval to a first Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the GCA.  To ensure representativeness, the constitution proposes that Board membership be selected by local “caucuses” from four neighborhoods areas, within the Grange community.