Infill – Staff response to OMB Interim Order

Duncan and CoChair1 of the CPCA Development Committee attended this presentation. There were a number of other community associations as well as development industry members there (including some that we have worked with). Many questions were asked. However, because this is before the OMB and the Divisional court, the presentation was for public information only and not for further input. Rather, a recommendation is being made by Council in response to an OMB order, and the OMB will make the final decisions.

Some highlights: The revised infill zoning by-law recommendation (in response to an OMB Decision based on an industry Appeal of the new by-law provisions) will be:

to extend the provisions to renovation of old dwellings, as well as to new infill,
to expand the comparison properties to five lots in all directions of the subject property,
and to refine the definition of “character” based on some defined parameters that have been identified

Further details are included in the presentation and report, so please read these.

Infill Phase II will focus on height, building envelope, rear and side yard set-backs and will not duplicate the parameters of Infill Phase I. Our Development Committee is participating in this new consultation and CoChair1 will be making a short presentation (in tandem with Carlington CA) at a workshop on June 24. Note that building height has been identified as an issue by a number of communities, and was also addressed at a talk by an urban planner at the Federation of Citizens’ Associations AGM. Height is one of the parameters that contribute to the “building envelope” which equates to building volume.

From: Alain.Miguelez@ottawa.ca
Subject: Infill – Staff response to OMB Interim Order
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:34:48 +0000

Good afternoon,

Yesterday evening staff held a public information session to present the outline of the recommended response to the OMB’s Interim Order of March 8^th 2013. Attached for your information is a PDF of the presentation, and below is a link to e-Agendas where you will find the staff report scheduled for next week’s Planning Committee.

http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/agendaminutes/index_en.aspx

Please feel free to distribute to members of your associations that might have an interest.

Best regards,

Alain Miguelez, mcip, rpp
Program Manager, Zoning, Intensification and Neighbourhoods | Gestionnaire de programme, Zonage, Densification et Quartiers
Planning and Growth Management Dept. | Service de l’Urbanisme et de la Gestion de la croissance
City of Ottawa | Ville d’Ottawa
613.580.2424 +27617
alain.miguelez@ottawa.ca þ www.ottawa.ca

Infill I 2013-06-17.pdf

Invitation to The Western LRT Corridor – Public Consultation Group Meeting

Informational

This is to advise you that the next Public Consultation Group meeting for the Western LRT Corridor Planning and Environmental Assessment Study will be held on Thursday, June 13th, 2013.

At this meeting we will present further information on the preliminary preferred corridor for the Western LRT Corridor (R-12: Richmond Underground), including potential mitigation measures.

The meeting will be held at Ottawa City Hall, in the Keefer Room, starting at 6:30 p.m.

If you have any questions regarding the upcoming meeting, please contact me at Kornel.Mucsi@ottawa.ca or by phone at 613-580-2424 ext. 12503

Confederation Line

City’s Planning Primer: Education materials

Informational

The entire content of the City’s Planning Primer Courses 1 and 2 have just been posted on the Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA) web-site, under the Resources tab.

WLRT Consultation Group Meeting notes

From: Joanna.Renia@ottawa.ca
Subject: WLRT Consultation Group Meeting notes
Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 12:47:56 +0000

Hello Everyone,

On Behalf of Kornel Mucsi, please find attached the meeting notes for the Western LRT Consultation Group Meeting held in May.

Thank you,

Jo-Anna Renia | Administrative Assistant
Transportation Planning / Business Services | City of Ottawa
613.580.2424 x21722
Joanna.Renia@Ottawa.ca

Slides from the meeting: 2013-05-01 WLRTC advisory cmttees – small.pdf
Meeting questions and answers: WLRTC_PCG5_Meeting Notes_Final.pdf

Summer 2013 City Construction

La version française suit

2013 Summer Construction

Major construction and renewal projects are taking place across the City in one of the largest and most significant makeovers in the history of Ottawa. Ultimately, with these projects completed and the opening of the Confederation Line in 2018, the City’s landscape will be transformed and congestion on roads reduced as the population of our city continues to grow.

417/174 Construction

Construction begins Wednesday, May 22 with the widening of Highway 417 from Nicholas to the 417/174 split. Highway 174 westbound will be reduced by one lane, resulting in significant traffic disruptions during peak periods. In June, the Lees Avenue on-ramp will be closed to allow work on the transitway structure on Highway 417.

If you are travelling from the east, please plan ahead for delays and longer commuting times. You can help reduce demand on current road capacity by using public transit. To ease disruption, OC Transpo has increased bus service from the Trim Park & Ride Transitway station to downtown. There will be 11 additional transit trips added from Trim to downtown during the morning peak periods and an additional 12 transit trips added to the afternoon peak periods from downtown to Trim. For further information and transit travel planning tools, please visit octranspo.com.

