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10 May 2010 Meeting
07 Nov 2009 Meeting
04 May 2009 Meeting
03 Nov 2008 Meeting
08 May 2008 Meeting
15 Nov 2007 Meeting
10 May 2010 Meeting Coun Hume's Slide Presentation
07 Nov 2009 Meeting Coun Hume's Slide Presentation
04 May 2009 Meeting Coun Hume's Slide Presentation
03 Nov 2008 Meeting Coun Hume's Slide Presentation

Faircrest Heights Community Association Spring General Meeting May 10th 2010

FHCA President Tony Le Moine called the meeting to order at 7:36 p.m..

President’s report: He thanked the executive committee for its continuing work. Having explained that the Treasurer was out of the country, he noted that the FHCA had 84 paid-up members (42 of whom were present). That was sufficient to maintain adequate operating expenses, which included two newsletters a year, liability insurance, and membership in the City association of community groups. He also confirmed that an Alta Vista-wide garage sale was scheduled for Saturday 12 June. Addressing vacancies on the committee, he was finalizing position descriptions which, once approved by the committee, would be posted on the FHCA website. There was a question from the floor about whether there were other garage sales in the area. He said he was unaware of any and preferred to support the aforementioned event even though it was being organized by a non-resident.

Faircrest Park: Joyce Wright has happy to issue her final report after spending 12 years bringing the project to fruition. All residents were invited to an official opening at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 18th. Five trees needed to be replaced, but she thanked the installers for their work and had seen individuals, families and other groups using the park already. The President thanked her for her persistence.

 *          *          *          *          *

David McGuinty, MP: Thanking the audience for their participation, he explained that there had been a noticeable trend in other areas of citizens “checking out” of the democratic process. Nine years overseas had given him new appreciation of democracy at home.

 

  • Development: He listed a series of projects in his constituency, including community centres, Canoe Club and Terry Fox track and field facility upgrades, and new soccer pitches. He met with the National Capital Commission every 3-4 months; discussions included a McCarthy Woods housing proposal. The federal government had shared no information with him on The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) lands. A proposed parole office in the Train Yards area had been controversial; he had persuaded Justice Minister Rob Nicholson to revisit the issue on grounds that these facilities were best located in a downtown core.

 

  • Energy conservation: The OneChange light bulb replacement initiative which began in Ottawa South was now a $25-million venture that had spread to other provinces and to a number of American states.

 

  • Light rail: He was still trying to persuade the Ottawa Airport Authority to accept service to its terminal but speculated that resistance was due to the fact that the airport generates significant revenues from its parking facilities.

 

  • Seniors: Too many in his constituency were having trouble making ends meet due to steadily rising costs of various consumables such as food and utilities. He was working with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to address the issue of pensioners on fixed incomes.

 

  • Parliament: Having led a Liberal caucus “charge” against wasteful negative government advertising distributed in constituencies held by opposition Members of Parliament, he proposed that all government advertising be subject to “objective analysis by an “advertising commissioner” and/or the Auditor General. He had two private bills ready for introduction in the House of Commons, but he declined to provide details. Another currently before the House is designed to prohibit cellular telephone service providers from charging an unjustified “system access fee”. As Liberal critic on environmental and energy issues, he had been pressing the government on such things as petroleum exploration in the Arctic, endangered species and toxic waste.

Asked about the contentious Terry Fox Drive extension in Kanata, he said there had been some issues about the scope and integrity of the environmental assessment (EA) of the project. He said the federal government has buried “poisonous” sweeping proposals to change the overall EA process in a 900-page budget bill. He had urged Environment Minister Jim Prentice to table an EA-specific bill in the House and was still waiting for a response. He acknowledged that the EA process could be streamlined and made more efficient with the help of provincial and municipal governments. Returning to the road construction issue, he said more roads axiomatically mean more cars and that a light rail project, which has been under discussion for a decade, would be a quality-of-life venture which would draw and hold more people and business to Ottawa.

*          *          *          *          *

Peter Hume, City Councillor: He echoed McGuinty’s observation that the light rail project had been set back a decade and that even if federal funding were available immediately, a lot of new planning was required. He hoped the project could get started within the next four years and said it would be a challenge to bring it in on schedule and under budget. Ottawa’s reputation had been “blemished” by the current city administration’s decision to cancel the original project despite the fact that a significant penalty had to be paid to the consortium that won the original bidding process. He also said Infrastructure Ontario help might be needed for a new procurement.

