Construction in Rideau-Goulbourn and Drop-In Sessions

/
Congratulations to Rideau-Goulbourn residents Sanchit and Riya Gupta on receiving the Mayor’s City Builder Award at Council on Wednesday, May 22. The Guptas established a chapter of MealCare, a non-profit organization that aims to combat food waste, in Ottawa. Working with local restaurants, university cafeterias and grocery stores, the Guptas take in surplus food, and, with the help of fellow volunteers, redirect it to shelters and soup kitchens where it is needed most.

Congratulations to Rideau-Goulbourn residents Sanchit and Riya Gupta on receiving the Mayor’s City Builder Award at Council on Wednesday, May 22. The Guptas established a chapter of MealCare, a non-profit organization that aims to combat food waste, in Ottawa. Working with local restaurants, university cafeterias and grocery stores, the Guptas take in surplus food, and, with the help of fellow volunteers, redirect it to shelters and soup kitchens where it is needed most.

In my most recent column, at the beginning of May, I highlighted the many culvert replacement projects that were scheduled to take place this summer. Many of these culvert renewals will lead directly into our roads program for 2020, such as Roger Stevens Drive and the other part of Rideau Valley Drive North. For now, though, I would like to focus on 2019 and let you know what you can expect to see under construction throughout Rideau-Goulbourn. Spoiler Alert: It is a lot.

We will begin with three major capital projects, two of which are ongoing. The McBean Street Bridge is still on schedule to re-open in December 2019. Construction will continue throughout the summer. The west side of the bridge is nearing completion following which the east side of the bridge will be dismantled, requiring another full closure of the bridge. We will continue to provide updates on this project. The Kanata South Link project continues as well with the widening of Old Richmond Road, between Hope Side Road and West Hunt Club as well as the construction of the roundabout at Hope Side Road. Finally, the intersection of Prince of Wales Drive and Bankfield Road will be under construction this summer as the City adds turning lanes in all directions. Additionally, Bankfield Road will be widened back to First Line Road and a signalized intersection will be installed at that point.

Onto road renewal, we have a number of Fall 2018 projects that were delayed due to the early winter that will get underway as soon as possible. Those include the McBean Street intersection with Goodstown Road, the Owlshead Road intersection with Munster Road, as well as portions of Dobson Lane, McCordick Road, and Third Line Road. These projects have already been awarded and will begin when half load restrictions are lifted from our roads. The list of 2019 road renewal projects in Rideau-Goulbourn include: 

  • Joy’s Road (Ottawa to Franktown)

  • Rideau Valley Drive North (Roger Stevens to Rideau Narrows)

  • Fallowfield Road (Eagleson to Huntley)

  • Barnsdale Road (Moodie to 416)

  • Barnsdale Road (Greenbank to Prince of Wales)

  • Hazeldean Road (Jinkinson to Carp)

  • McBean Street (Rail Crossing)

  • Dwyer Hill Road (Rail Crossing)

  • Manotick Main Street (Bankfield to Bridge)

  • Strachan (West of McBean)

  • Longfields Drive (Prince of Wales to Golflinks)

  • Carp Road (Hazeldean to Westbrook)

  • Mackey Road (Malakoff to Viola)

On our gravel roads, Paden Road will see its final lift in the two step rural road upgrade process between Harnett Road and Malakoff Road. Black’s Side Road will be upgraded using the same process this year and next between Ridingview Crescent and Flewellyn Road. McCordick Road, between Mackey Road and Cowell Road, will see new guiderails installed.

Some construction will also take place in a few of Rideau-Goulbourn’s many parks and also on a new one. Sarah McCarthy Park will see construction begin this month with a slated completion date of July. It will be Richmond’s newest park located on Cedarstone Drive. Keeping in Richmond, some final touches will be done on the work that took place in King’s Grant Park last year and the play structures at Richmond Lions Park will be replaced shortly. In Manotick, a collaborative effort between residents and my office has resulted in some new features being added to Gordon & Ivy Scharf Park. That work will also begin shortly.

Finally, in some less exciting but important nonetheless news, nearly $20M will be spent at our Trail Road waste facility which includes the replacement of the scale house and the capping of Stage 2 of the landfill. The landfill has a total of five stages. This is form part of a larger discussion in June as the Environment Committee begins discussing waste diversion and the Solid Waste Master Plan.

Drop-In Sessions

Our drop in sessions will be going on hiatus during the month of June due to the pending addition to my family but we will be back on schedule in July. I can imagine the stress this might cause you so, as always, feel free to contact my office anytime and we will do our best to assist. July will come before you know it and you can come visit at one of our next drop in sessions, with the first likely being held in Richmond.

