Infrastructure & Developments Archives - Hunt Club Community Association

Hunt Club Road Project Construction

Posted on March 4, 2021March 4, 2021 by Jason

Notice of Lane Closure – Hunt Club Rail Bridge

As part of the Stage 2 O-Train South Extension Project, construction of the Hunt Club Rail-over-Road Bridge is underway. The bridge is a major part of the infrastructure advancement project for the O-Train South Extension and once complete, it will not only serve to improve the rail link to communities in South Keys and surrounding neighbourhoods, but will also provide a new North / South, Multi-Use Pathway connection for residents.

What

Geotechnical monitoring is required to be completed in the westbound left lane of Hunt Club road, between the Transitway overpass and the Airport Parkway.

When

Work will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 am on March 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 22, 24 and 26, pending inclement weather and schedule changes.

Why

To conduct geotechnical monitoring at the work site.

Where

In the westbound left lane of Hunt Club road, between the Transitway overpass and the Airport Parkway.

Work area shown in red.

Anticipated Impacts

Westbound traffic on Hunt Club Road will share the right lane around the work area for the duration of the closure. Traffic control measures will be in place.
Cycle lanes on both sides of Hunt Club Road through the work site will remain closed for the duration of this work due to increased truck traffic and heavy construction equipment. Cyclists will be required to adhere to signage and share the lane with other traffic.

If you have questions about this work, please contact the City’s representative:

Michael Brossoit
Stakeholder Relations, Rail Construction Program
City of Ottawa
Email: michael.brossoit@ottawa.ca
Website: ottawa.ca/stage2

Hunt Club Traffic 2020

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Sue McCarthy

Our community has three solar-powered radar-enabled signs that flash the speed as a vehicle approaches. The purpose is to make drivers aware when they are driving at speeds above the posted limits.

In Hunt Club, they are on northbound Paul Anka Drive approaching Uplands Drive, northbound McCarthy Road north of the Plante intersection, and eastbound Uplands Drive across from Uplands Park. All are two-lane roads. Two others, just north of our community, cover both directions on Riverside Drive, a four-lane road with higher speeds.

I was unaware that they also record each event for statistical purposes. No camera is involved so vehicles cannot be identified. Thanks to a request to Councillor Riley Brockington’s office, I was able to get statistics from the Uplands Drive sign for each day in 2020.

Total counts for each week show the remarkable reduction in traffic in the Spring owing to the COVID-19 lockdown. Vehicle counts typically over 10,000 per week fell to less than half. Perhaps like me when you had to get out you found driving an absolute joy!

Throughout the year Friday is the busiest day on the roads; Sunday is quietist. Friday 21 August was the busiest day of the year.

The radar-enabled sign record isn’t perfect, likely due to equipment malfunctions as shown by lower traffic volumes for Week 3 and twice toward the end of the year.

Three-quarters of all vehicles approaching the sign were adhering to the 50 Km/hr speed limit. All but 15 percent were travelling at less than 53 Km/hr. You save fuel and reduce emissions by driving smoothly and avoiding hard acceleration. Overall, the data shows a large majority of drivers on Uplands Drive observing the speed limit. But there are others.

Coming soon, an article on speeding and driving in hazardous weather on Uplands Drive.

Pending Infrastructure Work in the Hydro One Corridor

Posted on March 1, 2021March 1, 2021 by Jason

Dear Neighbours on Linton Road, Southmore Drive (East and West), Dickinson Avenue, Fielding Court and Kitchener Avenue. My office has been notified by Hydro One of an application to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) for permission to reconductor approximately 11.9km of a high-transmission line which includes the corridor that runs east to west across River Ward just north of McCarthy Woods and south of your street.

Over the last month, I have been working closely with both the Riverside Park Community Association and Ellwood’s Ridgemont Community Association to address a number of issues related to this project.

Hydro One has advised that the work is to replace the conductors on existing circuits (M30A/M31A) with a two-conductor bundle. The voltage of the line will not change and will remain 230kV. The only change is the current carrying ampacity of the line will increase from 648MW to 1080MW. They do not expect to build any new transmission structures and most of the work would be carried out within the existing transmission corridor. Where possible, access to the transmission structures will be gained using existing roads, transmission corridors, and trails. Temporary by-pass poles will be installed at two electricity junctions just outside the ward. Once the project is completed there will be little noticeable difference in this transmission line.

I will continue to share information on this project as it is received. At this time, there are no dates for the work to be completed as Hydro One is just at the application stage with the OEB.

Sincerely,

Riley Brockington
City Councillor, River Ward
613-580-2486 Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca

Project Q&A with Hydro One’s responses.

