NEWS ARCHIVES

August 21, 2009

Planning decision to be reviewed

On September 8, the City of Ottawa's Planning and Environment Committee will consider the proposed development of 36 residential units and ground floor retail at the intersection of Stittsville Main Street and Orville Street in Stittsville.

The Committee of Adjustment approved fifteen minor variances that permit the proposed development at its meeting of June 26. Following the Committee of Adjustment's decision, the City Clerk and Solicitor's Department reviewed the proposed development and, based on that review, filed an appeal of that decision. In accordance with the normal process, this appeal will be brought forward to the Planning and Environment Committee for confirmation on September 8, 2009.

It is the elected officials of the City of Ottawa that have the primary responsibility for ensuring proper planning takes place. All stakeholders, including the developer and members of the community, will have a chance to express their views directly to the elected officials charged with that responsibility before a final decision is made.
 

Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference

At the recent AMO conference, I met with the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education, along with representatives from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), Lynn Scott (Chair of the Board/Trustee) and Lyall Thomson (Director of Education/Secretary of the Board).

At this meeting, I put in a request for funding for a public secondary school in Stittsville - a school which we all consider long overdue. While I did not receive firm commitments, I did get assurances from Minister Wynne that the Ministry will look at the required funding in 2010. It is at that time they may be able to provide some additional information on the funding request.

I have been discussing the need for a secondary school with Lynn Scott for the last 10 years, and the school board supports the request for funding.

There are roughly 1300 students that are unable to attend a public secondary school in Stittsville, and some of those students are traveling up to 15 km to attend South Carleton High School, which is in need of upgrades.

The OCDSB staff have been pursuing opportunities to identify a suitable future secondary school site in Stittsville via both the Fernbank CDP process and alternate site discussions with City planning staff.

Councillor Deans and Wilkinson also discussed the creation of a new integrated child and family service system in Ontario with Minister Wynne and Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services.

At the conference I also had the opportunity to meet with Hon. John Gerretsen, Minister of the Environment with Councillors Feltmate and Wilkinson. At the meeting, concerns were expressed regarding producer responsibility for packaging, as the Minister has a policy in the works to reduce product packaging in order to reduce landfill waste.

We also spoke about landfill operations and how the City must have a backup plan in order to discontinue the practice of landfilling garbage. The request was that his office review any other viable technologies that may come along in the next 2-3 years and base his decisions on any further issuances of landfill operation certificates. One of those viable technologies could be Plasco.

It was also requested of the Minister to start enforcing recycling in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector and a request was made to look at Ottawa for a test ICI sector pilot project to help achieve the provincial recycling diversion target of 60 per cent or more. The meeting focused on the need to divert as much of the waste stream as possible from landfills. I also encouraged him to look at the European model and consider waste as a resource rather a liability.

We also reviewed the City's $203M short-term plan to address overflows and spills into the Ottawa River. The Minister also discussed his understanding of the Environmental Commissioner’s involvement in this file and was appreciative of the review of the plan.

Overall this meeting was very positive; we have requested to meet with the Minister in early 2010 to map out a long-term blue print of the points discussed.
  

After Action Review takes shape

An After Action Review is being conducted in the wake of the flooding that occurred in July. The consulting firm Lansdowne Technologies, Inc. has been retained to conduct the review of the City’s Corporate Emergency Response and report recommendations to enhance the City’s emergency response.

The process will include a review of the initial response to the mitigation activities in context with all departments; identifying gaps and opportunities based on current standards; and developing potential solutions to enhance the overall emergency response.

I have been invited to participate in interviews with the consultant team and to share my insight of how the event unfolded, and where the gaps in response were.

On September 2, City Council will receive an update on the ongoing investigation regarding the rain event on July 24.
 

Residents respond following call for donations

I cannot thank the residents of our community enough for making donations to aid those who suffered considerable damages as a result of the flooding that occurred last month.

At the time of writing this column, close to $3,500 had been raised, and more dollars continue to come in.

To contribute in Stittsville or Kanata, visit any Scotiabank branch and make a donation via cash or cheque to the 2009 Flood Relief Trust Fund. Throughout Ottawa, visit any Scotiabank branch and ask that the donation be forwarded to the Scotiabank branch located at 8111 Campeau Drive. You can also visit any of the City’s client service centres to make a donation. Donations over $10 will receive a tax receipt courtesy of the City.

On behalf of the families hardest hit during the flooding, I extend my sincerest gratitude for your generosity.
 

Safety improvements on Abbott Street East

The concern expressed by residents regarding the speed and traffic safety on Abbott Street East resulted in the City undertaking an Area Traffic Management study of the street. Working with my office, a number of improvements are being implemented in order to provide a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Abbott St. E. has been selected to participate in the school zone pilot project aimed at raising awareness in school areas to ensure drivers take extra precautions. The school zones have been clearly delineated by two sets of school area signs indicating where they begin and where they end to ensure successful police enforcement. These zones have proven extremely popular in other residential communities.

Traffic staff recommended Abbott St. E. have a speed limit of 50 km/h and part of Shea Road have a speed limit of 60 km/h. In addition there will be the school zone speed limit restrictions at Sacred Heart High School and École élémentaire catholique Jean-Paul II. This will result in a 40 km/h speed limit on school days between the hours of 7-9:30am and 2-5pm.

Traffic will also be managed with pavement markings used to visually narrow the road to encourage slower travel speeds and reduce other aggressive driving behaviours. These measures are also inexpensive to implement, provide buffer areas for pedestrians, and will not affect the response time of emergency vehicles. The plan is incremental whereby the painted medians could be replaced with physical measures to increase effectiveness.

The traffic department has also reviewed the intersection of Abbott St. E. and Granite Ridge Drive and have recommended an all-way stop be installed.
 

Urban Tree Conservation by-law takes root

As many of you are aware, City Council passed the Urban Tree Conservation by-law, which aims to protect Ottawa’s urban forest, on June 24.

As of September 1, owners of urban properties one hectare or less in size will be required to obtain a permit to remove a tree that is more than 50 centimetres in diameter. There is no permit fee, but residents will be required to obtain an arborist’s report that outlines why the tree is moving. The by-law does not apply to rural properties, or to normal farming practices, orchards, tree farms, golf courses or cemeteries.

Prior to the enactment of this by-law, there was no process in place to prevent the clearing of forests in suburban areas before development occurred.

The unauthorized removal or destruction of trees covered under this by-law could result in fines ranging from $500 to $100,000, with the exception of the contravention of a stop work order, where the fine is not limited to $100,000.

For more information on the Urban Tree Conservation by-law, I encourage you to visit www.ottawa.ca/urbantree.
 

Did you know?

Did you know if your property could not be used for its normal use due to repairs or renovations, fire, demolition etc. upon application to the City, you might be eligible for a reduction of your assessment which would reduce your taxes?

You must ensure to apply to the City before February 28th of the following year to obtain this rebate.
 

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 9-4pm, and Saturday 9-1pm. Please do not hesitate to pay us a visit. I welcome your call or e-mail to arrange an appointment.

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