REMINDER: Public Consultation Meeting on Monday January 24th.

Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada has invited us to attend a public consultation meeting. It will review preliminary plans for a proposed relocation of the Central Experimental Farm entrance on Carling Avenue at Maple Drive to Melrose Avenue. (attached is the flyer your received in your mail)

7 – 9 p.m.,

Monday, January 24, 2011.

Central Experimental Farm, K.W. Neatby Building, Salon A,

960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6

The CHNA Executive committee has not yet taken a formal position on the Melrose-CEF entry. However here are some points to consider -

· Justification for closing Maple Drive appears frivolous (an approximate one block move) and without regard for the neighborhood

· The cost for unnecessary roadway modifications in a time of budget constraints is unwarranted

· The full traffic study CEF conducted has not been made available to CHNA for review and discussion

· Signalizing an intersection will have an impact on traffic and the results of which are unknown

· Another set of lights in a heavily signalized corridor (Irving to Holland) will cause more cut-through traffic

We hope that you will be able to attend.

Sincerely,

Amanda Farris

Civic Hospital Neigbourhood Association

Central Experimental Farm Maple Drive Entrance Relocation - Public Consultation Meeting

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada invites you to attend a public consultation meeting. It will review preliminary plans for a proposed relocation of the Central Experimental Farm entrance on Carling Avenue at Maple Drive to Melrose Avenue.

7 - 9 p.m. Monday January 24, 2011

Central Experimental Farm, K.W. Neatby Building, Salon A, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6

A Management Plan was prepared in 2003 as a long term framework for managing the Central Experimental Farm (CEF). It recommends relocating the CEF's main entrance on Carling Avenue as a way to "To sustain a cultural landscape of national historic significance through a reinvigorated and ongoing agricultural research program".

Ottawa City Councillors, Katherine Hobbs and Maria McRae, officials from Agriculture and Agri Food Canada, and Public Works and Government Services Canada, and the Consulting Team will be available to discuss concept plans and take your questions. Your input is vital at this stage of the project.

During this consultation, you will be able to:

• Review the Management Plan and a summary of the Traffic Study for the Central Experimental Farm Entrance Relocation and related objectives
• Provide comments and bring forth any issues that you may have with regard to the proposed plan

Comments

• For more information and/or to submit comments, please send an e-mail.:CEFplan@agr.gc.ca
• Comments should be submitted by Monday, January 17, 2011.

Background information

• The Management Plan
• The Traffic Study (Executive Summary)

Update on 125 Hickory Street

On Tuesday, January 4th, CHNA Secretary Alayne McGregor, CHNA Traffic Committee Chair Peter Eady and CHNA Vice President Katherine Steinhoff met with Kitchissippi Ward Councillor Katherine Hobbs and city staff to discuss the site plan for 125 Hickory Street.

The staff report to the City’s Planning Committee on the rezoning of 125 Hickory said: “Possible improvements to the local roadways will be considered through the related site plan application”. This is what CHNA discussed.

CHNA reiterated its request for no-entry signs during rush hours at intersections near 125 Hickory, as outlined in the association’s submission on 125 Hickory.

We also raised a variety of other issues, including the need for traffic calming measures on Sherwood.

City staff said they have secured cash contributions from the developer (or developers) :
1. For a pedestrian bridge over the O-Train
2. And $30,000 for other traffic calming measures

Staff said we could use the money to take a few, small immediate measures or put it in a pot towards a traffic study. It was not clear what area a study would cover or how long it would take for a study to start and finish. It also wasn’t clear where the rest of the money would come from. A traffic study usually costs about $100,000 to $150,000. And there is no money in the Community Development Plan for a traffic study according to City staff.

CHNA also asked staff if they are considering measures to encourage people to use public transit. And no they’re not.

Staff said that the developer is attempting to interest a grocery store in occupying the commercial space on the ground floor of the 125 Hickory Street development.

At the end of the meeting, the City promised to send CHNA a variety of options to consider. And we committed to provide additional details regarding our suggestions.

Ottawa police report rash of burglaries in Glebe, Civic Hospital area

Ottawa Citizen January 6, 2011 5:02 PM

OTTAWA — About 25 houses have been broken into in the Glebe and Civic
Hospital neighbourhoods in the past week, a period that last year saw just
one such burglary.

Many of the break-ins have been during the day, Ottawa police said in a
news release Thursday, with thieves forcing back doors or windows.

They’re making off with cash, jewelry and small electronics, police said.

They’re asking anyone who sees suspicious people or activity to call 911.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Ottawa+police+report+rash+burglaries+Glebe+Civic+Hospital+areas/4071441/story.html

Parkdale Avenue Corridor Plan

In 2009, Creative Neighbourhoods engaged a team from McGill University's School of Urban Planning to produce a plan for Parkdale Avenue that identifies long-, medium- and short-term opportunities and actions, relating to local issues such as land use, streetscaping, traffic management, and air quality monitoring.

The community engagement process started with a workshop involving residents of the Hintonburg and Civic Hospital neighbourhoods followed by larger public meetings of both communities. The study's 34 recommendations http://www.acaciaconsulting.ca/creativeneighbourhoods/reports/cn_mcgill_2009.pdf were discussed at a public meeting in December 2009 with the city councillor's staff present.

In an October 2010 meeting, representatives of the Hintonburg and Civic Hospital neighbourhood associations agreed on the issues and discussed moving forward on the opportunities with the new council. Seven projects are highlighted at http://friendsofparkdale.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/the-parkdale-avenue-plan-seven-profile-projects to build respect for our neighbourhoods.

By Keith Hobbs