*****

If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

October’s ARAC Agenda, 2018 Budget Consultation & More

/
ARAC.jpg

The next meeting of Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee is coming up on Thursday, October 5th. Agenda items at this upcoming meeting include the following:

  • Zoning By-Law Amendments for:
    • 3719 Dunrobin Road (West Carleton)
    • 1156 Jinkinson Road (Rideau-Goulbourn)
    • 5721, 5731, 5741 Manotick Main Street (Rideau-Goulbourn)
  • Boundary Road Agreement Report
  • Rural Coach Houses on Private Services
  • Carp Airport Development
  • Thomas Gamble Municipal Drain (Osgoode)
  • Kilroe Municipal Drain (Barrhaven)

The Zoning By-Law Amendment for 1156 Jinkinson Road is an expansion of Cavanagh’s Henderson Quarry. Already approved through the Province’s Aggregate Resources Act, the amendment changes the zoning from Mineral Reserve (MR) to Mineral Extraction (ME). A portion of the MR zone will also change to Environmental Protection (EP3) as a buffer between the quarry and the neighbouring wetland.

The Zoning By-Law Amendment for Manotick Main Street is the Regional Group/eqHomes development on the southern edge of Manotick, along the Rideau River. This property is in between Island View Road and Kelly Marie Drive. The Draft Plan of Subdivision was already approved by the City of Ottawa and this report deals specifically with the zoning of the property. That approval has been appealed and I am working with the appellant and the developer to resolve those issues. The appellant is well within their rights to have appealed, I agree with the basis of that appeal and I am confident we can resolve the matter.
 
The current zoning for 5721, 5731 and 5741 Manotick Main Street allows for detached dwellings. The proposed zoning, which aligns itself with the Manotick Secondary Plan, will allow the development of detached dwellings as well as townhome dwellings. Another element of the zoning amendment is to reduce required setbacks and increase the maximum lot coverage. The reason for this is because of the development being entirely bungalows. Bungalows require a larger footprint.
 
The report on coach houses deals specifically with coach houses being developed in the rural area on private services, i.e.: well and septic. The report attempts to soften some of the requirements imposed last year for those wishing to build a coach house on their property. For properties on municipal services, one just requires a building permit. The development on private services is a little more complex because well and septic capacity have to be considered.

The Boundary Road Agreement report deals with all of the roads that the City of Ottawa shares with our neighbouring municipalities, including North Grenville, Montague Township, Beckwith Township and Lanark County. It sets out maintenance responsibility agreements between the various partners. One such road that has caused concern is Ashton Station Road. This report is aimed at addressing maintenance issues between the City and Beckwith. As of right now, Beckwith has not agreed but the City of Ottawa continues to work with them on the agreement.

The agenda and all reports are available at Ottawa.ca.  

RCVA Tree Planing Program 

Money is available to landowners interested in planting trees. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority offers private landowners tree planting programs that help them get technical advice, planting plans and funding for trees.
 
To be eligible, landowners need at least one acre of land and are willing to plant a minimum of 500 trees. If you have the space, RVCA can help get trees growing on your land for 15 cents a tree. Since 1983, RVCA has planted over 5.25 million trees on private property for landowners. For more information please visit the RVCA’s website.

Richmond Forcemain Project Update

As many of you are aware, the Richmond Forcemain Project has been ongoing for much of 2017. Over the next few weeks, City Staff will be preparing for the abandonment of the old 200mm forcemain that runs from the Richmond Sewage Pumping Station along Royal York Street, Chanonhouse Drive and goes through Chanonhouse Park and connects to the lagoons. This abandonment will be completed by excavating a series of approximately nine pits between the Pumping Station and the Lagoons and filling the old forcemain with grout.
 
The City of Ottawa inspector for the forcemain will go door-to-door to briefly discuss the work, timelines and reinstatement work with residents that are in direct proximity of a pit. Placement of topsoil and seeding is ongoing between King Street and Eagleson Road. Chain link fence installation along the rear of the properties on Dallaire Crescent and installation of the granular access road from Eagleson Road to the west limit of lagoon cell ‘C’ is ongoing. Deficient work inside valve chambers on the 300mm and 600mm forcemains along the Jock River from the Condominium building at 68 King Street to the lagoons is ongoing.
 
The Parking lot on Eagleson Road near Barnsdale Road is now open. Trails remain closed within the project limits and fencing and signage are being maintained in the construction zone.

*****

If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

Proposed Development in Manotick, Kars Post Office Closure, ARAC Agenda

/

I first want to begin my column this week by offering condolences to the Saunders family following the loss of Anne Saunders. Alongside her husband, Bill, Anne founded the happiest place in Rideau-Goulbourn; Saunders Farm. She also spent 33 years with the Carleton Board of Education teaching kindergarten. Whether during the daytime or on evenings and weekends, Anne touched the lives of countless youth. Her legacy and her memory will be remembered fondly by those in Munster and across the city.

