NEWS ARCHIVESJune 26, 2009 Fernbank Development approved by Council City Council has rubber-stamped the proposed development of 674 hectares of land between Fernbank and Hazeldean roads. At this stage, there are no specific timelines as to when construction may begin; the development of these lands hinges largely on the housing market. However, when fully constructed, the community could contain up to 11,000 residences, 2,650 jobs and 31,000 residents. Most of the development will be low-density, but medium- and high-density residential units are planned along major roads, furthering the City’s shift toward intensifying suburban communities. The City, urged on by residents, initially rejected the project when it first came forward several years ago. In 2005, a group of developers presented its case to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), and the City’s decision was over-turned. As a result, the City, the community and key stakeholders worked jointly to produce the Fernbank Community Design Plan (CDP), which can be found on-line at www.fernbankcdp.com. The CDP maps how the community intends to be developed. As this development will move forward, it is incumbent upon the City and its residents to make the most of this project, and ensure it respects the surrounding communities as best as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact my office for further
information, or to provide your comments. As the project moves forward I will
continue to update the community. Celebrate – Remember – Fight Back Thank you to the hundreds of residents who participated in the third annual Relay for Life event in Stittsville. It was an incredibly successful campaign thanks to the generosity and heartfelt support from the community. Over $200,000 was raised in Stittsville, while approximately $800,000 was raised between Barrhaven and Orleans, and a further $300,000 by area schools. It was an incredibly emotional evening as participants shared tears and laughs, while fondly remembering and celebrating the lives of those touched by cancer. The money raised and the steps taken during the overnight relay make a tremendous difference. Giving one day to the fight against cancer could add years to the lives of others. Thank you once again to all those who participated in, and
organized, such a meaningful event. Audit, Budget and Finance Committee takes shape A series of changes to the City’s governance structure brought on by the Mid-term Governance Review have been adopted. The City has created a new Audit, Budget and Finance Committee aimed at improving long-term financial planning. The Committee Chairs will be appointed to the new Committee. In addition, increased delegated authority to Standing Committees and Councillors will be realized, and the City is taking steps to establish a separate Board of Health. I had requested to be included on the Audit, Budget and
Finance Committee, as I felt my private sector and business knowledge would be
an asset, but the will of Council was to limit the membership to Committee
Chairs. This motion will be reconsidered at the July 8 Council meeting. Committee chairs receive financial boost City Councillors who chair the City’s five committees have been given an additional $36,000 each towards supporting their increased workload. The money is not a salary increase for Councillors; instead, the money can be used to hire additional staff to focus on committee issues. The money will come from the City Clerk’s budget. The suggested rationalization was that the committee chairs were overworked, and the increased funding would alleviate the extra workload and address outstanding constituency issues. The irony is that the same overworked committee chairs voted themselves onto the new Audit, Budget, and Finance Committee. Suffice it to say, I did not vote in favour of the budgetary
increase. City Council passes by-law to protect urban trees Council recently approved the Urban Tree Conservation By-law, which places restrictions on the cutting of trees on private property within the urban area. Effective immediately, owners of urban properties larger than one hectare are required to produce a City-approved tree conservation report in order to remove a tree with a trunk that is 10 centimetres or larger in diameter. As of September 1, owners of urban properties one hectare or less in size will be required to obtain a permit to remove a distinctive tree with a trunk more than 50 centimetres in diameter. The distinctive tree permit application will also have to be accompanied by an arborist’s report that outlines the reasons why the tree is being removed. The by-law does not apply to normal farming practices, orchards, tree farms, golf courses and cemeteries anywhere in the city. Unauthorized removal or destruction of the trees covered under
the 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. Central library to be a City showpiece The City is one step closer to a new central library, following a 20-1 vote to move forward with a $26 million property acquisition. The proposed 345,000-square-foot library would be on a parcel of land bounded by Albert, Slater, Lyon and Bay streets. Many other sites were considered, but it was determined that a new library must remain central and anchored by public transit access. The chosen site rests on the current bus-transit way, and is a proposed location for an LRT station. The project still faces many hurdles, primarily raising the necessary funds, but the project, which is part a 700,000-square-foot redevelopment project, would be a showpiece for the City, and revitalize the western edge of downtown. While the City will move forward with the acquisition of the
land, Council has not committed to constructing a library. If the City purchases
the land, but it is determined a library is not needed, the land will still
remain as an asset for the City. Happy Canada Day I hope you and your family had a safe and enjoyable Canada Day and were able to take in the many great community festivities taking place throughout the City. We are privileged to live in such a peaceful and beautiful
country. Take pride in your community, City and country to ensure we continue to
be a flourishing nation and a land of opportunity. 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. |