Faircrest Heights Community Association | ||
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COYOTE SIGHTING
A coyote was spotted this week on Highridge near Billing Park, so
sharing a few facts to remember from the NCC:
PLANNING ISSUES
Proposed severance of a lot at the corner of the west side of Crestview and Alta
Vista
An application is to be submitted in the coming days to the City for the
proposed severance of 1992 Alta Vista Drive. Severances of corner lots on Alta
Vista Drive are allowed if certain parameters are met. The proposed severance
however seeks certain variances from the current rules including a considerable
decrease in minimum lot width, in part to maintain the existing residence on
Alta Vista Drive. A new house is proposed on the new severed lot that would be
partially visible from Alta Vista Drive. The proposed house would be just under
11 meters in height (allowed by the bylaw) and have a single car garage and
driveway. Close neighbours have received paper copies of the official
Notifications (copies can be found here and here). This matter will be decided
by Panel 2 the Committee of Adjustment (COFA) on October 5 2022.
Further details will be made public shortly on the City of Ottawa Committee of
Adjustment website. If you have any commRients to share with the Committee of
Adjustment(cofa@ottawa.ca) please cc our Councillor Marty Carr (marty.carr@ottawa.ca)
and me
(judy.korecky@hotmail.com) (so
FHCA has a sense of residents’ views).
Riverside Hospital Development
Schlegel Villages has submitted an application to develop the north parking lot
of the Riverside Hospital Campus. The current plan is to build three buildings
(a retirement residence, a long care facility and a common area) one of which
will be 8 storeys and the other 15 storeys. In addition to concerns about
parking overflow into the community, loss of the biking trail through campus,
some residents are expressing serious concerns with the 15 storey building that
will result in loss of sun light and privacy for residents near the hospital,
and could set a precedent for the neighbourhood. See the attached flyer for
further details. If you have any comments to share with the City Planner Tracey
Scaramozzino (Tracey.scaramozzino@ottawa.ca)
please cc our Councillor Marty Carr (marty.carr@ottawa.ca)
and me (judy.korecky@hotmail.com)
(so FHCA has a sense of residents’ views).
Judy Korecky, FHCA President
Planning Updates including new application adjacent to Faircrest Heights
As some of you are aware there are a number of large development applications and ongoing projects within a few minutes of Faircrest Heights. The Trainyards high rises are beginning construction. A new residential tower is going up at Elmvale Acres Shopping Centre with more to follow (including an application to add a new tower on Othello) as well as several new residential high rises on the west side of St. Laurent (including the sites of the current gas station and St.Hubert as well as the Burger King). The Federal Study Centre on Heron is subject of an application for several new mid-rise buildings. Likewise there are plans for massive development at Confederation Heights (the lands to the west of Billings Bridge Plaza from the RA Centre to Heron Road). As well there is are applications to build two high rises (26 storey) on either side of the corner of Bank and Riverside as well as a high rise at 1400 Bank Street (Langdon Flowers across from Kilborn).
It should therefor not come as a surprise that there is a new application that is now in the system that is adjacent to Faircrest Heights. A new development application was submitted late last week for two buildings in the north side parking lot at the Riverside Hospital. The proposal has been submitted on behalf of Schlegel Villages, who proposes the development of an 8 storey long-term care facility with 256 beds, a 15 storey retirement home with 270 suites and amenities as part of a village setting. The hospital and medical building will remain. The parking spots will go from 744 to 393. The development application is available through on the City of Ottawa’s Development Application . There are a number of attachments and so I would guide you to the Application Summary (last document). Comments can be sent directly via this application or via email to Tracey.Scaramozzino@ottawa.ca. If you do send an email please cc myself at judy.korecky@hotmail.com and if you would like our Councillor Marty Carr marty.carr@ottawa.ca. This is just the beginning of this process that FHCA will follow closely and provide ongoing updates.
With respect to the Official Plan, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing did not approve Ottawa’s new Official Plan (along with other new plans). They may likely be tied to a recent provincial bill that amended the Ontario Planning Act that would go well beyond the new Official Plan. It is not yet clear how the next steps will unfold and how this will impact the upcoming City of Ottawa Zoning Review. We will continue to watch this closely.