He thanked the FHCA executive for its service to the community and for the advice and feedback to his office. He too singled out Joyce Wright for her perseverance on Faircrest Park before addressing a number of issues left from the fall FHCA meeting:

 

  • Immaculate Heart of Mary School: He had met with city staff and school board officials who explained that they were not, as he had thought, holding onto the property for eventual sale to a developer. Rather, they were keeping it with the expectation that the school could be re-opened. That being said, the city had use or control of the back half of the property, bordering on Billings Avenue, and that it was seeking a lease agreement to formalize that. The city also retained first right of refusal on the entire property if the board did decide to sell it. The goal in the meantime was to make the property more community-friendly with FHCA input, and there was money in the city budget for this. He was hopeful that a plan could be ready by fall for implementation next spring.

 

  • Lynda Lane: The city was refining its plan after receiving community feedback, and needed to go back for implementation funding. It was retaining the “rural” cross-section on the east side and a more “urban” cross-section on the west side which would involve drainage and lighting. It was not likely to be addressed by city staff until the fall.

 

  • Infrastructure projects: He pointed out that all currently-approved projects must be “substantially” completed by next March 31st if federal and provincial funding is to be sustained. Current projects included more roadworks on Pleasant Park Road, including a narrowing at Cavendish, as well as Smyth Road resurfacing, which had to be coordinated with TOH. Other projects included sports fields at Hillcrest School and Franco-Cité, sidewalks in the Train Yards area, Riverview Park and Belfast Road. There was a question from the floor, which had clear general support from the meeting, about whether the “atrocious” condition of sidewalks along Smyth could be addressed while crews work on road resurfacing. He said there was “no harm in asking” whether deficiencies could be at least patched.

 

  • TOH campus. Although he had heard nothing official, having been kept in the dark by federal officials, it was rumoured that the National Defence Medical Centre site would not be vacated until 2022. The “silver lining” in the situation is that the community planning has been done already. He said the main entrance was being modified to incorporate a westbound right-turn lane off Smyth, which would be coordinated with the resurfacing. The contractor had been asked to quote a price and if it was not reasonable, it would be put out for tender.

 

  • Alta Vista Transportation Corridor: Preliminary design of a link with TOH had been completed. It necessitated the corridor being routed under the CN Rail right-of-way and over the OC Transpo roadway before it could be linked to Riverside Drive and the hospital campus. He expected work to begin the next “construction season” and take three years. Also, a multi-purpose pathway is being considered with a view to construction beginning in the "near future". It would use the Corridor from the Smyth Road-Ottawa Hospital entrance to Conroy Road.

 

  • Emerald ash borer: The city was moving ahead with its removal and planting program as well as injecting 220 trees, including 12 in Faircrest Heights, with the experimental pesticide TreeAzin. There had been removals of all trees on some streets in two other wards. An awareness week was scheduled for May 17th-23rd. Property owners wanting a new tree next fall were advised to contact the City at 613-580-2424, ext. 18733.

 

  • Green bin/organics program: There had been a lot of excitement until people learned that they had to pay for the new bins. He said the waste diversion rate was constantly above 50% throughout the previous pilot program. The rich waste processed by OrgaWorld was being distributed to local farmers and he said he would deliver a pickup truckload to the FHCA’s fall 2010 meeting for distribution to local residents.

 

  • Property Standards: Most property owners were receptive and cooperative when a complaint was brought to their attention. However, if the informal approach was not successful, a Notice of Violation was issued. Failure to comply with that led to a provincial citation and probably legal action and fines. If the City had to remediate a problem, the cost was added to the property owner’s next tax bill. Complaints about non-adherence to standards were the third most common after parking and animal problems. Noise complaints were fourth on the list.

 

  • Sewers: Problems persisted in the Roger/Highridge area despite the City’s previous advice to install “protective plumbing devices.” It was suspected that earlier roadworks had compromised the sewers’ effectiveness and it was being investigated with the help of the affected property owners. A report was promised for the fall FCHA meeting.

Asked who is responsible for cutting grass verges adjacent to Smyth Road, he said he had assumed that owners of immediate properties were responsible. The Oak Park Residents Association had maintained the north side last year but it was pointed out that some south-side areas were untended. He reiterated that the adjacent owners are responsible when there is reasonable access.

He also was asked why OC Transpo had changed its routes so that direct bus service to the downtown core was no longer possible, that a change at the Hurdman hub could be problematic, especially at night. Transpo had not been responsive to questions. He said the City needed to reduce the number of buses using the downtown core; a transit which would normally take 5-7 minutes took 20 minutes at rush hour. He said the situation was only going to worsen, hence the City’s preference for a tunnel under the core. An FHCA member pointed out that while Transpo was urging residents to take the bus, it effectively was forcing them back to their cars in this case. He said he would take it up with Transpo, possibly to arrange that off-peak direct service was reinstated.

