Dear Sir,

On behalf of the Hunt Club Community Organization I am writing to express the views of the Board with respect to the potential impact on traffic along Hunt Club Road as a result of the application for a minor variance for 2869 Gibford Drive.

While we do not have a comment on the specific application before the committee, we do want to make the point that we would not support the subsequent placement of an additional traffic signal on Hunt Club Road to assist access to and egress from this property. It is our view that:

• the addition of an additional traffic light on Hunt Club Road between Bank Street and Riverside Drive would make a very congested roadway much worse. This area is already used way beyond capacity and congestion is exacerbated by the interactions between closely spaced lights on Hunt Club Rd.
• concern has been raised that any increase in congestion or slow down on Hunt Club Road will increase the cut through traffic on Uplands Drive. Residents are opposed to this occurring.
• Hunt Club Road is a major roadway for east-west traffic in Ottawa and another traffic light will make travel times worse. A new light is very unfair to the thousands of motorists who live in the area as well as others who use Hunt Club Road each day. The HCCO directors have spoken to over 100 people who use Hunt Club Road daily and all are opposed to the addition of another light.
• the property already has access via a traffic light entrance off Uplands Drive and Hunt Club Road and a second entrance off Hunt Club Road.

It is our view that the costs to city residents of further impediments to the east-west capacity of Hunt Club Road far out-weigh the potential commercial advantage to the owner of an additional traffic light.

We appreciate that the minor variance does not request a proposal for an additional traffic light on Hunt Club Road. The purpose in writing at this time is to alert city staff and councillors to our opposition to additional traffic lights in this area and to encourage their support in encouraging development which respects our concerns.

Yours truly

Jerry Beausoleil
HCCO Board Member
613 521-3253