Will there be large equipment working in the corridor?

Local residents may notice the use of bulldozers, bucket trucks, and cranes during construction. Hydro One does not anticipate the use of a helicopter for this project.

Will it be noisy?

Residents can expect typical construction noise during the working hours of Monday to Friday, 7am to 5:30pm. Depending on the schedule, some weekend work may be required. Crews and contractors will follow the provincial construction guidelines and noise by-laws.

Will there be overnight work with large lights?

Hydro One does not anticipate overnight work and the use of lighting.

Will any trees or brush be removed as part of this work or as part of gaining access to the work area?

Select low growing brush may require trimming or removal to gain access to the transmission right-of-way. As they are in the early planning phase, the access points have not yet been identified. Hydro One has committed to contact my office should vegetation removal be required for this work.

Will local residential power go off at any time?

They do not expect any temporary power outages as a result of this project.

Why is this required?

This project is considered to be a transmission line refurbishment between Merivale Transformer Station (TS) and Hawthorne TS, approximately 12km, to ensure continued safe and reliable supply of power to the Ottawa area. The M30A and M31A circuits currently carry a 230-kilovolt single conductor and as a part of this project these circuits will be reconductored with a dual bundle (two conductors per phase).

How will construction crews/equipment gain access to the project area?

Where possible Hydro One’s construction crews will use the closest street crossings to gain access to the transmission right-of-way. Some of these access points may be in residential areas and will require signage and public notification. As noted earlier, they are still in the early construction planning phase and access points are not finalized. In the event access to the transmission right-of-way is needed through a private property, a Hydro One Real Estate coordinator will work directly with the property owner.

When is construction anticipated to begin and end?

Although initially anticipated to start in 2021, the new start date for construction is moved to early 2022. Hydro One will advise my office when they are preparing to start and provide a further update. This will be shared with the community. They anticipate completing this work by the end of 2023.

Is it safe to live near transmission stations and lines?

Electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) are invisible forces that surround all electrical appliances and equipment, power cords and wiring, and outdoor power lines and equipment operated by utility companies. These fields are at extremely low frequencies. The field strength is strongest close to its source and fades rapidly as you move away from the source.

Health Canada does not consider that any precautionary measures are needed regarding daily exposures to EMFs at extremely low frequencies. There is no conclusive evidence of any harm caused by exposures at levels found in Canadian homes and schools, including those located just outside the boundaries of power line corridors.

How are electric and magnetic fields along the transmission corridor expected to change?

The modifications will be done according to the Canadian Electrical Code that meets the Canadian Standards Association requirements accounting for public safety. The second circuit will be installed on the existing transmission structures and based on Hydro One’s calculations, they project that the electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) along the transmission corridor would not substantially change.

At a recent meeting with Hydro One, I was reassured there will only be a slight increase of EMFs as a result of this project. Currently the line emits a reading of 16 milligauss (mG) and the reconductoring could see the reading increase to 18mG. Internationally, voluntary exposure guidelines recommend a residential magnetic field exposure limit of 2,000mG and an occupational exposure limit of 10,000mG. The World Health Organization endorses these guidelines set out by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, and both organizations regularly review them.

Sources:
www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/everyday-things-emit-radiation/power-lines-electrical-appliances.html

www.HydroOne.com/EMF

Who can residents contact if they have project-related questions?

If residents have questions about the project or would like additional information, they are welcome to contact Hydro One Community Relations at 1-877-345-6799 or Community.Relations@HydroOne.com.

Future Public Information Night

I have secured a commitment from Hydro One to host an information session with residents closer to the start of the project so residents can speak with the project team about construction and electric and magnetic fields. My office will ensure all residents receive notice well in advance of this meeting.

Ottawa’s New Official Plan

Posted on February 20, 2021February 22, 2021 by Sue McCarthy

Ottawa is in the process of finalizing its New Official Plan which embodies the concepts of a 15 minute neighbourhood where a resident can walk to all essential services like shopping, medical services, restaurants, etc. from their home. This concept relies on intensification of new development around key services like transit stations. In older established neighbourhoods, this might involve low rise buildings replacing single family homes. This underlying philosophy has already been adopted and is in effect right now. I recently provided my comments on the New Official Plan to the Hunt Club Community Association (HCCA). There’s still time for you to have your say at: https://engage.ottawa.ca/the-new-official-plan

