Meetings & Documents
 

May 3, 2004


Monthly Meeting
May 3, 2004


Attendees:

  • Fred MacLennan, President
  • Alan Asselstine, Treasurer
  • Peter Brimacombe, Secretary
  • Gisèle Loiselle-Branch, Director (memberships)
  • Nancy Seaby, Director (transportation and editorial)
  • Shelley Parlow
  • Maria McRae, City councillor
  • Tom Collins, The News

Motion: To nominate Shelley Parlow as director. Moved by Nancy Seaby; seconded by Gisèle Loiselle-Branch. Carried.

Nancy Seaby: Service cuts to local bus routes have been approved: 86, 87 and 146. The cuts were not adequately advertised and riders are going to discover them at the bus stops. The cuts were approved in spite of the growth of the community: Quintera, Rhapsody Lane and Centralla. Hunt Club Enclave is a small development just off Hunt Club Road, houses are built on soil that is unsuitable, it’s a disaster.

Shelley Parlow: The City has proposed zoning restrictions to development in the Southern Corridor. Shelley represents a group of residents that support this restriction. The property owner: the National Capital Commission ( NCC) has appealed the zoning to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), she is afraid that the OMB will side with the NCC.

Maria McRae: She supports the City’s position, Denis Jacobs works for Planning and Development Services, he is responsible for the file. The Southern Corridor is a Federal issue, Shelley should look for support from John Manley the Member of Parliament(MP) for our Riding.

Peter Brimacombe: Over the next 20 years, there will be 400,000 more people in the City, we must provide for them. Development of the Southern Corridor is needed to provide them with housing; It is the most economically, environmentally and socially responsible thing to do.

Alan Asselstine: More people need more housing: the best thing is to build more compact housing close to the City centre. For example the Central Experimental Farm adds extra cost to all housing south of it because it costs more to extend services past the Central Experimental Farm: roads, water, hydro lines and sewers. Alan has been working on the Sawmill Creek Watershed Plan: There is a plan to build constructed wetlands east of the Airport Parkway. Phase I is to build wetlands at the north end and Phase II is to build wetlands further south opposite South Keys. Phase II needs support from the community.

Maria McRae: There will be a public consultation meeting on the Sawmill Creek Watershed Plan in June. Be there!

Fred Mclennan: There is a proposal to expand light rail by adding a north-south corridor. This proposal will be discussed on May 12, Colonel By Room, 2nd floor, Ottawa City Hall.

There was a general discussion: the O Train is too expensive and its routes are largely irrelevant. The $40 million cost would be better spent supporting the existing bus service.

Alan Asselstine: The problem with the rapid transit lines is that movement through downtown is too slow and too congested.

Next meeting: Mon 7 Jun 2004 at 7:30pm