As we embark on this new year in an ever changing media landscape, communication strategies will need to be tweaked in order for our office to stay connected with you. While you will still be able to find this column in the Stittsville News weekly and the Manotick Messenger every two weeks, there are many more ways to stay connected with our office and what’s happening around Rideau-Goulbourn. We actively post information on our website, via our monthly e-Newsletter and on social media as well.

Regional Development Proposal

On Thursday, January 19th, the City hosted a public meeting to discuss the proposed development at 5721, 5731 and 5741 Manotick Main Street. The main issue for those in attendance was density. The density matter, however, was determined prior to the application being submitted. During the Manotick Secondary Plan review, the community was heavily involved in looking at how Manotick should grow. This process took place over the course of two years and there was significant input from members of the community. During the review, it was determined that medium density would be the target for several properties in the village including the site in question. This is a debate that occurs throughout our growing communities. Do we intensify our communities or do we expand them? There is a fairly clear consensus in Manotick that village boundary expansion is not an option. Therefore, when we plan for the next 25-50 years, we need to consider where growth can occur and what housing options are desired.

Thursday’s meeting did bring forward a productive discussion on a variety of concerns regarding the proposed plan. In the coming weeks, residents still have the opportunity to submit comments to [email protected]. Please copy me on those comments so that I can work with staff on them going forward. I have already spoken with the applicant regarding many of those comments and we are working on addressing them. I cannot guarantee that the number of units will change but there were many other concerns that can be worked on.

One question that I feel was not adequately addressed at the meeting was around the zoning exception being requested by the applicant. This exception does not increase the density within the project. As stated above, those density figures were set through the Secondary Plan. The exception allows for a wider building footprint to accommodate the fact that this development consists entirely of bungalows. Without the exception, you would be more likely to see a more traditional suburban development of two or three storey towns which would not be in keeping with the community vision.

As part of the next steps, we will continue to work on the application based on the comments we have received and I will provide updates through this column. The Manotick Village & Community Association is also involved so they will provide updates on this as well. They send out a weekly e-Newsletter to members, which is another way to stay engaged within the community.

Kars Post Office Closure

Please note that as of February 1st, 2017, the Kars Post Office will no longer operate out of the Kars General Store. As they look for a new home in the village, temporary community mail boxes will be set up. They are currently working with the City on locating those boxes near the Kars Recreation Centre. They will work on this swiftly in order to avoid any disruption in service delivery. If a new location for the post office cannot be located, permanent community mail boxes will need to be installed throughout the community. Please contact me should you have any questions.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee

The first ARAC meeting of 2017 is scheduled for Thursday, February 2nd at 10:00am in The Chamber at Ben Franklin Place. This meeting has a relatively short agenda including the following items:

  • Zoning Amendments as a result of Surplus Farm Severances for 7110 Third Line Road, 3117 Roger Stevens Drive, 3285 Eagleson Road
  • Minor Rezoning of 5810 First Line Road reinstating certain storage uses
  • Commemorative Naming: David & Judy Makin Trail
  • Amendment to Richmond Secondary Plan
Ottawa 2017.jpg

Ottawa 2017’s Agri 150 presents Fire & Ice

The first Agri 150 event of the year has now been announced and tickets are currently on sale. The culinary adventure will take place on Saturday, February 11, just prior to Valentine’s Day, at the SunTech GreenHouses near Manotick Village.

Renowned chef Marc Lepine is creating the menu for this four-course gourmet experience, which highlights molecular cuisine. The evening begins at 6:00pm with a winter cocktail and outdoor fire and ice entertainment, followed by a small-plate fine dining meal inside the cozy ambiance of the tomato greenhouse.

Tickets for Fire & Ice are $100, or $125 with a wine pairings. A round-trip shuttle service, from one of three points of departure, can be added at cost of $12 per person. To purchase tickets, visit Ottawa2017.ca.

Announced in June, Agri 150 is an Ottawa 2017 program stewarded by Just Food to boost rural tourism during the celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday in the nation’s capital and for years to come. More than 20 unique outdoor events will take place over the course of the year to allow people to discover Ottawa’s rural communities in all four seasons, and enhance their knowledge and appreciation of rural resources, while enjoying rejuvenating adventures.

It’s Time to Shiverfest!