Tools available

The Travel and Mobility information page on ottawa.ca provides tools to manage travel including:

Traffic Map
Cycling Map
Traffic Cameras
Road work and Street Closures
Capital Bixi
Hyw 416 & 417 Traffic Report
Carpooling
OC Transpo Travel Planner
Rack & Roll
Twitter

Updates will also be available from your local news outlets, and residents may call 3-1-1 for information. Variable message signs (VMS) will be installed to inform motorists of road closures, lane restrictions and other traffic changes.

Tips

Be aware of construction activity by using the various tools available to you, which can be found on the Travel and Mobility Information link on Ozone
Plan your route
Consider alternate transportation options to driving alone, such as carpooling, transit, cycling, walking

You will be able to access future information and tools to help manage your commute through Ozone and In The Loop.

Getting around the city will pose challenges while work on these multi-year projects takes place. We recognize the potential impact it may have on you and on City operations and we encourage you to discuss this with your supervisor / manager.

The City needs your help

To help make this transition of building a better Ottawa as smooth as possible, you can become an ambassador for this progress. Please spread the word to neighbours, friends and visitors about where to find the information they need to get around during this monumental period of change.

Travaux de construction d’été 2013

Des travaux de construction et de rénovation importants ont lieu partout dans la ville, dans le cadre de l’un des projets de transformation les plus importants dans l’histoire d’Ottawa. Une fois les travaux terminés et une fois la ligne de la Confédération ouverte en 2018, le paysage de la ville sera transformé et les routes seront moins congestionnées; la ville sera ainsi en mesure d’accommoder sa population croissante.

Travaux de construction à la jonction de l’autoroute 417 et de la route 174

Le mercredi 22 mai a marqué le début des travaux d’élargissement de l’autoroute 417 à partir de la rue Nicholas jusqu’à l’échangeur de la route 174. Une voie devra être fermée sur l’autoroute 174 en direction ouest, ce qui causera des perturbations majeures de la circulation pendant les heures de pointe. En juin, la bretelle d’accès de l’avenue Lees sera fermée pour permettre les travaux sur la structure du Transitway au-dessus de l’autoroute 417.

Si vous arrivez de l’est, veuillez planifier votre trajet en fonction des délais et d’un temps de déplacement plus long. En utilisant le transport en commun, vous contribuerez à réduire la congestion routière. Pour atténuer les perturbations, OC Transpo a augmenté le service d’autobus entre le parc-o-bus de la station Trim du Transitway et le centre-ville. Onze autobus seront ajoutés pendant la période de pointe matinale sur le trajet de la station Trim en direction du centre-ville et 12 autobus seront ajoutés au trajet inverse pendant la période de pointe de l’après-midi. Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements et des outils pour planifier vos déplacements en transport en commun, veuillez visiter octranspo.com.

Outils disponibles

La page d’information Circulation et mobilité sur ottawa.ca fournit des outils afin de gérer les déplacements, y compris :

La carte de la circulation
La carte du réseau de voies cyclables
La caméras de circulation
Les travaux routiers et les fermetures de rue
Bixi de la capitale
Le rapport de circulation des autoroutes 416 et 417
Le covoiturage
Le Planificateur de trajet d’OC Transpo
Le vélo-bus
Twitter

Les organes de presse de la région fourniront également des mises à jour, et les résidents peuvent composer le 3-1-1 pour obtenir plus de renseignements. Des panneaux à messages variables (PMV) seront aussi installés pour informer les automobilistes des fermetures de routes et de voies et d’autres changements sur le réseau routier.

Conseils

Soyez informé des travaux de construction grâce à divers outils mis à votre disposition sur la page Renseignements concernant les déplacements et la mobilité dans Ozone.
Planifiez votre trajet.
Plutôt que de voyager en voiture sans passager, optez pour un autre moyen de transport comme le covoiturage, le transport en commun, le vélo ou la marche.

Vous pourrez accéder à des renseignements et à des ressources pour planifier vos déplacements futurs par l’entremise d’Ozone et du bulletin Au courant.

Ces projets s’étendent sur plusieurs années et il ne sera pas facile de circuler dans la ville pendant ce temps. Nous reconnaissons les effets que cela pourrait avoir sur vous et sur les opérations de la Ville et nous vous encourageons à en discuter avec votre superviseur ou directeur.

La Ville a besoin de vous

Vous pouvez devenir un ambassadeur du projet d’embellissement d’Ottawa et nous aider ainsi à adoucir la transition. Parlez-en à vos voisins, amis et visiteurs et indiquez-leur où ils peuvent trouver de l’information pour les aider à planifier leurs déplacements pendant cette impressionnante période de transformation.

