Minutes of meeting 5 May 2008

Attendees:

Motion: To accept the April 2007, minutes, moved by John Sankey, seconded by Alan Asselstine, carried.

Liz Russell: has adopted McCarthy Road, she picks up the garbage and removes the graffiti along its entire length. Corporate sponsors donate equipment and supply cleaning products to remove the graffiti.

Shelly Parlow: The OMB presided over mediation talks among three parties concerning the Southern Corridor: the NCC, the City and the Greenspace Alliance. The three parties were asked not to reveal the details of the discussions. Shelly feels that we will probably be reasonably happy.

Nichole Hoover: Presented the Councillor's report.

Shelley Parlow: Can we remove graffiti from poles along the street?
Nichole Hoover: The kit is for smooth surfaces only. She is not sure if it will work on concrete poles.

Alan Asselstine: The 50 km/hour speed limit on Walkley Road is too low. It should be 60 km/hour like Riverside Drive and Hunt Club Road.
John Sankey: A speed limit that is too low infuriates drivers and makes the road unsafe.

Alan Asselstine: Again stated that the HCCO sees the expansion of the Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centre as very important and is very interested in the governance issue. On another topic, he noted that there are new stop lights on Riverside Drive at Mooney's Bay Place but wondered how drivers using Riverside were consulted.
Nichole Hoover: Lights were installed because traffic and pedestrian volume met the warrants.

John Sankey: There was a request for a zoning variance to allow signs along River Road south of Hunt Club Road. There are big commercial signs along River Road but it is being widened from two lanes to four, the signs cannot be moved back because of the airport fence. John wrote to deny the request to allow the signs based on safety and noted that the intersection at Hunt Club and Riverside is one of the most dangerous in the City.

John Sankey: Next spring, the province of Ontario is restricting the use of lawn pesticides. As has already happened in municipalities that passed their own pesticide bylaws, more people in Ottawa will switch to natural gardens from pesticide-dependent lawns. This will increase complaints based on property standards bylaws and on encroachments onto city-owned rights of way adjacent to homeowner properties. The City should review its property standards and encroachment bylaws to ensure that they take account recent court rulings in Toronto, which disallow aesthetic considerations in such bylaws.
Shelley Parlow: Property standards say that you have to have grass on property but the pesticide ban will make it harder to maintain the grass. On Gillespie Drive, a woman has extended her cactus garden onto the City right-of-way. The City may find it is contrary to the property standards.
Motion: Whereas cosmetic use of pesticides will be banned for household use, on January, 2009 and water costs and restrictions are increasing, the HCCO requests that the City review the regulations - the property standard bylaw and the bylaw respecting City right-of-way where residents maintain City property. moved by Alan Asselstine, seconded by Liz Russell, carried.

John Sankey: The Hunt Club Golf Course asked the City for a grant to add flowers to City property along Hunt Club Road. Result is a stretch with very pretty shrubs and flowers below the spruce trees.

Liz Russell: has picked up garbage along McCarthy Road this spring and has another day planned on May 10 from 8:00 till 13:00. She has asked the City to put up garbage cans at five locations along McCarthy Road - Provost, Southmore, Plante, Cahill and Pigeon Terrace. The garbage cans would help people keep the Road clean. On another subject, there will be a free CPR course on Saturday May 10 [ to be confirmed ] from 9:00 to 13:00 at the Ottawa Paramedic Service, 2465 Don Reid Drive. Register by phone - 613 580-2424 or by e-mail cpr@ottawa.ca
Motion: To thank Liz Russell for her work in adopting McCarthy Road. moved by Alan Asselstine, seconded by Peter Brimacombe, carried.

Next meeting: Monday June 2 at 19:30