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Oakvilletosupport businesses affected bydo w n to w nconstruction by Nathan Howes Oakville Beaver Staff 23 |Thursday, April 6, 2017 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Town staff got the go-ahead March 2 0 to work on a plan to soften the economic impact of two major construction projects downtown Oakville. The Downtown Mitigation Strategy Framework, OK'd at the Town' s planning and development meeting, will provide council with an outline of how to support the commercial business district, which may be impacted by the Lakeshore Bridge Reconstruction, to be completed by December 2 0 1 7 , and the 2 0 1 9 -2 0 2 0 Lakeshore Road Streetscape project. The Town recognizes these two ventures will affect businesses in the downtown commercial district, so a detailed plan is being worked on to address four areas -- construction, communications, marketing and economic mitigation. Detailed components, a timeline and associated costs, will be developed over the next eight months and presented to council in early 2018. The renewal of the downtown streetscape is a significant financial investment by the Town to improve appearance and functionality. The end result is expected improve the economic activity in the area. There will be some level of disruption to businesses in the area during the construction period, which is why the town will create a mitigation plan. The Lakeshore Road reconstruction project will begin in spring 2019 and include two phases over a two-year period, with a projected completion date of mid-November 2020. Design of the streetscape has begun and is expected to be finished by the end of 2017. The project will need to be presented late this year or early 2 0 1 8 to meet the construction timeline. Phase 1 will commence in March/April 2019 and be completed in mid-November of that year, while Phase 2 will begin in March/ April 2 0 2 0 and finish by mid-November of that year. According to Town staff, the phased approach will help provide some relief to businesses during the construction period, particularly during busy times in the year, such as the holiday season. As part of the design process, permanent signage and direction will be identified and the introduction of smart technologies will be explored and implemented where needed. It may include technology such as public W i-Fi, digital screens or banners, electricvehicle charging stations and automated vehicular and/or pedestrian measurement. Public consultation and the design of Towne Square will also be undertaken this year, along with a plan for the latter' s implementation. The Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) has been involved in consultations and will continue to provide input as the detailed mitigation plan is developed. PADERNO 75% OFF! Our 10pc Canadiana Cookware set is made from 18/10 stainless steel and features an impact bonded base that's safe for all stovetops of modern kitchens, including induction. Durable riveted handles, no-drip lips, oven and dishwasher safe. Set includes: 1.5L, 2L and 3L saucepans, 5L Dutch oven, 1.5Lsteamer, 24cm /9.5" non-stickfry pan, and 4 stainless steellids. | :cf. nn 1 K B ,| 4 | $ 2 0 9 " PADERNO C A N A D IA N A NOW THROUGH A PR IL 9th ONLY AT: BURLINGTON Appleby Home Hardware 5111 New Street OAKVILLE Maplegrove Home Hardware 511 Maplegrove Drive Goodness Me 2300 Fairview Street MISSISSAUGA Applewood Home Hardware 1077 North Service Road Goodness Me 720 Bristol Road 1-800-A NEW-POT or www.paderno.com. Not all locations open Sunday. Quantities limited, please be early. Sale items may not be exactly as shown. PADERNO n # M a jo r U n iv e rsity h e a rin g stu d y seeks p a r tic ip a n ts . C o n n e ct H earin g, w ith a leading hearin g re se a rch e r a t R yerson U niversity, seeks participants for a hearing study investigating the factors that can influence better hearing. All participants will have a hearing test provided at no charge. The data collected from this study will be used to further our understanding of hearing loss and improve life-changing hearinghealthcare across Canada. often find they can "get by" without help, however as the problem worsens this becom es increasingly harder to do. B y studying those people having difficulty in noise or with television, we hope to identify key factors impacting these difficulties and further understand their influence on the treatm ent process. Interested people can register to be a part of this life changinghearing study* by calling: 1.888.242.4892 or visiting connecthearing.ca/hearing-study. 1. Cruickshanks, K. L., Wiley, T. L., Tweed, T. S., K lein, B. E. K., K lein, R, M ares-Perlm an, J. A., & N ondahl, D. M . (1998). Prevalence o fH e arin g Loss W h y R e se a rc h H e a r in g Lo ss ? Deep inside our ears are several thousand m icroscopic "hair cells." These cells are arranged in rows and each cell is responsible for hearing a specific pitch, sim ilar to th e keys on a pian o. A s w e age, so m e o f these cells b ecom e d am ag ed ... from loud noises, ch ron ic conditions, or the process o f aging itself. Just like a piano with dam aged keys, an ear with dam aged hair cells will m ake things sound muffled and distorted. F o r som e people this loss o f clarity is only a problem at noisy restaurants o r in the car, but for others it makes listening a struggle throughout the entire day. It is estim ated th at 46% o f people aged 4 5 to 8 7 have som e degree o f hearing loss,1 but m ost do n ot seek treatm en t right away. In fact, the average person with hearing loss will wait ten years before seeking help.2 This is because at the beginning stages o f hearing loss people in O lder Adults in Beaver Dam , W isconsin: The Epidem iology o f H earing Loss Study. Am. J. Epidem iol. 148 (9), 879-886. 2. N ational Institutes o fH ealth . (2010). Ryerson University Connect Hearing *Study participants must be over50 years of age and have the option toparticipate. Nofeesand no purchase necessary. ADP,VAC,WSIB, NIHB accepted.