Category: Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA)

Abandoned building – 248 Cowley Avenue

Letter to Mayor and Councillors from the CPCA

248 Cowley AveDear Mayor and Councillors
Re: Abandoned building, 248 Cowley Avenue
The Champlain Park Community Association is pleased to learn that the City is undertaking a review of its policies and by-laws regarding abandoned buildings.  Abandoned buildings have been an issue of  broad concern across the city and the current review and consideration of new policies and action to address the associated problems are welcomed.
We would like to bring your particular attention to an abandoned house and property in our neighbourhood at 248 Cowley Avenue.  The house on the property has been vacant for close to 20 years and is currently in an unsalvageable state of repair. It is an eyesore and more importantly is a real and potential hazard especially to the adjoining property owners.  The roof is open to the weather at several points, soffits have collapsed and the walls are at similar risk.  Materials that have fallen from the house litter the property and the yard is not maintained. The property is partially boarded up but it clearly meets neither the requirements of the Property Standards By-law 2005-207 nor the Board-Up By-law 2010-211.
In response to these concerns we would urge the following:
·         That the Property Standards and Board-Up by-law requirements be immediately and fully enforced at 248 Cowley Avenue and that the owner be required to act promptly to remediate the property appropriately;

·         That 248 Cowley be added to the list of properties that the City is investigating as part of the current review of policies and  by-laws regarding abandoned buildings;

·         That as part of the review that policies and guidelines be considered to allow demolitions before the submission of plans for a replacement building (for example demolition could be allowed without immediate plans for redevelopment if the owner landscapes the lot and maintains it) , and

·         That the Champlain Park Community Association be notified and invited to participate in the planned consultations on this issue.

We look forward to prompt action by the City regarding 248 Cowley Avenue. We will be following this issue with interest and hope that a new set of policies and revised by-laws will help to prevent  similar situations in the future.

We look forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely,
CoChair1, Co-chair and Duncan Bury, Member-at-large
Champlain Park Community Association

132 Cowley Avenue Development Proposal Meeting

All are weclome!

Monday, May 13

8 PM

Champlain Park Fieldhouse

The proposal is to demolish the current dwelling, and  sub-divide this 100 X 150 foot lot into 3 parcels to build 3 single-detached, 2 storey buildings.  The design will be modern “courtyard” style, no rooftop decks, and two-tone wooden siding.

The CPCA Development Committee has met with Jacques Hamel, and feels that the overall concept is compatible with its location across from Champlain Park and the Fieldhouse.  We are in process of negotiating protection measures for the distinctive red oak tree on the northern border of the lot.

We invite you to view and discuss the plans.

Select  132 Cowley 2012-20 CofA A1-A3   to view plan and diagrams

Discussions on improvements in the Park! All are welcome!

We’re talking about Park Improvements!

 Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fieldhouse

Residents are invited to speak with Councillor Katherine Hobbs about ways to enhance Champlain Park, and discuss a proposal to redevelop the Northwestern Avenue median as a small linear park.  Money for park improvement and creation will be provided from the Cash-in-lieu of Parkland fund, to which developers contribute each time that they build new housing.

Please send your comments and ideas to Councillor Hobbs at: katherine.hobbs@ottawa.ca.  Please c.c. Heather Pearl at: pearhea@aol.com

The meeting will be divided into two parts.

1) Proposals to enhance the community Park

What do kids think is needed to make their park more fun?  Teens?  Parents?  Older people?  To get the ball rolling, here are some proposals that residents already are making:

  • A playground aficionado is requesting better monkey bars and a splash pad.
  • A parent wonders if there might be a way to access the Fieldhouse washrooms from the outside, e.g. with a code?
  • Celebrate the community’s human and natural history with an installation at the Fieldhouse.  Daniel Buckles and Debra Huron have done great work to rediscover our community’s history.  There’s a link between our community and Samuel deChamplain’s astrolabe, which could be incorporated into the installation. Bur oaks always have been an important feature of this area.  We have access to a large slab from the bur oak that was felled on Northwestern Ave. in 2011.  It too could become part of this installation.
  • Build a gazebo, to be used as a small bandstand or stage/performance space.
  • Install outdoor exercise stations, or an exercise area, with chin-up bars, etc.
  • Put in some benches, bins and water fountains

More ideas are welcome!

2) Proposal to redevelop the Northwestern Avenue median as a park

The concept would be to create what is called a “Passive Park”. Passive parks can be for contemplation. They do not have to be wide or have pathways. They may have gardens and some benches.  Parks such as this are very common in European cities.

In this case, the trees planted in the median would be better protected than they are now, more trees could be planted and the city could have a landscape architect design appropriately-scaled gardens. The park would be cared for.

Currently, the median, is not being cared for. Trees on the median are being bashed, broken, crushed and smothered by heavy equipment, trucks and piles of debris from construction activity.  If the median becomes an official, landscaped park, this will be far less likely to occur

Champlain Park residents, and residents living on Northwestern Avenue in particular, are invited to comment and participate.  There will be public consultation on any proposed design for a Northwestern linear park.