Asked why the new green bins were so small, he said it was a case of what was available and best suited to fit the lifting gear on the Waste Management trucks. He added that if a bin is damaged, it would replaced by the City and he also suggested that additional bins may be available free of charge.

The issue of invasive species was raised, with the general support of the audience, particularly buckthorn infestation in the woods on the east side of Highridge in the Lynda Lane/Pleasant Park area. He replied that a cleanup had been proposed some time ago but there was concern about a “fractious” debate with environmental activists. He said City staff would like to clean out the buckthorn and plant suitable trees. Another member pointed out that there were various species of wildlife which needed to be protected. A proposal would be brought to the fall meeting.

Asked to explain why water rates were being increased even as consumption declines, he explained that 75% of the total bill represents fixed costs and that the balance is accounted for by the consumables. The overall increase was designed to cover lost revenues and to cover capital investment. The water and sewer was being divided to show how rising fees on the sewer component were necessary for infrastructure maintenance and replacement. He also said the City’s data collection was so “antiquated” that it was impossible to track usage trends accurately. Also, the reading failure rate was about 10%, which is prompting the City to replace the black box readers with a remote-reading technology over the next couple of years. That would mean all bills would reflect actual usage rather than having every second bill based on an estimate. He speculated that the new technology would enable the City to perhaps implement a rate structure which actually encouraged conservation.

 Meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

 Ken Pole 11 May 2010


Faircrest Heights Community Association
Annual General Meeting
7 November 2009, 7:30 pm
 

1 Opening Remarks 

The President, Tony Lemoine, welcomed members, thanked them for coming out and introduced Counc. Peter Hume who would be covering several items later in the meeting. 

2 Financial Business 

Tony reviewed the financial report. Finances are reported on a ‘cash basis’. Ninety-nine members have paid (out of a total of 730 residences in the community). The money raised covers operating expenses including insurance, meetings, newsletters, etc. 

There is an additional amount of $6834 received from the City consisting of individual donations made for the park, and City grants. The outlay this fall was $4,914 leaving $1920 for next year’s work on the park. 

3 Faircrest Heights Park 

Joyce Wright announced that expectations for the park had been exceeded. Where we had hoped for 10 trees there are 13 and where we hoped for 2 benches there will be 4. Some of the trees which did not survive the summer are already being replaced. The garden is now full of plants. She noted that the garden was already popular with people from the hospital or visiting the hospital. 

Next spring there will be a ‘Grand Opening’, in late May or early June by which time the plants will be in bloom. Joyce invited everyone to attend. 

Tony asked for a vote of thanks for Joyce commenting that it had been a 10 year effort on what was originally intended to be the FHCA centennial project. 

4 Elections 

Jacques Beaulne presented the slate of candidates for positions on the Board. These are:

            President         Tony Lemoine

            Treasurer        Maria Beaulne

            Directors:        Don Melick (Municipal Affairs)

                                    Joyce Wright (Parks and Gardens)

                                    Leislie Alvarenga (Membership)

                                    Tom Saikaly (Web Master)

                                    Quentin Bristow

                                    Jacques Beaulne

 Bill Terry moved, seconded by Roger Piché, that the slate be declared elected,

                                                                                                                        Carried

 Jacques noted that the positions of Secretary and Oak Park representative remained unfilled. Tony added that he would not be seeking re-election next year and hoped that someone would come forward to take over the role. He paid tribute to the work of Don Melick, who is, at the moment, ill. 

5 Immaculate Heart of Mary School Property 

The IHM School is no longer in use (subsequent visit to the property showed that there is a daycare in operation under the name “Centre des Petits d’Ottawa”). If the School Board announces a decision to sell the property there is a sixty-day period in which organizations, including the City, have ‘right of first refusal’. If there are no takers then the property is put on the market.  Sixty days being a short time to organize a proposal, the approach is to establish a position on a ‘just in case’ basis. This is why a questionnaire was included with the recent newsletter. 

The results of the questionnaire, returned ahead of time and at the meeting, were 53 in favour and 1 against attempting to have some or all of the land made available for community use. 

Peter Hume pointed out that we have no parkland in the heart of the community and no other opportunity to create a park from a significant portion of the site. He went through the process and showed possibilities on the site plan. Any money due to the city under the ‘cash in lieu of parking’ requirement generated from developments within the Alta Vista Ward would be used to help offset the cost of the portion taken by the City. 