Here’s what I don’t like about the Plan

Property owners are not aware of the implications of intensification. They are going to be surprised and angry if somebody builds an apartment building on their street. In specific examples, the Planning Committee has supported intensification despite local objections.
the target is 100% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 but this target is radical and unrealistic
Here’s what I like about the Plan
- it promotes energy efficiency
- it protects rural areas from urban sprawl
- Hunt Club is largely unaffected by intensification because houses are relatively new

Intensification is really the only option. It’s energy efficient and it saves rural areas from urban sprawl. I totally agree on the need to save rural areas from urban sprawl. I worked 30 years for the Canadian Soil Information Service at Agriculture Canada. Urban sprawl is a threat to agriculture. It’s on energy efficiency where the City and I disagree. The New Official Plan takes the view that energy efficiency is needed to protect the planet. In fact, the stated target is 100% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. The target itself admits that it is radical and unrealistic – it’s far enough in the future to relieve anyone of responsibility. My thought is that increased energy efficiency is needed because oil is becoming harder to find and more expensive – Peak Oil. In fact, technology advances in fracking have made oil cheaper but this effect is temporary.

My vision is to provide decent housing to the people that come here. I am inspired by the story of a building in New York City that provided people with decent housing. I met author Seymour N. Harris in New York City. Here is an excerpt from his book, ‘The Building’: “Some skeptics believed that the project would shortly become a slum, that its tenants, mostly poor and predominantly Jewish immigrants, and their families, would destroy it. Nevertheless, out of what many observers considered to be a garbage heap, there arose some of the nation’s leading entrepreneurs as well as leaders in every profession from law to medicine, from theatre to education. Given hope and opportunity, the children of the destitute emerged as captains of achievement. In every area, they helped build the foundations of a new era in the twenty-first century”

The New Official Plan talks about affordable housing. During the pandemic, housing has become less affordable. In response, the Federal Government has hugely increased the deficit but the deficit has increased the value of assets – like housing. Housing is now less affordable.

To sum up my comments on the New Official Plan

the City has to go with intensification
Hunt Club is largely left alone

Notice of Night Work – Hunt Club Rail Bridge

Posted on February 12, 2021February 12, 2021 by Sue McCarthy

We received a notice from Councillor Brockington that construction of the Hunt Club Rail-over-Road Bridge as part of the Stage 2 O-Train Trillium Line South Extension Project is ready to proceed. This will involve night work over the next few weeks, planned to be completed by February 24, 2021.

Work is being conducted at night to reduce impacts to vehicular traffic, including emergency vehicles. To maintain safety, cycle lanes on both sides of Hunt Club Road through the work zone will remain closed for the duration of this work due to increased truck traffic and the presence of heavy construction equipment. Cyclists and pedestrians will be required to adhere to signage.

Work will be conducted every night pending inclement weather and schedule changes. The utmost consideration for residents’ well-being has been considered in planning this activity and everyone involved is committed to this project advancing smoothly and with respect for everyone’s comfort and safety.

Anticipated Impacts:

Cycle lanes on both sides of Hunt Club Road through the work site will remain closed for the duration of this work due to increased truck traffic and heavy construction equipment. Cyclists will be required to adhere to signage and share the lane with other traffic.
Although construction noise is not expected to exceed 85 decibels at the site of activity, reducing to 56 decibels at 30 metres from the site, the public will experience noise and some vibration associated with construction activity. Efforts will be made to avoid directing light toward residences.

Further information is available at the following link:
Stage 2 Trillium Line South Extension – Overnight Construction on Hunt Club Rail Bridge
(Note the schedule on the link may not reflect the latest update with Feb 24th completion.)

Your Community Association is Looking for You!

Posted on August 29, 2020January 11, 2021 by Jason

Ever wonder why things are the way they are, why things in your neighbourhood just aren’t to your liking. Why there are cars speeding. Why there are developments springing up that you weren’t aware of? How can you find out about these things? One way is to get involved in your community. I know you’re busy, you’ve got the kids activities, you work, you’re running ragged. But it doesn’t have to take a lot of your time.

The Hunt Club Community Association (HCCA) is your voice to your Councillor, Riley Brockington and to the City of Ottawa. As a group we can have a bigger impact than as an individual.

We are the focal point for information and consultations on projects. For instance, the HCCA has provided comments on the New Official Plan for the City, provided input on proposed developments on Hunt Club at the Airport Parkway and at Riverside and Hunt Club. We host special events like the Fall Festival and Art in the Park. We are planning a Community Garden and sit on some inter-organizational committees working together on issues like Food Security and the Environment.

Keep in touch with what is going on in your neighbourhood, your city. Join us, attend meetings, maybe even join the board.

We meet at 7 pm on the 1st Monday of the month from September through June. Our Annual General Meeting is in November.