Alta Vista Farmers’ Market and Activities
Sharing news of a great initiative from our sister Community Association (the Alta Vista Community Association (AVCA) who has organized an on-site Alta Vista Farmers’ Market that is set to open on Saturday, June 25th 9-1 and run on Saturday mornings at the Saint Thomas Church. There is also an online order option via www.altavistamarket.ca.
Next meeting
Stay tuned for the announcement of our new executive who will send out details of our next meeting and membership drive.
In the meantime do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments with the above.
Kindest regards,
Judy Korecky (President)
Challenge with creating '15 minute neighbourhoods' in built up areas .... see more
City of Ottawa Solid Waste Master Plan
https:
One little house becomes four $1.2 million Units:
Egan: A little house, now four $1.2M units. What's cost to City View? | Ottawa Citizen
From Judy Korecky:
Official Plan
- The “As We Heard It” Report was released this afternoon. There are a number of concerns with the first draft that have been addressed, notably:
• Alta Vista has shifted to Outer Urban!
• Minimum density requirements will only apply to Hubs and Mainstreets, leaving flexibility for Neighbourhoods and Minor Corridors to instead reach a target range.
• Single family homes can be rebuilt (not prohibited)
• Height limits will be revised on Mainstreets. Any applicable secondary plan that requires a lower height would also take precedence. (The current draft of the applicable secondary plan would limit Smyth Road to low-rise (aka 4 storeys).
The full 28 page report can be found here: https://engage.ottawa.
ca/the-new-official-plan/news_ . For those who would prefer an abridged version, attached find the 2 page key messages document that touches on the highlights of the report.feed/the-new-official-plan- city-wide-interim-as-we-heard- it-report
· Draft Official Plan Timelines
Here is what you can expect as the City moves forward on the New Official Plan.
· Ward Specific reports – released as they are completed in the coming weeks* AFTER THE RELEASE OF OUR WARD REPORT, WE WILL CALL A FHCA MEETING TO DISCUSS WHAT WE LIKE, DON’T LIKE AND NEXT STEPS
· Public Transect Meeting on Outer Urban Area – June 23, at 7 pm. To register go to: https://www.eventbrite.ca/
e/transect-outer-urbanapproche-du-transect-le-secteur-urbain-exterieur-tickets-158592427219 · Full release of next iteration of the Draft OP – prior to mid-August (tentative)
· Public open house – No date set
· Joint Planning / ARAC committee – September 13, 14, 15
· Council – Fall 2021
Smyth Road Cycling Improvements and Neighbourhood Bikeway Modifications Consultations
· Online Engagement Opportunity from June 9 -23 (you can also phone in comments!)
Go to https://ottawa.ca/smythcyclingimprovements to see the design drawings. Of most import to FH is that the City is proposing unidirectional bike sharrows (street markings) and signage on Billings Road, a pedestrian crossover on Lynda Lane at Billings Road, and curb and sidewalk modifications on Rodney Crescent and Pleasant Park near the train tracks.
· Online Meeting with City Project Team: Wednesday, June 16th at 6:30pm
Register for the consultation here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
Walkable Ottawa Alta Vista 15 Minute Neighbourhood Study
For those who participated in either of the Workshops of March 20 or March 27, the draft report has been circulated to participants for comments. Please contact me if you did not receive a copy of the draft. We have until Monday June14th to provide comments. I will share a version of the final report with this distribution once it is released.
Click here for the FHCA submission on the draft of the Official Plan - March 12 2021
Follow-up to February 24 FHCA meeting on the draft Official Plan
1. SHARING OF THE PRESENTATION
Some of you have asked if you could share the presentation with other AV neighbours. Please do. One thing that is important to note is that Alta Vista has been separated into Inner Urban (West of Lynda Lane, Grasshopper Hill and the Greenspace down to Heron), and Outer Urban (east of that line).
Click here for the Presentation for the Zoom meeting
2. WARD WIDE EVENT AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Attached find an email that contains the details about the March 2nd 2021 Jean Cloutier Ward Wide event on the draft Official Plan. Apparently already over 200 people have signed up.
I have had confirmation that Alain Miguelez the manager responsible for the draft OP will give a presentation and that a number of planners will be online to respond to questions. ACTION ITEM: With that in mind, please let me know if there is still appetite to set up a meeting with Planning Department. If so, happy to do so.