There were several questions.

Q: What will the land be used for?
A: To be decided between the Community Association and the City.

Q: What is the market value?
A: Under study.

Q: What does ‘significant portion’ mean?
A: One scenario is that the building and the land fronting on Pleasant Park may be developed and the field, on Billings Avenue, made into a park.

Q: What is the City’s budget for this proposal?
A: None at the moment but it is in the City’s interest to retain the land.

Q: What is the zoning?
A; This can be decided by the City.

Q: Do you have the $5 to $10 million to acquire the land.
A: The idea is to sell some and get the balance from the parkland fund.

Q: If we do not suggest that we want it then it will be gone. This is a ‘no brainer’ isn’t it?
A: Your choice.

Q: When will planning start?
A: City staff will start now. FHCA people will be needed to advise on the community’s requirements.

Tony asked if a motion was needed to reinforce the community’s position. Peter responded that the ballot results would be sufficient. 

Tony concluded this item with the comment that this exercise might be considered a dress rehearsal for 2013 when the NDMC property will probably become available. 

6 Review of other items 

Peter then provided updates on several items: 

6.1 SCADA - Tall Poles

The tall concrete pole near the corner of Crestview and Fairbanks transmits sewage flow data to a central monitoring site which has the ability to divert flow if there is danger of back-up into basements. This is part of a multi-year sewer and flow control upgrade program. 

6.2 Lights on Crestview

The City lighting people are not prepared to make a change. However there will be a meeting with residents to see if some mutually satisfactory solutions can be achieved. 

6.3 Lynda Lane Parking

Peter handed out a plan which shows Lynda Lane with a sidewalk and lighting on the east side. Parking will not be free but will be ‘cheap’. Safety is a major concern, particularly people walking on the outside of the parked cars and crossing Smyth at the end of Lynda Lane instead of at the lights. 

After a discussion, Peter undertook to consider extending the sidewalk and lights onto Billings, to look at having the park path paved and plowed to reduce the distance walked on the outside of the parked cars and to consider a cycling lane. 

6.4 Hospital Lands

There will be a new link from Riverside Drive. There are delays due to CN who are developing plans for high-speed rail and Hydro who have a major pole line across the link. The new link will affect the hospital, particularly the emergency room which may move from the south to the north so it is close to the new link. 

Ottawa U has purchased the Life Sciences Park. They may propose changes to the land use. Plans are expected to be available at our spring 2010 meeting. 

6.5 Ash Borer

45% of trees in Alta Vista and 25% of trees in the city are ash. The Planning Committee is expected to approve a plan to under-plant ash trees so that new growth is established before the ash trees are lost. Anyone wishing to get into this program can call Peter’s office “the sooner, the better”. There may be help for householders with removal of damaged trees but this is a remote possibility. There may be a chemical answer but there is little hope for one in the short term.

6.6 Green Bin

The program will start on January 4th. Pick-up will be every 2 weeks in winter (November to March) and weekly for the rest of the year. 

Peter reviewed the whole recycling, garbage, landfill and cartage situation, including approaches in other cities (Ottawa is lagging), the case of “I compost my stuff why should I pay” and incineration. 

6.7 Ottawa River

By spring 2010 the system will eliminate about 55% of the problem. The next step, which is partially funded, will be to construct a 45 million litre* holding tank which will take the peak flow and deliver it back into the system when the peak has passed. 

6.8 Lansdowne Park

Council will hold a lengthy discussion this week on the Lansdowne Live proposal and amendments. 

7 Closing Remarks 

At the completion of Counc. Hume’s presentation, the President expressed the thanks of the Association for the information he had provided and thanked the members for attending and participating. 

Signed

                                                                                                                                    

President                                                         T/Recording Secretary

 (*45 million litres. That’s 45,000 cubic metres. That’s 100m x 90m x 5m. That’s a bit bigger than a football field and 5 metres deep.)


Faircrest Heights Community Association

Annual Spring Meeting, May 4/2009
 
Bill Terry chaired the meeting, in absence of the president Tony LeMoine.
 
It began with an update on the Memorial Park followed by Peter Hume speaking about the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and other community issues.
 
Park Update (Joyce Wright):
There were trucks at the park today, hopefully getting everything ready for the trees.  Once the trees are in, she will be able to put the garden in.
 
Questions:
 
What is being put in?
-So far, 10 trees and two benches
 
What is it a memorial to?
-A memorial to loved ones.  People are paying for trees and benches in honour of loved ones.
 