Manotick’s aptly named Winter Carnival will build on the huge success of last year’s event. It will kick off on Friday night with a skating exhibition, magic show, family skate and bonfire with live music, hot chocolate and Timbits. Saturday morning will feature the Kiwanis pancake breakfast and a children's fun time, with sleigh rides and fire truck tours. The chili cook-off on Saturday afternoon is always a popular event, where you get to be the judge of both the professional and amateur entries!

Two events that had successful débuts in 2016 will be repeated in 2017: bingo, put on by ROSSS, and curling demonstrations at the Manotick Curling Centre.  A new event for 2017 is a dance on Saturday night to help fund the arena expansion.  As a result of adding that, the trivia contest at the Mill Tavern is moving back to its original time of 4:00 to 7:00pm on Sunday.

*****

If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

Review of the Final 2016 Council Meeting

/

I want to begin this week by acknowledging the unfortunate incident that took place on Bridge Street late last week. Without knowing all of the details, I’ll refrain from speculation but assure you that I will be working with the City and Ottawa Police to determine what happened and how such an incident could have been avoided. My thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this incident.

5721-5741 Manotick Main Street

During the review of the Manotick Secondary Plan, I hosted a meeting to speak specifically about vacant lands throughout the village and how those lands could be developed. It was an opportunity for the community to determine the future of these lands rather than waiting for a developer to come in and do it for us. One such property that was discussed was the vacant parcels at the south end of the village, directly across from Century Road East, sandwiched in between Kelly Marie Drive and Island View Drive. These lands are 5721, 5731 and 5741 Manotick Main Street.

Following our meeting on January 22nd, 2015, Regional Group begun acquiring these parcels and put together a development proposal akin to their eQuinelle project in Kemptville and similar in nature to their Village Walk development in Manotick. While I briefly highlighted this proposal at my November 15th Town Hall meeting, there will also be a public meeting held on Thursday, January 19th, between 7:00pm and 9:00pm at the Manotick Arena to discuss this proposal. I hope to see you there. For more information about this proposal, please visit www.ottawa.ca/devapps.

December 14th Council Meeting

The final City Council meeting of 2016 was a busy one. In addition to the 2017 Budget, we had 46 items on the agenda. Eighteen of those items rose directly from the November 24th meeting of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee. While the main items were the Budget and the Land Evaluation & Area Review (LEAR), Council also approved a new Medical Centre project in Richmond and a bid to host the 2021 Canada Games.

I would like to focus on the approval of the LEAR, though, in follow up to some recent columns on the matter. As part of 17 motions that were approved on the LEAR at Council, some minor changes, additions and deletions were made. We approved further studies into some lands around the village of Munster. We approved an expansion of the employment area south of Fallowfield Road along Moodie Drive. We also approved something else, though, that I voted against. It was a redesignation of 5504 Spratt Road from Agricultural Resource to General Rural.

5504 Spratt Road is the property directly behind the Tim Horton’s at the corner of Mitch Owens and River Road. It is a 66 acre parcel currently used primarily as pasture lands. However, it was subject to an Official Plan Amendment application several years ago which sought to bring the property inside the Manotick village boundary. Following that, a large commercial development would have been applied for. At the time, the City was opposed and the application was eventually withdrawn. A big-box retail development on the outskirts of a village is not consistent with any City policy. Another key factor at the time was the Agricultural zoning of the property.

Through the LEAR, however, the property owner brought forward a soils evaluation that suggests the property falls below the threshold for agricultural designation. Working in favour of that position is the fact that the property is surrounded primarily by residential development and is also used as pasture lands rather than for crops. Ironically, the residential lands north of this property were actually better farmland. Since the study supported a lower LEAR score, staff brought forward a change is designation for this property, which was approved.

Any development, aside from a couple of severances, on this property in the short term is unlikely. Policies are still in place that would not support retail or large scale residential on this property. My vote in opposition to this change was primarily for historical reasons. I do not approve of how the Official Plan Amendment was sought previously and I feel this is merely another avenue to achieve that goal. A retail development in this location would negatively impact surrounding communities, especially the village core of Manotick.

The LEAR will now go to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval with any changes requested coming back to Council. The Minister has 180 days to respond. An appeal period will then open following Provincial approval with an Ontario Municipal Board hearing process to follow. The LEAR, and the entire Official Plan, will not be completely approved until the OMB hearings take place. The projected timeline for this brings us into 2018.

Messenger Changes

As reported in last week’s Messenger, there will be changes to the frequency. With only two editions monthly, I will do my best to keep residents informed and up to date. I’ll also have to be cognizant of timelines for meetings and ensure that we are giving ample notification. This will place more emphasis on the value of our monthly e-Newsletter as well, which you can sign up for at www.rideaugoulbourn.ca. We send out our e-Newsletter each month one week before the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee meeting allowing us to highlight the agenda.

*****

If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.