I’ve fielded a number of calls in the past months asking about the property at 371 Richmond Road, for which Domicile applied for a re-zoning to allow a 9-storey building.
That application is currently on pause while Domicile re-jigs the design. Community feedback and my own was strongly against some of the elements. In particular, I’m seeking much greater set-backs on the north side to stop the building from imposing a wall of condos on Madison residents.
Happy Thursday everyone. Since we are in the middle of this beautiful summer, we thought it would be a great moment to talk about heat. Back in April Jeff had the chance to meet with Mark and Meghan, two Hintonburg residents who know a lot about the importance of heat. They are building their own house, but with a twist. They are building a home known as a Passivhaus.
This week, I'll be asking by way of motion for our planning staff to bring forward a recommendation on re-zoning 1391 Wellington West to allow a "broadcasting studio", facilitating a move by CHIN Radio into our community. Under the current Traditional Mainstreet zoning for the area, a broadcasting studio isn't a permitted use.
On Tuesday at Planning Committee, we'll consider a staff review of the City's cash-in-lieu (CIL) of parkland policy that proposes several welcome reforms. Kitchissippi has been one of the largest recipients of CIL money in recent years. While the resources have been put to beneficial use, the proposed tweaks will result in some needed improvements.
My colleague Catherine McKenney and I got an update from staff on the Hickory Street pedestrian bridge yesterday. Several residents have been asking - here's the scoop:
The Hickory Pedestrian Bridge construction is progressing well and is following original construction schedule.
The next milestone at the end of June 2015 is the delivery of all bridge and deck elements to the construction site.
Staff with our infrastructure team are set to get underway with a sewer overhaul on St. Francis and Edgar streets in Hintonburg, as well as some slight sidewalk widening. It's expected to get underway in early July.
Work affecting the school is expected to be complete by the time it starts in September, and my thanks go to staff for their close cooperation with school officials to minimize disruption for the programming this summer.
The boards we presented to the St. Francis school parents council are appended to this post below.
The Mechanicsville Community Association hosts its annual Mechanicsville Days tomorrow! There'll be hot dogs, games, bouncy castle and more for this fantastic community party, held 11-2 at Laroche Park. See you there!
On Wednesday, University of Ottawa Heart Institute staff and contractors presented an update on construction progress. The top line is that construction is on schedule. Major excavation should begin in late September or early October. Given our early experience with empty idling trucks and gravel on the roads associated with the Tamarack build on Rosemount, I asked Institute to ensure that 1. streets are kept swept and, 2. that they work with the truck dispatchers on timing the truck arrivals so they don't sit empty and idling nearby to the site.
There are several items of significant interest coming up on Tuesday’s Planning Committee agenda (if that kind of thing floats your boat).
1. City staff have developed a response to Bill 73 – Smart Growth for Our Communities now in front of the Ontario’s Legislature. The response to that bill by the City’s Planning and Growth Management department is on the agenda of our meeting, and appended to this post below. I’m in full agreement with some of staff’s positions:
Awesome, Kitchissippi! Well before deadline, you raised $1000 for Ottawa West Community Support - thanks in part to a top-up donation yesterday by the Wellington West Business Improvement Area.
Thanks to your generosity, I'll be taking a pie in the face at the OWCS' annual BBQ,June 26. It starts at 11:30 AM, at 1137 Wellington Street West. We're thinking pie (or pies) get thrown at noon. Throwing honours will be raffled away.