May 16 WLRT Meeting to be Re-Scheduled

On behalf of Councillor Hobbs.

May 16 WLRT Meeting to be Re-Scheduled

Dear Neighbours,
I wanted to notify you officially that the Western Light Rail Transit (WLRT) May 16 meeting scheduled from 4 -6 at Churchill Seniors Centre is cancelled. I do not yet have a firm date for the rescheduled meeting, but many neighbours had indicated that the timing was not good, and there was no flexibility at the Churchill centre to extend the meeting later.
To make sure as many of you as possible can attend City staff are looking at the beginning of June.
In the interim period since the 5 hour Public Open House where neighbours shared concerns and issues I have been working hard to ensure that everything said is being addressed in the planning of this preferred route. I am continuing to work hard for you to ensure we maintain the beauty of your homes and the quality of life along the parkway. This includes looking at the burying of the line.
I want to reiterate that I made a public commitment to residents in June of last year at Council that I will not allow northern rail to destroy our area. So please be assured I am working hard for you to retain the value and beauty of your area, and to ensure the City maintains the land along the parkway for everyone in the neighbourhood, for other residents of Ottawa and for visitors to Ottawa.
Katherine

Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031 review

If you bike or walk around Ottawa – our latest online consultation may be of interest to you!

As part of the Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031 review of the Cycling and Pedestrian Master Plans, we are asking Ottawa residents to provide their input on the future of walking and cycling using a unique online tool.

The tool is available at ottawa.ca/liveableottawa between May 7 and June 7, 2013.

For more details please see Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031

Abandoned building – 248 Cowley Avenue

Letter to Mayor and Councillors from the CPCA

Dear 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

Public Open House on Light Rail Transit for Bayview to Baseline

Western Light Rail Transit Corridor Bayview to Baseline Planning and Environmental Assessment Study

Public Open House #2

Thursday, April 25, 2013
Jean Pigott Hall
City Hall
110 Laurier Avenue West
6:30 to 9 p.m., presentation: 7:30 p.m.

The City of Ottawa is continuing its planning and environmental assessment study for the proposed Western Light Rail Transit Corridor (WLRTC) and is seeking public input. The goal of this study is to identify the most effective way to build on the first phase of LRT currently under construction (Confederation Line) to bring service to Baseline Station, increase transit use and provide higher quality transit service. This study will consider alternative options and designs toward determining a final alignment to inform the City’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP).

Study Area
The Study Area stretches between Bayview and Baseline Station and includes the area from the Sir John A Macdonald Parkway south to Carling Avenue and from the O-Train west to Lincoln Fields and Baseline Station.

Consultation
This Open House will provide an overview of the study progress to-date, including the alternative corridors and their evaluation. Your participation in the study is important.

The study is being undertaken in accordance with the transit project assessment process as prescribed in Ontario Regulation 231/08, Transit Projects. The Project Environmental Assessment phase will be initiated after completion of the Project Planning phase. Information on the WLRTC study is available on the City’s project web site at: http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-consultations/transit/western-corridor-light-rail-transit-environmental-assessment

You can send comments by e-mail, regular mail or fax using the following contact information:

Kornel Mucsi, PhD, P.Eng.
Program Manager, Transportation Strategic Planning
110 Laurier Avenue West, 4^th Floor
Fax: 613-580-2578
E-mail: Kornel.Mucsi@ottawa.ca

Bridge Replacement along the Queensway

Mostly of interest for the news that the bridges will be replaced. I wonder if they’ll be able to use that build the bridge nearby and then move it overnight into position technique, last seen on the Island Park/Queensway bridge.

– Alex

Subject: Notice of Study Commencement
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2013 11:51:34 -0400
From: ynaqvi.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Dear Neighbours,

The Ministry of Transportation has announced a Notice of Study Commencement for the preliminary design and environmental assessment study for the rehabilitation or replacement of bridges at 12 locations along the Queensway from Holland Avenue to O’Connor Street.

This study will determine the appropriate strategy for the rehabilitation or replacement of the bridges; several options will be reviewed for each bridge including structural and construction staging options in order to minimize disruption to the Highway. The Ministry is seeking public comment as the study gets underway. I encourage you to share your ideas and priorities to ensure that this project best serves our community.

Feedback can be sent to:
Don Rowat, P.Eng
Senior Project Engineer
Ministry of Transportation
1355 John Counter Blvd.
Kingston, ON K7L 5A3
Phone: 1-800-267-0295
Email: don.rowat@ontario.ca

Two Public Information Centres will be scheduled as this project continues to present the project’s process, design alternative, and obtain comments and concerns from the public and relevant stakeholders. A notice will be published once the date and location have been scheduled.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of any assistance to you.

Sincerely,
Yasir