Does the park need donations of plant material? 
-Yes, but they have to be drought resistant because the City will only be watering the trees. 
 
Joyce remains the contact for this project.
 
Emerald Ash Borer...for more information about the insect and to learn to identify ash trees go to www.ottawa.ca/eab
 
Three City staffers were on hand for this discussion, two foresters and a landscape architect.  There were samples of damage for us to look at.  While it was only found in July 2008 experts believe it has been here for four or five years.  Millions of trees have been killed in Canada and the U.S.  since being brought to the Detroit and Windsor area through contaminated packing crates from China.  It does not fly long distances and mainly moves through contaminated firewood.
 
Ash trees have compound leaves (each leaf has 5-15 small leaflets).
 
The insects and their larvae are very small so you have to judge by how the tree looks.
The larvae feeding under the bark, girdling the tree and preventing nutrients flowing up from the roots cause the actual damage.
 
Signs of infection:
-Vertical cracks in the bark
-Feeding tunnels under the bark
-Tiny D shaped holes
-General tree decline, with die back from the top
-Long shoots at the base
-Woodpecker action
 
25% of Ottawa’s urban and rural forests are ash trees, which works out to about 75000 city-owned street and park trees
 
To prevent the spread, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has a plan in place; the most important aspect is that ABSOLUTELY NO FIREWOOD FROM ANY TREE SPECIES SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE OTTAWA-GATINEAU REGION.
 
There is no urgent need to remove ash trees at this time.  There is an annual shot that can be a preventative.  There are at least two local companies providing it.  If you think you have an infestation, call a professional.  If it is a tree on City property, call 311 or the CFIA.
 
When you go to the cottage or camping, buy firewood locally.   Do not take it with you from Ottawa. 
 
If your ash is cut down, dispose of it at the Trail Road Facility.
 
Tell everyone not to move firewood.
 
The City’s TREE program has been changed because of the EAB and hopefully the end of 2009 will place 75000 trees. The tree can be delivered to your house in a nice kit with mulch and compost.  Presently only one tree per household allotted for the entire program, but it may be changed to allow two per house in areas with many ash trees. 
 
Other issues:
 
Hospital Study  nothing new
 
Lansdowne Park Lansdowne Live is the apparent winner.  It will cost 97 million for the stadium and arena.  All parking lots will stay parking lots.  City council did not like the retail options.  The whole thing is now a joint venture.  They now have 60 days to re-plan the rest of the site.  There will be no residential, and the size of the field has still not been decided.  This thing has been done in a backwards manner from the NDMC lands.  The City seems to be moving away from the competition/tender system and Mr. Hume is not impressed.
 
Immaculate Heart of Mary
 
Changes in the City’s cash-in-lieu-of-parkland system has made it possible for us to buy the playing field from the school board.  (Instead of all the money going into one big pot, 60% goes to the community area where it was collected.  e.g. the CMA gave money to the city instead of parkland at their Alta Vista site.)  Mr. Hume is suggesting we do this to prevent it from being developed.  We should thing about what we want to happen there.  If we don’t use the money to buy land, other residents may say we should rejuvenate our existing parks.
 
At this point there were murmurs from the audience.  Some comments:
-It’s too close to Billings Park
-The City can’t take care of the parks they already have
-If it were playing field parking would be a problem
-There is enough green space around with Lynda Lane and Billings Park
-It should be developed with houses like the spot in Old Ottawa South near the Old Fire hall.
 
Don suggested putting this discussion on the agenda for the fall meeting.
 
Apparently the school building is being rented to a private school.
  
 
Lynda Lane
 
They are trying to finalize yet another plan and have a solid proposal by September.
This would retain the “rural” ditches on the Lynda Lane park side, with a sidewalk, lights, controlled parking on the west side.
 
Could the parking revenues be used to pay for some of that work?
 
There is no support among his colleagues to take free parking off Lynda Lane.
 
The City can require the hospital to make parking spaces but can’t make them change a decent rate.  There is a low cost lot there now because the hospital is using City land for it.
 
Billings Park was land given to the City by the NCC so that it could build houses at Heron and Walkley.
 
Alta Vista Traffic Control Study
 
-The consultant will present a plan to the City and a finalized plan will be presented to the public by the end of June.
-The consultant was hired by the City to work with the community.
-The final plan will be added to “the list” of things to do; because of a recent influx of federal money it may not take quite as long to implement as it used to.
 
AVTC Link 1-Riverside to Hospital-now been funded.
 
