BEASLEY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 20I7 bnaBeasley Neighbourhood Association N TABLE OF James Hughson John Catharine Mary Elgin Ferguson Wellington CONTENTS CN Rail Tracks Murray History & Methodology 2 Progress Update 4 Barton Neighbourhood Action Evaluation 6 What We’ve Learned about Beasley 8 Beasley Community Survey 10 Robert The Plan MacLaren Park Health & Wellbeing 12 Cannon Safety 20 Parks & Recreation 26 Kelly Beasley Park Diversity & Inclusion 32 Dr. Davey School Wilson Summary of Objectives 38 Rebecca King William Gore Park King Main The Beasley Planning Team was created in 2015. An informal group of BNA volunteers committed to reviewing and revising the Beasley Neighbourhood Plan. Over the course of 15 months, more than two dozen volunteers would participate, and this work would not have been possible without their hard work on donated evenings and weekends. This would also not be possible without the tireless work of Beasley’s community developer, Brandon Braithwaite, as well as the many other Social Planning & Research Council community developers who work on behalf of downtown Hamilton residents. We also thank the City of Hamilton’s Neighbourhood Action Strategy and Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr for their focus on making Beasley a better place to live, work and play, as well as the Hamilton Community Foundation for its support to Hamilton’s neighbourhoods. Many thanks also to Sara Clausnitzer for her photography, Paul Elia for his art, as well as the many, many community members who shared memories & photos you see in this plan. Finally, we sincerely thank all the people who live, work and play in the Beasley community for sharing their thoughts, ideas, and vision for a better Beasley. 2 Welcome Message The first Beasley Neighbourhood Plan, published in 2011, became a guide to drive community pride and ownership with the goal of improving the overall quality of life for residents today - and in the future. In 2015, members of the Beasley Neighbourhood Association recognized the need to update, refine, and expand on the actions established in the 2011 Plan. So much had changed in Beasley since 2011, and many of the first plan’s actions were coming to fruition. We recognized that we needed to take stock of our successes while scoping out weaknesses from new vantage points. We are proud to publish this first update to the Beasley Neighbourhood Plan, and we hope it acts as a kind of road-map to direct the energies of the BNA and its Charter partners, especially the City of Hamilton and its agencies, over the next five years. This plan is the culmination of hundreds of hours of volunteer time, many in-kind and donated resources, and the energy of a team of enthusiastic residents who want to improve their community. After some hard years, the Beasley Badger is standing proud and tall again, and the neighbourhood is excited about its place as the dynamic and diverse heart of the city. It is important to note that this is a living document: as the findings of the NeighbourhoodAction Evaluation demonstrate, these visions for a better Beasley may evolve over time as priorities change, champions move in and out, and resources come and go. We believe that a flexible approach to issues management is important, but the objectives and actions reflect the best resident-driven ideas for building up our community. With a view to the year 2020, the BNA looks forward to working with all interested residents and stakeholders on achieving the very attainable goals in this Plan. Sincerely, Allison Chewter Cindy Stover Mike Borrelli President Secretary Treasurer First published in Hamilton, Ontario in February 2017 by: THE BEASLEY BADGER WANTS bnaBeasley Neighbourhood Association www.ourbeasley.com YOU!1 HISTORY & METHODOLOGY The foundation of the first plan The creation of the 2011 plan was undertaken through the direction of the Beasley Neighbourhood Charter and a group of local stakeholders convened by the Beasley Neighbourhood Association (BNA). The plan supported community bridge-building, inclusivity, and hearing a diversity voices, and these values were integral to its development. Community engagement and two-way information sharing were facilitated through open table-discussions at Charter meetings, and a Community Survey administered through the BNA Participants included: ● Residents and business stakeholders in the community ● Local and provincial governments and their agencies ● Schools and religious communities ● Charitable and other mission based organizations serving in Beasley Planning themes were established and detailed objectives were broken into specific action items that became a list of priority projects identified by the City’s Neighbourhood Action Strategy. 2 Redevelopment of the plan The redevelopment of the Neighbourhood Plan began in mid-2015 with the forming of the BNA Planning Team, consisting of members from the Association’s executive and a large cross-section of residents, community partners, and service providers. Public engagement Public engagement in the planning process was anchored in four pillars: 1. Regular meetings of the Planning Team 2. Public engagement events at the Beasley Community Centre (three in total) 3. 