NEWS ARCHIVESApril 17, 2009 Expanding our boundaries I have been discussing with City Staff and colleagues the possibility of altering the Stittsville-Kanata West boundaries to include the Fernbank Community Design Plan (CDP) lands. Throughout the CDP process it has been assumed the lands would join our ward eventually. In 2005, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) unfortunately decided this land would be urban; however, it is currently located in the Rideau-Goulbourn ward. When the ward boundary review was undertaken in 2005, the process was too far along to include these lands into Ward 6. I feel it is important to have this change made in place for the 2010 election in order to properly balance ward populations. Between 2010 and 2014, I expect there will be development in these lands and these residents should have a suburban Councillor to assist them with development concerns and other items. City Council directed staff to bring forward a report to the June 16 meeting of the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee, and to be considered by Council on June 24, that would enable the Fernbank lands to be redistributed from Ward 21 to Ward 6 and possibly Ward 23, Kanata South. Staff have advised it is important to have this process initiated now to ensure the boundary change can be made in advance of the 2010 election. This proposal will be discussed at the Fernbank CDP public
meeting on April 27 from 7-9pm in Coliseum Rooms C and D at Scotiabank Place. An
additional public meeting will also be held. Please feel free to contact me to
provide your comments on the proposal. Fire Station approved for Stittsville Council has directed staff to move forward with the acquisition of 2 Iber Road in order to construct a new fire station. This location was selected following an in-depth Fire Station Location Study that was commissioned in 2005. This location was preferred because it is situated close to the center of the public service area, is compatible with surrounding land uses and, notwithstanding a re-zoning requirement, there are no known constraints to developing this site in the near term. The new station will primarily focus on Kanata West, the future Fernbank community, Forest Creek, Fringewood, and Granite Ridge. It will also serve as a back-up service to Station 81, our local volunteer fire station, and composite station 41 in Kanata. As more information becomes available I will provide it to the
community. I am pleased the City is responding to our ever-growing population. A
new fire station, complimenting an existing fire service and a new police
station that is already under construction, is a tremendous benefit to the
health and safety of our community. Carp River third party review The independent third-party review of the Carp River Restoration Plan and its associated projects has been completed. Due to modeling inconsistencies in the calculations of water runoff, a recommendation has been made to provide a ‘worst case scenario’ insurance policy for all development plans not yet approved, such as enhanced storm water management ponds, in order to mitigate any potential risk for landowners. The third-party review is scheduled to be presented to the City’s Planning and Environment Committee and City Council. The report will then be presented to the Ministry of the Environment for their review and approval. If the document is approved by Council and the Ministry of the Environment, and there are no appeals made by the public, the planned development of residential and commercial units will proceed. Greenland International Consulting Ltd., the engineering firm hired by the City to conduct the third-party review, presented their key findings to Council members and City Staff on April 9. I encourage you to review the report on-line by visiting
www.ottawa.ca/carpriver. IC&I Waste diversion strategy approved by Committee The City has taken its first step in diverting industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) waste from landfills, by approving the Diversion 2015 strategy. The strategy is a policy that establishes goals, objectives, targets and a plan to divert more IC&I waste from landfills in order to mitigate the need for future landfill expansions within the City. It is estimated that approximately 60-70 per cent of waste is generated at the workplace. Current statistics suggest that only about 17-22 per cent of workplace waste is recycled. The diversion strategy and 2009-2010 work plan would work toward the 60 per cent provincial diversion target at City of Ottawa facilities. In addition, recycling pilots and audits at City parks, transit stations and special events will be initiated. As we have a landfill on the edge of our community, it is
important we take an active role in limiting its expansion. The IC&I Waste
diversion strategy is a good first step, but the City of Ottawa will need to
implement other practices, such as the Organics program, in order to realize
substantial benefits. Changes to OC Transpo effective May 3 Due to issues re-implementing transit services citywide, the expected service enhancements for our community have been delayed by a few weeks until May 3. Advertisements are now in circulation indicating the service changes. Effective May 3, service in Stittsville on Route 96 will be increased to operate every 30 minutes throughout the day, seven days a week. Route 163 will be extended to serve residents near Kittiwake, West Ridge and Beverly, and will be expanded to provide local service Monday to Friday between 9am and 7:30pm to the Terry Fox station. Express Route 262 will add two additional afternoon trips. For more information please consult
www.octranspo.com. Lock your vehicles Our local community police officer has informed me that there has been a recent string of property damage and minor break and enters, typically into vehicles and garages. The frequency of these events is likely to be heightened, given the warmer weather. The Ottawa Police would like to remind residents to please lock your vehicles and store away your valuables. According to Police, far too often vehicles are left unlocked; unfortunately, this leads to increased theft. We must be proactive in preventing these crimes from
occurring. We have many Neighbourhood Watch organizations in our community and I
encourage you and your neighbours to get involved. In addition, please report
any suspicious activity to police. No incident is too small to go unreported.
Always listening and acting on your concerns As your Councillor, I always welcome your keen input and ideas on how we can sustain and improve Stittsville. Please contact our office anytime by phone at 613-580-2476 or by e-mail at Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca. My ward office is located in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex, located at 1500 Shea Road. The hours of operation are Mondays 9-2pm, Wednesdays 3-8pm, Fridays 9-5pm, and Saturday 9-1pm. Please do not hesitate to pay us a visit. Sincerely, |
