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New French high school takes root on McCraney St. E. Town will take a `holistic' look at area traffic to address residents' concerns by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Thursday, February 13, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com A plan for a new French high school at 1055 and 1065 McCraney St. E. is moving ahead -- despite concerns raised by nearby residents. After hearing Town of Oakville staff recommendations and then listening to residents argue both sides of the issue, Oakville's Planning and Development Council gave the plan the green light Monday. Councillors supported the sale of surplus lands, currently occupied by the north campus of White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS), and rezoning it to allow French school board Conseil Scolaire Viamonde (CSV) to build a high school for 300-500 students in Grades 7-12. The decision came after a three-hour debate that saw councillors and residents put Town staffers in the hot seat about why they were recommending the plan. Residents, who packed into Council Chambers to voice their opinion, took to the microphone to express why they don't want the development built at all. Carolyn Little, who lives in west Oakville, but works in the area and whose mother lives there, showed councillors a petition signed by more than 400 people against the building of the school. Little noted many residents' concerns stem from the traffic the school will bring to the area, which is already congested. "I just think adding another school will exasperate the (traffic) system," she said. Other residents echoed her concerns, noting traffic and safety are a problem on McCraney St. E., as well as on surrounding streets like Montclair and Sewell drives. They were skeptical of the Town's report, which states the proposed school would not impact overall traffic operations and mitigating measures would be put in place to address some of the current issues. Not everyone was convinced the new school would be a negative. Helene Lavictoire, president of the school council at CSV's Ridge Drive school, École secondaire Gaétan-Gervais, argued the proposed new school plan would generate minimal impact. At the Ridge Drive French high school, which is shared with an elementary school there are 10 school buses, she said. Lavictoire noted the new school has plans to accommodate 20 buses, but won't reach that maximum for a number of years. "I would ask you not to stop the process for the planning of the zoning and the bylaw changes because of the current issues that are already in place in the community," she said. "There are a lot of Francophone families in Oakville, so for us, we've waited a long time to have a French-language school in the community. For years, we've been busing our children to Mississauga for more than an hour each way," Lavictoire said, when asked by a councillor what impact deferring a decision could have on the school's plans. Other residents said there's a need within the community for a French high school and that it would be beneficial for the community as a whole to provide that access for children. Meanwhile, in an effort to address some of the existing traffic concerns raised by residents, Ward 5 Regional and Town Councillor Jeff Knoll called for installing a midblock pedestrian traffic light immediately to alleviate some of the existing congestion. Staff has been directed to take a "holistic" approach in looking at both vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area and surrounding streets as it relates to the new French school. Town CAO Ray Green said he will return to council in about eight weeks with a comprehensive report analyzing the traffic data. He committed to installing a new pedestrian traffic light in place of the existing crosswalk that connects WOSS' campuses in September when the new school year begins. The new French school will be on an eastern parcel of surplus lands next to WOSS' north campus. It will front onto McCraney Street East, and is poised to be up to a maximum of three storeys in height. The plan also calls for a mini soccer field, bus bay parking along McCraney Street East and shared parking between the new school and the existing WOSS north campus. More surplus land to the north, which the Town is purchasing from Halton District School Board, will be open for community use. The Town plans to keep the soccer fields and build a 100-metre track and 300-metre trail facility. The Town and CSV will also share access to the existing baseball diamonds, soccer field and track facilities. We Offer A Wide Selection Of Furniture, Fabric, Lighting And Accessories, And Complimentary Design Service. Home away from Home with a tropical flair is one of many styles you can create for you Sunroom, Cottage & Kitchen dinette HOME FURNISHINGS AND ACCESSORIES OAKVILLE 905-845-6556 · 427 SPEERS RD. UNIT 6 (BETWEEN DORVAL & 4TH LINE) www.palmabrava.com