NEWS ARCHIVESAugust 20, 2010 A positive step for the future of LRT It’s encouraging that the Ministry of Environment recently approved the Environmental Assessment to Ottawa’s LRT project. The announcement made by the Province last week solidifies that the vision of LRT for Ottawa is on track. The EA examined the potential impact of the planned 12.5 kilometres of light rail transit line from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Station and a tunnel through the downtown. The City submitted a report to the province in June of 2010 that examined everything from noise and vibration levels to air and water quality as well, preservation of vegetation, wildlife and local heritage sites along the planned route, such as the Rideau Canal. Approval of the EA is a big step towards securing the province’s contribution and federal EA approval. Results of the EA will be incorporated into the City’s next steps for the project such as property acquisition and preliminary engineering. This is news is a big positive for all residents of Ottawa for the future of transit in our city. Emergency culvert replacement on TransCanada Trail I would like to notify residents that the City needs to replace a culvert on the Trans Canada Trail that must be completed immediately due to contractor restrictions and permit restrictions from the Mississippi Valley Conservation. The culvert is located approximately 800 metres west of the entrance at Abbott Street and West Ridge Drive (adjacent to the lookout). The trail will be closed between the entrance at Abbott and West Ridge and the entrance at Jikinson Road. The work will be commencing on Monday, August 30 and should be completed by end of day on September 1. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience during this time. Open house for proposed development I am encouraging residents to attend an open house that is scheduled for September 9 in the foyer of the Goulbourn Recreation Complex regarding a proposed development for the northwest corner of Terry Fox Drive and Fernbank Road in Kanata. The open house begins at 4:30 pm and will conclude at 8 pm. The proponent has submitted to the City of Ottawa to rezone the lands to GM1 - General Mixed Use Zone, Sub zone 1. The subject site is designated Neighbourhood Commercial in the Fernbank Community Design Plan (FCDP). Retail food stores and automotive uses (such as gas bars, service stations, and car washes) shall only be permitted in the Neighbourhood commercial designation location at Fernbank Road and Terry Fox Drive, subject to the design guidelines of the CDP. Through the Fernbank Community Design Plan and the implementing Official Plan Amendment (OPA 77) the site has been designated as “Neighbourhood Commercial”. The permitted uses include the following: Convenience stores, personal service businesses, banks or other financial services, business, medical and professional services, restaurants, retail food stores and automotive uses. Representatives from the owner, City Staff and consultants will be on hand to answer any questions. For more information, please visit my website at www.shadqadri.com to view the concept design. Power outages update I understand the frequency of power outages is growing increasingly frustrating. It’s an issue that residents have dealing with for quite some time and I find it unacceptable. It’s important for me to able to relay information to residents as soon as these issues happen and I understand that many don’t have access to e-mail during power outages. Many residents have access to e-mail at work or through wireless device and are able to pass on the information to a neighbour, friend or family member by other means. While we work towards a solution, I ask for your patience and understanding during this time. We are all looking to get this matter resolved and I will continue to work on behalf of residents with Hydro Ottawa to make that happen. Project underway to make cycling routes safer The City’s Cycling Safety Evaluation Project is assessing the conditions of Ottawa’s cycling network while prioritizing the unsafe locations and developing cycling safety improvement initiatives. In addition, the project will include an ongoing annual safety assessment. Ottawa has an extensive and well-used cycling network of on and off-road facilities and an active cycling community that promotes the benefits and use of this network. The City strives to improve both the safety and comfort of the network for all cyclists. You can help make the cycling network that much safer by completing the online survey at www.ottawa.ca/cycling. If you cycle the same route and are aware of patterns and risks at specific locations, we encourage you to share this information with us. By identifying the most hazardous intersections that you encounter, you are helping the City prioritize potential sites for improvement. Your ideas and observations are appreciated and will complement the project’s technical analysis. I encourage you to take part in the survey that will assist in identifying your concerns and coming up with any solutions. 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 for the summer are Mondays 9-1pm, Wednesdays 3-7pm, Fridays 9-4pm, and Saturday 9-12pm. Please do not hesitate to pay us a visit. |