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Community Associations call for Better Planning Process

Via CoChair1: Attached is a link to a news story related to a press conference organized by the Hintonburg Community Association about the planning process in Ottawa, and also two related documents provided by them for posting. Our association signed the associated petition.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/12/17/ottawa-planning-community-groups-meeting.html

Planning issues – position with explanatory text.pdf
Planning issues – position with explanatory text.doc

Planning issues – 4 positions w signatories FINAL.pdf
Planning issues – 4 positions w signatories FINAL.doc

AGM Reminder – 2012

Reminder:

The Champlain Park Community Association Annual General Meeting is taking place this Thursday November 15, 7:30 PM at the fieldhouse.

Please see Agenda for the Annual General Meeting.

Come and find out about the “goings on” in the neighbourhood during the past year.

We are still urgently in need of a treasurer to co-ordinate the financial business of the CPCA.

A general business volunteer is also needed to address periodic needs such as filing the annual incorporation report.

A fund-raising co-ordinator is needed, a job which you can define based on your interests. It can involve planning a fund-raising event and/or looking at ways to improve on some of our current revenue-generating activities. This is an important role, as professional services are sometimes required to address intensification proposals.

Agenda for the Annual General Meeting – 2012

Agenda

Champlain Park Community Association  (CPCA)
Annual General Meeting
Thursday, November 15, 2012, 7:30 PM
Champlain Park Fieldhouse

Introductory Remarks: CoChair1, Co-Chair, CPCA

Approval of minutes of last AGM 16Feb2012

Election:

  • Organizational Chart
  • Nominations from the floor and call for volunteers
  • Election of Officers

Executive Reports:

  • Development Committee: How proposals are evaluated, Highlights of recent development, Reforming the OMB, Tunney’s Pasture, Community Design Plan
  • Financial Report for fiscal 1 Sept 2011 to 31 Aug 2012
  • Membership Drive
  • Communication Committee Update and Website Demonstration
  • Environment Committee Update

Traffic Light at Island Park Drive and Clearview Proposal: Island Park Drive CA

Champlain Park and our Environment

  • Charles Hodgson, Ecology Ottawa: Climate Change, a local perspective, based on the Al Gore series
  • Daniel Buckles: Heritage Tree initiative
  • Nick Xenos: Energy Competition organized by SLOWest

Other Business

Last updated: 14-NOV-2012

AGM Call for Nominations and Volunteers – 2012

Call for Nominations and Volunteers
Champlain Park Community Association

The AGM is scheduled for November 15 at 7:30 PM, Champlain Park Fieldhouse.  If you would like to become an executive member or volunteer, we need you!

The attached chart shows incumbents who are willing to retain their positions and continue to offer the benefit of their experience to the association; it also shows vacant positions.

Executive positions are filled by election and any position can be contested.  However, there is enough work to go around in this busy central neighbourhood such that anybody wishing to volunteer will find a place, either on the executive or as a volunteer.

The chart shows executive and non-executive positions. Executive members participate in the decision-making process for the organization.  In order to offer an “entry” point for new executive members, we have created a role called “Member at Large”.  There are no specific responsibilities, but the position offers community members an opportunity to participate  in the decision-making process and to define their areas of interest.

Volunteers Urgently Needed: 
If interested, e-mail Heather (hpearl2012@gmail.com)
 or CoChair1 champlainpark@gmail.com

Treasurer (Executive):   Oversees the Financial business of the CPCA.  Interfaces between the executive and other volunteers performing financial functions.  Book-keeping role is performed by a non-executive volunteer.  Formal accounting education desirable but not required; ability to work comfortably with numbers and spreadsheets is required.

General Business (Can be either executive or non-executive):  Annual incorporation report and other business needs that may arise.

Fund-Raising Volunteer  (Can be either executive or non-executive)

Membership Drive Canvassers

Committees: E-mail one of contact people listed in chart.

Champlain Park Organization Chart Updated 30October2012.pdf

Membership Drive 2012 results

Your Membership Made a Difference

As Co-ordinator of this year’s Membership Drive I wanted to show you how we did:

  • 250 households in Champlain Park purchased memberships this year.
  • This year’s drive raised nearly $3800 for the Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA).
  • In addition to the memberships, 14  households donated an extra $190 targeted for  the CPCA Development Fund.
  • We raised more this year (almost $3800) versus $2400 last year.  However, our better results this year are due to the increased membership fee.
  • Overall, 62 % of our community’s households chose to purchase a membership this year; that rate remains unchanged from last year.

These results would not have been possible without the hours and efforts our team of 15 canvassers dedicated to this year’s drive.  Specifically I would like to recognize:

§       Pauline Rubarth and David Constant who stepped up to be canvassers for the first time;

§       Patrick Mates, Chris Liebenberg and David Gourdie who each cracked $300 in collections on their respective routes;

§       Will Egan is our youngest and returning canvasser who demonstrates community involvement is ageless; and finally,

§       Secretary1, whose efforts resulted in 100 percent participation of her neighbours on Daniel Avenue.