Right now this project is being held up by Hydro and CN.  The City is waiting for responses to the designs they’ve submitted.  They are hoping to have the final design in the fall, but that will move into the winter if the City doesn’t hear from them by the summer.
The hospital is now orienting their expansion designs around the new access e.g. moving the ER to the back of the campus
 
The Browning Ave. corridor goes along the Hydro FOW and connects to the Cumberland Transit way.  Peter is not convinced a high-speed bus lane can be built without expropriating homes.  It is a very narrow area between the Perley and the backyards.
 
Road resurfacing
 
Smyth is going to be repaved between Alta Vista and St. Laurent under some federal program. 
 
Q: Can they put in bike lanes along Smyth?
-They’ll try to paint it in if they can, but they can’t make the road any wider.  This lead to a discussion of how Ottawa is not nearly as bike friendly as other cities people have visited e.g. Copenhagen
 
Q: Can they slow down Smyth?
-They had focused on speeding there in the past, handed out thousands of tickets but it made no difference.
 
Q:  Why is a 35 foot concrete tower being built at the corner of Crestview and Fairbanks to monitor the sewer flow, if the whole thing was dug up and replaced only a couple of years ago?  The residents had just received notice this was happening, there was no
-He had no answer, as he had no idea this was going on. 
 
Q: Can he turn down the brightness of the streetlights on Crestview?  They chose the design for its looks but weren’t told it would be brighter than normal lights.
-He will try once again to get something done by proposing a resolution at city council to turn down the lights.  When he speaks to the dept. responsible he is told that the lights are the same brightness everywhere, nothing can be done.
 


Faircrest Heights Community Association
Annual General Meeting
November 3,2008
 
Association Business: Tony Le Moine
 
Minutes of previous annual meeting were distributed. A motion for approval was moved, seconded and approved.
 
The Financial Report for the year ended October 31, 2008 was distributed and reviewed. The new line of expenditure, liability insurance, was explained as being required by the City so that we can work on the Memorial Park.  A motion for approval of the financial report was moved, seconded and approved.
 
Nominations for the executive positions was deferred until after Councillor Hume’s presentation
 
The President announced that the Association has the following vacancies on the executive, secretary, membership co-coordinator, and Oak Park representative.
 
Citizens’ rights with respect to neglected homes in the neighbourhood: Jacques Beaulne
 
Contact the City at 311.  You will have to identify yourself but that information will be kept confidential.
 
Someone will be sent to inspect the property.  If the owner does nothing after receiving a warning, the City will take care of the problem and add the cost of doing the work to the property owner’s tax bill. 
 
Memorial Park: Joyce Wright
 
Many thanks to all who have made donations.  We have ordered 6 trees and two benches, to be installed in the spring.
 
The City wants us to put down landscape fabric and mulch before planting; we are looking for donations towards this as well as volunteers to help do the work.
 
Donations of drought-resistant plants for the garden, and volunteers to plant them would also be appreciated.  We are also trying to get plants donated by local nurseries.
 
There will be an opening ceremony in the spring (more information will be in the spring newsletter)
 
Councillor Hume’s Presentation:
 
He began by mentioning the passing of Abbey Evenchick, and the fact that as he was a founding member of the Association. He hoped that something would be done as a memorial to Abbey.  Joyce Wright replied that there is talk of a tree or bench in the Memorial park in his name.
 
He continued with a power point presentation covering the following topics:
 
Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO):
Property Assessments:
Emerald Ash Borer
Crows
Lynda Lane parking
Hospital Lands Planning Study:
Alta Vista Drive Traffic Management Study/Review
Alta Vista Traffic Corridor/Hospital Link
 
Following the presentation there was a series of questions and answers.
 
Nominations for Directors: Don Melick
 
The following were nominated:
          President             Tony Le Moine
          Treasurer             Marie Beaulne
          Secretary             Vacant
          Directors              Jacques Beaulne         
                                      Quentin Bristow  
                                      Don Melick
                                      Tom Saikaly
                                      Joyce Wright
 
On a motion by the President and duly seconded the slate was approved
 
Other Business:
 
Councillor Hume reported that Don Melick in his capacity as a Director of the Faircrest Heights Community Association had supported the recommendations of the Hospital Lands Area Planning Study on behalf of the FHCA.  He continued by requesting that the membership of FHCA in support of Don Melick and the executive approve the following motion:
 
Whereas the Faircrest Heights Community Association, the community adjacent to the Ottawa Health Sciences Complex, has long advocated for better transportation access and better land use planning for the OHSC; and

Whereas the City responded to the pending disposal and redevelopment of the National Defense Medical Centre Lands by undertaking a land use planning exercise, under the direction of the local community associations and other land owners, with goal of creating an urban design plan that would guide the future development of the NDMC lands within a proper transportation framework; and

Whereas the exercise was unique in that it was guided by and significantly influenced by local community associations; and

Whereas the resulting urban design plan was reviewed and recommended, by the steering committee members, for approval and implementation.