2016 Beasley community survey 4. The use of online/internet engagement tools to geographically map community assets and liabilities. At the initial meetings of the planning team in September 2015, and at a public engagement exercise held at the BCC on November 25th, 2015, themes that had been developed from the 2011 Plan’s goals were explored in order to reconfirm resident commitment to the BNA’s mission & vision, and to explore the values inherent in the 2011 Plan. These discussions identified the four key themes that will be the focus of the 2017 Plan: ● Health & Wellbeing ● NEIGHBOURHOOD Safety ● Parks & Recreation ● Diversity & Inclusion Limitations The following work reflects in-person, survey and online engagement that sampled a limited number of individuals in an effort to draw a broader picture of an incredibly diverse neighbourhood with changing demographics. The BNA is always striving to reach out further, and this Plan is a living document that, like Beasley, will change over the next four years as additional residents become involved, and new actions emerge. 3 BEASLEY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN PROGRESS UPDATE OBJECTIVE: OBJECTIVE: Improve Parks, Promote Beasley Recreation & As A Great Place Gathering To Live Places BEASLEY & MCLAREN PARK REDEVELOPMENT BEASLEY BANNERS Last year the BNA and the City of Hamilton started work on the redevelopment of two of our Thanks to generous donations from Cogeco, Jason neighbourhood parks. While Beasley Park is still in the design phase; work on Mclaren Park Farr, Ward 2 City Councillor and Glen Norton from has already started. Thanks to the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion and the Urban Renewal Planning & Economic Develop- volunteers from the neighbourhood, who organized a neighbourhood engagement event and ment Department, the Beasley neighourhood will be spend all day on a Saturday talking to a wide variety of people who use the park on a regular decorated with colourful banners that celebrate the basis about their ideas. diversity and resilience of the neighbourhood. Mclaren park is one of the smallest, yet most heavily used parks in Hamilton. It was identi- The first phase of the banner project was completed fied in our neighbourhood plan as a park that needed some TLC. Look for improvements to in the fall of 2014! 40 banners have been installed happen over time. If you take a stroll down John Street to the park you’ll notice a much nicer all along Ferguson Avenue, running from King Wil- looking cast iron fence has replaced the chain link liam down to Barton. The banners are a variety of that gives the park a better look, while still provid- bright, vivid colours and each feature a different “be- statement”. All of the “Be-statements” were created ing safety from the busy street. and chosen in many brainstorming sessions with the residents at our Beasley Neighoubhood Charter The kids and youth asked for a larger grass soccer meetings. pitch so the basketball court is being moved to the asphalt pit and grass is now covering the old court. For the second phase of the banner project, we There are also plans to tear down the concrete hope to install more banners along Cannon, Wilson building and add better lighting in order to make and John Streets in the near future. the park safer at night. OBJECTIVE: CANNON STREET BIKELANES Health and Well OBJECTIVE: Being Of The In September 2013, City Council voted unanimously to support Promote Livable Community Street and Traffic the installation of two-way bike lanes on Cannon St. through the downtown core. Over just a few short months, the Yes We Design Cannon campaign convinced councillors that a prominent east/ west bike route on Cannon will be good for residents & cyclists, and will not greatly impact drivers. MCLAREN CUP AND NEIGHBOURHOOD HOOPS Yes We Cannon was a local, grassroots movement, gathering Hamiltonians to petition City This past summer the BNA helped organize the 2nd annual Mclaren Cup. During the last week Council to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety in the lower city by taking one simple step. of August dozens of neighbourhood kids came out to practice soccer skills and play in some The mission was to create a bi-directional bike lane, running the full length of Cannon organized games, finishing off on the weekend before school with an all day tournament and Street, by 2015. the crowning of the Mclaren Cup Champions. Thanks to the Youth Out Reach Workers, Y on Wheels and the West Hamilton Youth Soccer club for helping to make this happen! A cycling trip is only as safe as the least safe part of the journey. Adding bike lanes to Cannon Street provides us an opportunity to make our roads safer, our communities better 'Neighbourhood Hoops' campaign brings Mac basketball connected, and our citizens healthier and happier! to Beasley Park.