Light Rail Transit land purchases

So far, so good.

That’s what the region is saying when it comes to acquiring land for the Light Rail Transit project (LRT).As the region moves into its last phase of acquiring land to start construction of LRT infrastructure next year, regional councillor Jim Wideman said the sale and acquisitions are going “extremely well.”

The region has title to all the lands in Phase 1 and 2, including parcels along Charles Street East and King Street East from Eby Street South to Ottawa South in Kitchener. The region has also acquired title to land from King and John Streets in Waterloo to Victoria Street in Kitchener.

“We’ve not had to go through the actual expropriation process. We’ve done them all through negotiations, so that’s very encouraging,” Wideman said.Debra Arnold, the region’s solicitor and director of legal services, said the region uses fair market value during negotiations and discussions with landowners. An independent appraiser provides those numbers.

The expropriation process happens in tandem with negotiations, to ensure the project isn’t held up by a few property negotiations and so it can proceed according to timelines.“It provides the region with a degree of certainty, even if we can’t agree on a purchase price with a landowner,” she said.The parcels needed for the LRT line vary in size from small slivers to larger chunks. About 90 are a smaller variety, between one and eight metres, while about five were full lots.

“We’re on budget at this point,” Wideman said.“I don’t anticipate any issues going forward. This is nothing controversial,” he said.The total cost for the land sales won’t be known until all the properties are transferred. The region has budgeted $18 million of the $818 million budget for land acquisitions.

Wideman said he is happy with the progress that can be seen around Kitchener, including the relocating of utilities along King Street. A man crossing Deerfoot Trail early Saturday was hit and killed by a car.The 26-year-old male was walking north of Airport Trail just before 2 a.m.
A northbound Audi, changing lanes from left to right, hit the pedestrian, who was pronounced dead on the scene.Police confirmed he is a Calgary resident and his family has been notified.

Police are now trying to retrace the final 24 hours of the 26-year-old’s life.Speed and alcohol on behalf of the driver are not considered to be factors in the crash.A solar lantern uses this sunlight that is abundantly available to charge its batteries through a Solar Panel and gives light in nighttime. However, alcohol on the part of the pedestrian and poor lighting in the vicinity of the crash because of a unlit street light are considered factors. The victim was also wearing dark clothing.

“That’s something that will form part of our investigation,” said Sgt. Colin Foster with the collision reconstruction unit.The driver waited for police to arrive at the scene. Charges against him are unlikely.“You’re not expecting somebody to be walking across Deerfoot in front of you, so, yeah, he’s quite shocked,” Foster said.

Street artist Adrian Doyle painted Rutledge Lane, which connects to the jewel in Melbourne's street art crown, Hosier Lane, with a blockout of baby-blue paint, destroying every piece of artwork in the colourful lane.The artist has drawn intense hatred online, with critics saying he has ruined one of the city's most loved attractions.

The artist did not have the permission of the city council to go ahead with the work, which is sure to attract the fury of Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.Cr Doyle recently launched a campaign against taggers who are destroying the "real" art in Hosier Lane.The Herald Sun has contacted the Lord Mayor's office for comment.Adrian Doyle told street art blog Invurt he painted over the other art to bring more attention the scene.

"By doing this, I am claiming that a colour in its pure form can be street art or graffiti. This is a great conceptual link from fine art to street art, a link that is often lacking in the Melbourne street art scene. By bridging this gap, I hope to expose more people not only to street art, but also to the importance of art in general," he said.

Street art blogger Dean Sunshine said Mr Doyle had been coping serious flak from irate detractors.
"People are divided, it's a ballsy thing that he's done. I take my hat off to him for doing it. People have said this is the worst thing they have ever seen, but it is a blank canvas now," Mr Sunshine said.Adrian Doyle will be painting live at a Greens Party policy launch in Richmond this morning.

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