Therefore be it resolved that the general membership of the Faircrest Heights Community Association supports the recommendations of the Hospital Lands Area Planning Study and recommends approval and implementation of the study recommendations as approved by the Study Steering Committee;  and

Further be it resolved that the Faircrest Heights Community Associations recommends City Council approve and implement the recommendations of the planning study.

 The motion was moved and seconded and after discussion was approved.

 There being no futher business the meeting terminated.



Faircrest Heights Community Association
Minutes of the Spring Meeting May 8, 2008
 
President’s Welcome (Tony Le Moine)
          He welcomed all to the meeting and informed those present that Don Marks had resigned as a Director. On behalf of the Association he thanked Don for his contribution. He appealed for more volunteers especially someone to coordinate membership.
 
Memorial Park Presentation (Joyce Wright)
          Joyce reported the park was coming along nicely.  The land has been cleared and when it dries out they will be adding more earth. The garden may be able to go by the end of July.  The plants must be drought resistant as there will be no tap water available. The City is putting in 16 trees and she is looking for donors to purchase 10 more trees at a cost of $ 400 each. Tax receipts can be issued for all donations. Cheques should be made payable to the City of Ottawa and sent to Joyce’s attention. Joyce will forward them to the City who will issue the tax receipts.  She also asked for more volunteers.  Contact Joyce if you have any questions.
 
Questions from audience:
 
                                                                                      
Why do the trees cost $ 400?
 
          They are big trees ~8 feet tall, not saplings. Trees will be maintained for three years and if it dies it will be replaced. 
 
Trees in the forest do well on their own.  Why do we have to pay maintain these trees?
 
          Trees in the forest do not have to contend with road salt, car exhaust, and other stresses.
 
Councillor Hume’s Presentation
         
Development Applications/Planning:
          No recent major developments.
 
Immaculate Heart of Mary School:
          The School Board is looking to lease the building; the City still wants to keep the field and green space.  If the property comes up for sale money would be found to purchase at least the field and green space.
 
From the audience:  Someone was speaking to a team of people painting the inside of the school and they said it was going to be a day-care.
 
Hospital Lands:
          The final draft development plan will be out soon, and a public meeting will probably be held in the fall.  The hospital is not closing until 2013.  City planners are working on urban design, streetscape, etc.  The City will make the final plan part of the official plan, which will in turn affect the zoning bylaws.
 
Riverside Link:
          The City is proceeding with the link to Riverside Drive and the Hospital Ring Road.  It will be two lanes.  The engineering issue is with the crossing of Alta Vista and the railroad tracks and linking into Riverside Drive.  
         
House at Faircrest/Fairbanks:
          The purchaser wants to demolish the house and erect 3 new houses. The committee of adjustments agreed with the local residents who supported the building of 2 houses. The purchaser has appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Councillor Hume said that the City would support the local residents at the OMB hearing if requested to do so. He also noted that the City is putting all planning applications online and they will be accessible by the general public.
 
          He also mentioned that there is going to be an Aga Khan Community Centre on the south east corner of Alta Vista and Industrial across from the Canada Post building.
 
The Trainyards Development:
          Walmart is adding another 50,000 feet to its store, which was part of the original plan.  Belfast and Trainyards will be getting a traffic signal, and maybe a sidewalk and there will be a multipurpose pathway from Alta Vista to Coronation.
 
Future Issues:
          Parking on Lynda Lane will be discussed, once again, in the fall.  A 90-space parking lot has been built near the fields for Ultimate and cricket but they are not sure how they will be monitored for appropriate use. The hospital had agreed to create inexpensive parking and was therefore allowed to expand their parking lots for the employees.  However the inexpensive parking has not yet been built. 
          Hydro Ottawa wants to do a pilot program of solar and wind powered lights along the walking path between Billings and Pleasant Park (near Lynda Lane).  They’ have received funding to research ways to go off the grid. They will be bringing forward a plan to the neighbourhood for input. Streetlights are the City’s biggest electricity expenditure. 
 
From the audience:                                                                                       

Could they be used on streets? 

No, they are too small and the light is not far enough off the ground to light a street.
 
