EXECUTIVE MEETING UPDATE - PUBLIC MEETING AUGUST 11th (TENT)

The Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association met Thursday evening to review a number of issues. The following is a summary of these issues:

1. Public Meeting August 11th (location TBD) - Given a number of issues as listed below, including two significant development files, we will be holding a public meeting on August 11th. While recognizing it is summer and some people will be holidays, this will hopefully provide an opportunity to solidify a community voice on these current files. We have made a request to use the lecture hall at the Civic Hospital, and will should know Monday as to availability. A public notice will also be posted. We will plan to commence at 7:30 pm.

2. Sherwood Drive & Broader Neighbourhood Traffic Issues - We have received a number of comments and concerns regarding the speed of traffic through the neighbourhood, both east of Parkdale, and in the block between Parkdale and Holland Avenues. In the past few months, two dogs have been killed when struck by cars, and the grave concern is that the next incident may involve a child or a senior. While drivers were not necessarily to blame in both instances, the ability of a driver to react at 40 km/h rather than 70 km/h is substantially different.

A number of other areas and neighbourhoods throughout the City of Ottawa have been able to institute traffic calming measures, including signage and speed bumps. While the issue of speed bumps was not raised, there was consensus that a recommendation be made to reduce the speed of side streets to 40 km/h, and implement a number of "Children at Play" signs. The construction of the new seniors facility on Carling Avenue also further increases the need for appropriate stop signs and signage throughout the neighbourhood.

We had a lengthy discussion to ensure that traffic calming measures were not implemented on one particular street that would then have an impact on other surrounding streets. Instead, the objective was to raise the issue of an overall neighbourhood plan. We are aware that the City wants to keep traffic flowing between Parkdale and Holland and through to Carling Avenue on Sherwood and Kenilworth. The objective is to get people to slow down.

We would allot time to have this issue discussed at the Public Meeting.

3. 53 Young Street - We have received a request from a developer to review the proposal to build an 18-unit townhome structure at 53 Young Street - currently a vacant lot just south of the Queensway. We will be providing 30 minutes for a presentation and Q&A on this proposal.

4. Champagne Avenue Property Development - We had not been made aware of this development, rather the plans were made public by the developer. This site runs just west of the O-Train tracks south of Carling and East of Champagne, at the eastern boundary of the Neighbourhood. A number of residents in the area have asked that we review this project as well. Councillor Leadman has asked the developer to appear at the Public Meeting on the 11th, and we will be providing 30 minutes for this to take place. Given the time available, we will be asking that the developers of both projects be available for questions prior to the meeting if required.

5. "5 Corners" monument proposal - For the past year, Kathryn Williams and a number of other residents have been leading efforts to better utilize the triangle of land that stands at the "5 corners" intesection of Kenilworth, Sherwood and Fairmont. She has some great ideas, including the idea of a structure to recognize the founding residents of the community. Kathryn has offered to speak to these ideas at the public meeting.

6. Civic Hospital Parks and Recreation Committee - Amanda Farris provided an update from the most recent Civic Hospital Parks and Recreation Committee. It is important to note that the CHPRC operates as a separate entity from the Neighbourhood Association, but yet we do work in parallel. Sylvain de Margarie and this organization have been doing great work on a number of files, notably the Reid Farmhouse project. While the following comment is a simplistic suggestion of how both groups function, it may be easier to view the CHPRC as having a social/community programming mandate, and the CHNA as having an advocacy mandate. Amanda is serving as the communications link between both organizations, but again, do want to reinforce that we are working in concert.

7. Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus Update - Kate Harrigan informed the Committee that we were made aware that the Ottawa Hospital has made an application to the LHIN to fund their long-term strategic plan study. This is an expected move, and the next step towards any future consultation and development. There is otherwise no immediate issues related to the plans for the Civic Campus. Kate and Keith Hobbs continue to serve on the Community Access Committee, and track this project closely.