On behalf of CPCA I would like to thank all of the canvassers for a tremendous job well done!!  We could not have done it without you!

Please note: 

We will NEED more canvassers for next year.  Think about it … do it!

As this year’s official Membership Drive is now over, anyone who has not yet purchased a membership and wishes to do so, or wishes to make a donation to the CPCA Development Fund, please contact me at 613-722-6829 or by email: bmbg@sympatico.ca.

Barbara Borylo-Gourdie
CPCA Membership Drive Co-Ordinator

Traffic Calming Response

Our community association executive has a response to the recent traffic calming discussions on the mailing list:

“The executive has read and discussed the recent list serve comments on Traffic Calming. Attached is their response. No further comments have appeared from community members during the past few days, so we feel everyone who wished to comment has had an opportunity to do so via the list serv, to the Councillor’s office or website, or to the Traffic Management Department, as invited by the flyer delivered to homes on the main traffic calming routes. As a result, we consider the discussion finished for now. Thank you to everyone who participated.”

Exec response re Traffic Calming 31July2012.doc

Executive Response to List Serve Discussion about Traffic Calming  31 July 2012

The Executive’s role when there are complex issues such as this, is to help ensure that discussion takes place and that everyone has the opportunity to be informed and to participate.

Summary:

  • There is significant, long-standing concern about the speed and volume of traffic in Champlain Park.  Parents of younger children are particularly concerned;
  • Numerous measures have been undertaken over many years (road closures, signage, enforcement) with the goal of slowing traffic and/or discouraging drivers from cutting through the neighbourhood.  Regardless, the problems persist;
  • Consequently City Council, based on recommendations from the City’s Traffic Management Department, and in consultation with the former and current City Councillors, (who also assessed public opinion), have decided that this warrants action from the City in the form of installation of physical traffic calming measures;
  • Funds for traffic calming are limited.  Many communities compete for them;  The City can undertake installation of traffic calming measures only following full and complete study and analysis of current data.  The measures must be relevant and the expenditure justifiable;
  • In Champlain Park, traffic calming measures now are being implemented after exhaustive study and public consultation.  “The limited funds are being utilised to install measures that will have the maximum impact on reducing traffic speed throughout the neighbourhood” (Katherine Hobbs, May 2011 CP list serve);
  • The most recent communication from the City regarding traffic calming was to let residents know that the project was being implemented.  It was not intended to reopen the consultative process.

Details:

Attempts to resolve the problem of speeding and cut-through traffic in the neighbourhood go back many years.  Two years ago, the entire community was invited to attend a meeting at the Fieldhouse where the Councillor and engineers from the City Traffic Management department presented current data and traffic calming proposals, and answered questions.  Then, groups of residents circulated through representations of neighbourhood streets which had been outlined in masking tape on the floor, writing comments on stickies and setting them on the relevant spots.  The meeting was very well attended.

Residents were invited to continue commenting to the Councillor and City staff and the Executive members know that they did so, though we were not privy to the comments.  Meanwhile, the Traffic Management staff compiled more numbers and developed a plan based on the up-to-date data and input from residents. As noted in the recent communiqué from the City, the plans were modified to respond to the comments and considering current data.

The Councillor’s office reviewed the data and gave full consideration to residents’ ideas and opinions.  Now, the City is implementing some solutions to address a number of the documented problems.  To quote from the memo from Katherine Hobbs, which appeared in the May 2011 edition of the Champlain Speaker, “After waiting 12 years for funding and three years of banking the funds for this project, the City will be moving forward with the following measures, following an additional traffic volume study completed in May 2010.”

There has been and continues to be significant concern about the speed and volume of traffic in our neighbourhood. While there is opposition to physical methods of traffic calming among some residents of the community, it is offset by strong support for these measures from a number of others. We have confirmed that the Councillor’s office has read the most recent list serv comments, and note that both the Traffic Management Department and the Councillor’s office invited additional comments and questions when the implementation phase was recently announced.

The members of the Champlain Park Executive are not traffic experts and do not have the resources to manage an issue of this magnitude.  The Councillor’s office is best suited to collect and analyze the many comments that were received from the public before, during and after the public meeting two years ago and to consult internally with the Traffic Management Department.  The Executive  entrusted the Councillor’s office to assess public opinion, and respects the competence of City traffic engineers to collect and analyze relevant data, and to formulate and implement a traffic management plan. City Council reviews and prioritizes such expenditures.  They chose to approve this one.

Unfortunately, time lags between the steps in the process resulted in uncertainty regarding the stage that we are at.  The recent memo from the City was not intended to reopen the consultation process but to inform residents that work would be going ahead.  We note that the Councillor’s office, in consultation with the Traffic Management Department, is in the best position to assess whether the ideas from the most recent discussions can be considered for future action.