3. CHAT AND ADDITIONAL ISSUES
I am attaching a copy of Wednesday evening’s chat. The comments will be fed into the FHCA presentation (including about the impacts of COVID, set backs, trees, including the comment of one resident supporting the density targets but that it should be in conjunction with increased services and transit). I have some responses/comments to questions posed:
Click here for chats from February 24 FHCA meeting on the draft Official Plan
Development near the rapid bus/rail lines at Smyth and Pleasant Park
The draft OP definition of rapid transit in the draft OP does not include bus rapid transit that is not fully grade separated. Therefore, it would appear/may be possible that the rapid transit station designation would not apply for the Smyth and Pleasant Park Stations. This needs to be confirmed.
The draft Secondary Plan states that regeneration on Corridors would remain low-rise (maximum 4 storeys). The Secondary Plan trumps the Official Plan.
The Ottawa zoning bylaw is silent on development near rail lines.
The Ontario Planning Act has minimal reference and it appears that there is only interplay if the proposed development is within 300m of the rail line.
There is a push to have some standardized policies around
building near rail lines: see https:
Statistics
Thanks for additional data. I will confirm re densities (my numbers came from an academic piece).
Online petition
Historically the City views the petition as a single voice so experience has shown us that individual submissions carry much more wait.
Parking
The concerns about overspill from the hospital are noted.
Additional related items that I did not raise at the meeting that may be of interest:
Both Policy and Zoning have raised the notion of street parking permits to address cars that cannot park on properties.
No new curb cuts: This was also not raised in the presentation however you should be aware that any severances or new builds can not create a new driveway. (Draft OP 5.2.2.3)
Community Centres
This was noted as a recurring interest for residents – more community centers, smaller more local community centers. One useful suggestion was that there could be consideration for a Community Center on the DND lands. This is something to earmark at this point.
Maximum lot coverage
I have reviewed the current zoning bylaw – lot coverage is not addressed expressly written into the bylaw for the overwhelming majority of residential subzones. Alta Vista lots do not have lot coverage provisions. Requesting maximum lot coverage provisions is another element for consideration in submissions to the City.
Thanks for those who have already sent comments to the City and to Council members. I been CCed on some and they are very strong. Please keep them sending your comments up to the March 12th deadline and beyond.
Please send any direct emails to my Hotmail account Judy Korecky. I am only using this account now to ensure that the attachments reach all recipients.
Hydro Ottawa Tree Maintenance
Maintaining vegetation ensures the hydro corridor is safe for public use, keeps the lights on, and gives our crews access to the power lines for regular maintenance and emergency repairs.
When’s the last time you ordered take-out from a restaurant?
I haven’t personally used any of the sundry “services” which pick up and deliver your meal. Those of you who do often are charged a delivery fee but were you aware of the impact on the restaurants?
I wasn’t until last week when we decided to order some takeout, something we generally do once a week. It was from one of our favourite restaurants on Bank Street which provides not only great food but also great service.
Like most restaurants in Ottawa -- and in many other places -- it is limited to take-out. When I drove down to pick up our order, the place was understandably deserted. It fronts on the sidewalk and there is literally no room for a patio.
There was an Uber Eats driver ahead of me. The restaurant owner told me that in the 30 minutes or so which had elapsed since I called, he had had seven other orders, all to be picked up by Uber Eats.
When I said business seemed steady, he said he was considering shutting down, which took me aback. It seems that Uber Eats takes 30 per cent of the cost which, as anyone familiar with the hospitality trade, essentially leaves him profitless!
I knew there obviously had to be some additional cost associated with Uber Eats (and similar services) but feel that 30 per cent is, frankly, extortionate.
So, the next time you opt for take-out and the restaurant, regardless of its ethnicity, is fairly close, a drive or bicycle trip could help to ensure that the place is still in business the next time you feel the urge.
INFORMATION FROM COUNCILLOR JEAN CLOUTIER
As Ottawa Public Health and the City of Ottawa continue to move forward in our response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we are writing to provide greater clarity on a number of communications and ask for your support in sharing information with members of your community.
It is important to recognize that the COVID-19 situation is evolving very quickly. Please refer to OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Coronavirus to stay up-to-date on the latest information. For information relevant to businesses and workplaces, please visit: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/workplacecovid19
Social Distancing
Ottawa Public Health is urging everyone to practice physical (social) distancing. More information on physical (social) distancing for you and your family can be found on our website.
