August 22, 2011
Dear Mr. Bridgewater:
Re: Proposed Development at 500 Preston Street
I am writing on behalf of the Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association (CHNA) to comment on the development that is proposed for 500 Preston Street.
While the proposed development at 500 Preston lies just outside the boundaries of the CHNA, it will undoubtedly and significantly affect our neighbourhood. The CHNA represents about 2000 homeowners and tenants in an area bounded by Highway 417 to the North, Carling Avenue to the South, Island Park to the West and the O-Train line to the East.
The CHNA shares the concerns of the Dalhousie Community Association (DCA), the organization representing residents on and near 500 Preston Street. We agree with the DCA’s position that having a 350 foot wall rising straight up from the sidewalk is not good mainstreet development. The CHNA also agrees that there is no compelling reason to support one-off spot rezoning. The City should maintain its current zoning for the area and only rezone through normal neighborhood planning procedures.
Like the DCA, we hope that the City does not engage in ad hoc rezoning at the behest of developers but follows rational plans based on input from the citizens and taxpayers of Ottawa.
Additionally, the CHNA has traffic concerns. We believe that the proposed development at 500 Preston will further exacerbate traffic issues within our neighbourhood. Our community is already suffering from increased volume, speed and noise from car traffic. We are currently attempting to manage the implications of intensification along the O-Train corridor as it affects our area. This new development will only add to the congestion and subsequent flow-through traffic at key choke points like Preston & Carling, Sherwood & Parkdale and the 417 on-ramps. We would like to encourage the City to obtain funding from Mastercraft Starwood for a traffic study of the area if the development at 500 Preston Street proceeds.
Yours truly,
Katherine Steinhoff
VP, CHNA
The Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association (CHNA) is a volunteer, non-profit community group comprised of residents living near the Civic Hospital campus of the Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. To find out more about the CHNA, go to the blog archive for August 2010 on the right and choose “About us”, “Get involved” and ”Get on the CHNA email list".
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