More Hospital Land discussion:
          The hospital (which includes the rehab centre) says they will need half of the development potential of the NDMC lands for their growth of the next 50 years.  The province has an agreement with Canada Lands to provide for this growth.  The hospital’s existing site has the potential to double in size. 
 
From the audience:

The NDMC land should be kept solely for hospital expansion.
 
Could the Russell/Smyth intersection be straightened out by using the Esso station that is now closed?                                                                            

Response; Esso is not currently in discussions with the City as to the future use of this property.
 
There being no further business the meeting terminated.
 

Faircrest Heights Community Association
Annual General Meeting

Pleasant Park Baptist Church
15 November 2007


Newly elected President Tony Le Moine with Past-president Don Melick in the background

Past-president Don Melick (left) shown with unidentified Oak Park resident.

Photos courtesy of John Wright

Owing to the resignation of Karen Leef from the Presidency, Past-president Don Melick assumed the Chair.

 35 members were present

 1 Opening Remarks

The Chairman welcomed the members and explained that Ms Leef, a lawyer, had developed a very high case load and felt it necessary to resign her position. He noted that the culture of the organization has changed from one where the President does almost everything to one where the President acts as a facilitator. He also noted that Councillor Peter Hume and his staff were tied up with City budget meetings and could not attend.

 2. Approval of the Agenda

On a motion from the Chair the agenda was approved.

 3. Minutes of the 2006 AGM

On a motion from the Chair the Minutes of the 2006 meeting were approved.

 4. Matters Arising from the Minutes

None.

 5. Financial Report

Copies of the financial report were distributed. A question from the floor concerned the location of the John Murphy Park (adjacent to the railroad between Pleasant Park and Billings).

On a motion from the Chair the financial report was approved without contrary votes.

 6. Elections

The Chairman presented a slate of Officers and Directors for the year 2007/2008. These are:

            President         Tony LeMoine
            Treasurer        Maria Beaulne
            Secretary         Barbara Holland
            Directors
                                    Jacques Beaulne
                                    Linda Brazeau
                                    Quentin Bristow
                                    Don Marks
                                    Don Melick
                                    Tom Saikaly
                                    Louise Voyer
                                    Joyce Wright

 On a motion from the Chair, the above named persons were elected.

 Following the vote there was some discussion of the nomination process. The Chairman noted that most members of the current Board had agreed to stand again. He commented that the Association has never turned away an interested person and that they have always sought representation from all parts of Faircrest Heights.

 Further discussion centered on the need for a form of condominium association for each of several areas of Oak Park which were not serviced by city roads, and the relationship of such associations to the FHCA. This led to discussion on what should appear in the Newsletter regarding where to call for information on parking and parking signs, etc.

 7. Faircrest Heights Memorial Park

Joyce Wright gave a brief presentation on the park being laid out at the corner of Smyth and Lynda Lane. The project was started in 1998 as a centennial project. The ‘ground-breaking’ happened this fall. The first step is to raise the land to avoid spring flooding. The area will be grassed in the spring and trees will be planted in the first ‘window’ which will be next fall. Commemorative trees may be purchased for $400 and benches for $2000. This includes permanent maintenance by the City. Cheques should be made payable to ‘City of Ottawa’ and charitable tax receipts will be issued.

Q. Can it be made ‘nonsmoking’ - if not it will became a large ashtray?
A. We will discuss this with the city.

Q. Could we get a high school carpentry class to make benches to City plans?
A. No. The City is adamant that only benches that they supply and install are acceptable. This goes back to the City commitment for maintenance.

Q. Can several people contribute to a bench?
A. Probably. We will confirm this with the City

 8. Directors’ Meetings

The Chairman reviewed the ‘standard’ agenda (handout) used at Board meetings, and commented on the status of the various items. He explained that the standard agenda was used as a way of making sure that if any Board member became aware of any activity on any of the items, the agenda provided a reminder to bring other members up to date.

 9. Other Business

None.

 10. Introduction of the President

The Chairman introduced the newly elected President, Tony LeMoine, a resident of Ottawa since 1984 and of Faircrest Heights since 1993, and invited him take the chair.

 11. President’s Concluding Remarks

The President thanked Don Melick for chairing the meeting; noted that he needs to get up to speed quickly on the issues; and called for a Directors Meeting on 3 December 2007.

 12. Adjournment

A motion by the President to adjourn received unanimous approval.

 Submitted                                                       Approved

                                                                                                                                    

John Wright - Acting Recording Secretary   Tony LeMoine - President
16 November 2007
 

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