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Residents balk at traffic, noise and safe haven plan continued from p.1 two minutes," said resident Cindy Wagg, pointing to Speers Road and non-residential areas. Resident Ella Kokotsis says thousands of children and teens in the Rebecca Street area travel to school by bus, bicycle or on foot. The area also has a daycare centre, retirement residence, churches and a library. Kokotsis and others are concerned about pedestrian safety. But Greg Sage, chief, Halton Region Paramedic Services, says the Region's real estate department did an extensive search for a location. Other sites, including Speers Road, would not accomplish the target to cover the region within a five-minute drive of any station. Now, if an emergency happens here, ambulances respond from stations on Bronte Road, Cornwall Road and Cumberland Avenue in Burlington. The community also has a single paramedic in an SUV on duty for part of the day. "My primary focus is to increase levels of service to the public," Sage said, who noted the area of coverage for the planned station is from Bronte to Kerr Street, south of Speers Road to Lake Ontario. It would fill a current gap in coverage from Burloak to Kerr, south of Rebecca to the lake. After the Region purchased the land, only homes within the required radius were notified of the plans for the EMS station. Residents were displeased that more community members were not made aware of the situation. Kokotsis and her husband Robert Maccarone distributed leaflets to 300 homes and about 70 residents attended a meeting last week to discuss their concerns. "We were blindsided. Turning a church into an ambulance station is pretty significant. And there was no consultation," he said. But Halton Region representatives say they can work with the community and take steps to address concerns related to noise from ambulance sirens. As well, traffic lights at Warminster Drive and Rebecca can be controlled by the paramedics leaving the station, giving the ambulance a safe entrance onto the road, all but eliminating the need for sirens. Many residents are also concerned about what will be done with the rest of the land. The Region purchased two acres, but only about one-third of an acre is needed for the station. Cathy Duddeck, Ward 2 town and regional councillor, assured residents that future development will be subject to community consultation. She explained development related to police, fire and ambulance services is not required to go through public consultation. But development on the rest of the site will be subject to regular municipal planning rules. While residents have expressed concerns about the possibility of a methadone clinic or low-income housing on the site, Duddeck said she had assurances this would not be the case. Another aspect of the plan that worries residents is the inclusion of a safe haven -- where a person can safely lock themselves in a fourby-four feet vestibule if they feel they are in danger. It would also feature a phone for calling 911. "If someone is in danger, they can be followed by danger. Does this create a dangerous situation in our neighbourhood?" Kokotsis said. But Gage explains many individuals seek help at an EMS station for injuries, etc. A safe haven would give them an area to feel safe and seek help if paramedics are out on a call. "This is similar to other jurisdictions. I added it in because I thought it would be beneficial. But we can take it out if needed and just have a phone outside the station," Gage said. Duddeck told residents, saying she "seriously doubted" the Region would change its mind about the station location. But she told them they could approach regional council with their concerns. The church is to be demolished this fall and construction begin in late 2014 with the station set to open in 2015. Information about the plan is at www.halton.ca/SWOakvilleStation. 15 | Friday, September 20, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com European Engineering Combined With Traditional Workmanship "Building on the Brightest Ideas Around Glass" 905.849.0266