Highlights of CHNA Public Meeting on April 20th

Guest speakers

Councillor Katherine Hobbs led off the evening with a presentation on what is happening in Ottawa and the CHNA area. She said we have to balance how we maintain a community as things grow and swell around us.

“There’s a lot of development being planned for this corridor because it is close to transit and it is easier from the City’s perspective to cluster the density there, and have people use public transit rather than being in cars,” she told the meeting. When asked whether the city has a plan to minimize the impact of that development on the Civic Hospital Neighbourhood — especially the anticipated increase in traffic — she said no. “Until people decide to get out of their cars,” she said, we have to accept that traffic and parking will continue to be problems in our community.

Hobbs spoke to a variety of issues, including parking, development, the O-Train, the upcoming roadwork at Carling near Merivale and the Community Design Plan along the Light Rail Train corridor.

She also mentioned that she has been working with the non-profit group, the Civic Hospital Area Parks and Recreation Committee (CHAPaRC), on the possibility of restoring at least part of Reid Farm House at Reid Park and merging this project with the needs of the community.

Neill Ritchie of Ritchie Feed & Seed gave solid advice on what to do to rejuvenate a lawn in the spring and how to fight nasty pests such as Lily Beetles and Japanese Beetles.

Many thanks Neil and Councillor Hobbs.

Upcoming events

CHNA Treasurer Amanda. Farris reminded members about upcoming events:
- Cleaning the Capital – our Parks – Sat April 30th, 9-11AM
Rain Date Sun May 1st This includes Reid, Fairmont and Ev Tremblay Parks. Gloves, garbage bags, lawn & leaf bags etc will be provided as well as some light refreshments.
- Parks Information Meeting – Tue May 10th, 7-9PM
Join us at the Civic Hospital Amphitheatre (2nd floor) to discuss park improvements. Guest speaker is John Rapp, Executive Director of Dovercourt.
- Barrie Street Yard Sale and Street Party – Sat June 25th
- Parks BBQ at Reid Park – Sat June 25th, 5-7PM
Join us at Reid Park for a community BBQ. Bring your own food, beverages, something to share, plus your own chairs, small tables, picnic.

A big thank you to Realtor Susan Chell for supporting CHNA with the printing
and mailing of the CHNA newsletter. Her contribution has helped keep the
2000 CHNA households informed.

Planning and development committee report

CHNA Vice President Katherine Steinhoff said the association had issued a media release in January expressing concerns about the possibility of Mastercraft Starwood building a 35 storey building at 500 Preston near Carling. She also said that the CHNA is following the City’s consultation’s on infill development and has been posting information on the blog. She reported at length on the association’s work in connection with the 125 Hickory Street site plan approval process, noting that the City had secured cash contributions from the developer for $30,000 worth of traffic ameliorations. The City had informed the association that the money could be used to take a few, small immediate measures or put in a pot towards a larger traffic study of the area. A study normally costs about $100,000 to $150,000. The CHNA executive recommended that the money go towards a traffic study.

Members at the public meeting on April 20th agreed to approve the executive’s recommendation, but asked for an amendment that would allow the association to use the money on another measure in the next year or so, if another measure was deemed more worthwhile than a study. Members were concerned about the amount of time it would take to do a study. The CHNA was under the impression that it would take at least a couple of years to further fund and conduct a study. In March, Councillor Hobbs had informed us that “Given the pace of development in the area it is possible that this [the $100,000 to $150,000 needed for a study] could be secured in the near future.” But at our meeting on April 20th, Hobbs indicated it would take 10 years to fund and conduct a study.

CHNA Secretary Alayne McGregor gave a follow-up report. She said the CHNA has been attending the Public Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings which have been established to assist with the City’s Community Development Plan study for the area along the Light Rail Train (LRT) corridor from Carling Avenue to Bayview. The PAC is expected to start the Carling portion of the study in June.

Alayne also updated members on the OC Transpo cuts in the area.

Traffic committee report

Traffic Committee Chair Peter Eady told members that the committee is developing a strategic plan. He said the committee has been involved in the site plan approval process for 125 Hickory Street and made comments to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as part of the consultation process for a proposed relocation of the Central Experimental Farm entrance on Carling Avenue at Maple Drive to Melrose Avenue. He also pointed out that Matthew Wells and Jean Marc Comeau have been attending consultation meetings in regard to the Western Light Rail Transit Corridor and reporting back to the executive.

CHAPaRC report

The Civic Hospital Area Parks and Recreation Committee (CHAPaRC) is better known as the Parks Committee and is a separate organization from CHNA although they work closely together on many related issues. CHAPaRC President Sara Nixon explained than group is not focused on traffic and development issues but rather on the ‘fun stuff’ like recreational opportunities for the 2000 households within the neighbourhood boundaries. She encouraged members to become involved in the park improvement process since the land is extremely valuable and if we don’t take ownership we risk losing these resources to other undesirable uses.

The need for improved park services and programs is evident and is fully supported by Councillor Hobbs. She reminded attendees to take the on-line Parks Survey so that residents can detail their park usage and what type of improvements they would make. The Parks Committee also has a planned Information Meeting on Tuesday May 10th from 7-9PM in the Civic Hospital Amphitheatre to discuss the future of our three neighbourhood parks, the survey results, and to hear guest speaker John Rapp of Dovercourt discuss the unique contribution a community center adds to a neighbourhood. The Parks Committee is also sponsoring a Reid Park BBQ on Sat June 25th 5-7PM to meet your neighbours and to discuss the vision for improved parks and services.

CHAPaRC is a non-profit volunteer organization with charitable status dedicated to revitalizing and preserving the parks within our neighbourhood . The CHNA has a CHAPaRC liason.