The province of Ontario is ordering non-essential workplaces to close-down as of Tuesday March 24, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Further details can be found on the OPH website for workplaces.
Our efforts are needed as a community. The actions you take will affect not only you but your loved ones and our community’s most vulnerable residents. While we appreciate that people are thinking of their loved ones, now is not the time to visit them in person. Luckily, we have technology on our side, which enables us to communicate in other creative ways like video chats and group phone calls.
Physical (social) distancing by all is IMPERATIVE to limit transmission in the community, to protect older adults, vulnerable populations and outbreaks in institutions. We must “flatten the curve” so we don’t see spikes in cases. This means that we want to slow down transmission of the virus and reduce the number of cases in the community that happen at the same time, so that our health system continues to work properly. Here are some ways that you and your family can practise physical (social) distancing:
· Take precautions to maintain distance in shared spaces in multi-unit dwellings;
· Avoid crowded elevators (wait for an empty one if you can).
· Avoid using the mail room or laundry room at the same time as other residents (keep to a small number at a time to maintain distance).
Physical (social) distancing does not mean emotional distancing. Check in with others by phone or other technology. Check in with yourself. It’s ok not to be ok. Please know that help is available, and we encourage you to reach out to Distress Centre of Ottawa to connect with someone at 613-238-3311 if needed.
Self-Isolation
Many people are returning home from March Break or winter travel and will need groceries and essential items. It is imperative that all returning travellers self-isolate for 14 days, so groceries and essential items should be picked up by a family member or friend, or through on-line ordering options. Visit our website for further guidance on self-isolation. We have been working with the Ottawa International Airport to ensure this is being communicated clearly to returning travellers.
You also need to self-isolate if you live with, provided care for, or spent extensive time with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, OR is suspected to have COVID-19, OR who has respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath) that started within 14 days of travel outside of Canada.
Human Needs Taskforce
Our community partners are working together through the City’s Human Needs Task Force for those requiring assistance. The task force is receiving, assessing and triaging all social and human needs inquiries, while mobilizing and supporting community organizations to address urgent community needs. The Human Needs Task Force aligns internal city resources, external partners, existing funding and new funding to community need.
Outreach to Isolated Seniors
The Good Companions’ Seniors Centre Without Walls has expanded its services with a focus on outreach to vulnerable and isolated seniors and other populations. Emotional and practical support is provided via telephone. In addition, they have trained 20 agencies (32 staff) to do similar outreach calls through various programs.
Rural Ottawa Support Services is working with Good Companions to provide similar telephone outreach and practical supports to isolated seniors through their A Friendly Voice program, which does wellness calls connecting seniors to local services and programs.
Ottawa Community Housing has facilitated wellness check phone calls to approximately 2,700 residents, focusing on people identified on the Fire Evacuation List.
Food Security
Ottawa Food Bank is supporting the emergency food centres and are coordinating with other task force members to sort and deliver food where needed. Demand has increased by 30 per cent across community food banks. They are working with the Salvation Army to support distribution of food hampers offered by local restauranteurs. The City is providing facility space for safe storage of food hampers.
Meals on Wheels has been increasing offers of frozen food for seniors in the Ottawa area and connecting with Ottawa Food Bank to provide hamper supplies and deliveries. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, they are delivering 100 fresh and 700 frozen meals daily. These services have ensured a supply of full dinners for those individuals in need.
Urgent Transportation
Working with other non-profit organizations, the Good Companions and Champlain Community Support Network are coordinating urgent transportation to medical appointments, assessment centres, and food centres/grocery stores for those with financial constraints, transportation difficulties, and/or health and mobility issues.
Services can be accessed by contacting Good Companions website or by telephone at 613-236-0428.
Volunteer Coordination
The City and United Way of Eastern Ontario are developing a plan to support volunteer coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteer Ottawa has established a pool of pre-screened volunteers and will continue to accept new applicants.
Stay Updated
Information is changing rapidly and Ottawa Public Health is working around the clock to provide information to the public as soon as possible.
Please share this information and receive the latest updates by:
- Visiting OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Coronavirus frequently
- Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ottawahealth
-
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/ottawahealth
Reduce the spread of germs including the flu and COVID-19
· Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth unless you have just cleaned your hands.
· Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue or into your arm, not your hand.
· Stay home if you are sick.
Thank you for your partnership.
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