dwelling unit have a prominently displayed address number that is at least 5” high, is of a contrasting colour to the backdrop onto which it is mounted, and can be easily seen from the adjacent roadway by police without obstruction. This will optimize the address identification by Police/Fire/Ambulance during an emergency response.

• Pedestrian safety is very important in all residential neighbourhoods. This includes appropriate sidewalk infrastructure to connect to adjacent areas and proper street lighting as well. Lighting provided should be LED, in keeping with the current municipal standard, which helps in promoting public safety.

• Walkways form a critically important and functional component of a community’s active transportation network but their value is directly correlated to how safe they are for users. If a walkway lacks sufficient features to make it safe to use, it will be avoided by lawful users and become more attractive for unlawful usage. Principally speaking, the bottom line for making a walkway as functionally safe as possible is to ensure the following:

  • Provide an adequate minimum width

  • Ensure any landscaping features are placed properly to complement the space but not visually inhibiting it

  • Adequate lighting in place for safe evening usage

  • Fencing to establish border definition and access control but still allowing visibility (ie: steel picket or chain link vs. high board privacy style fencing)

  • Have a layout and orientation that maintains the longest possible line of sight from end to end (straighter walkways are more desirable vs. ones with lots of turns and curves)

The proposed active transportation corridor/walkway (block 88) is both straight and in an ideal location for visual alignment however it is just 3m wide. This is not wide enough to ensure ongoing safe usage. The width of this corridor should be 6m, consistent with widths approved for walkways in other subdivisions and not unlike the 6m width proposed for the easement shown on this plan b etween lots #16 and #17.

• Importantly, the architectural design of the new homes should ideally avoid being entirely of a “ snout house ” appearance. What is being referred to here is where the front entrance of the home is essentially obscured from view from the abutting roadway due and adjacent residences, at least in part, to the protrusion of the attached garage toward the front of the property at the street. A “snout house” design de -emphasizes architectural orientation to the street, thereby reducing the level of natural citizen surveillance within the neighbourhood. Houses where the front door is not easily observable from the roadway can be more susceptible to criminalization since the limited observability of such offers criminals greater discretion when committing break and enter offenses.

In summary, a clause(s) should ideally be inserted into the conditions of approval for this application to address the important issues raised here to ensure they are incorporated.