Minutes –
Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA)
Board Meeting – Wednesday, October 13, 2021, 7:00 p.m.
Held Via Zoom
Present:
- Annalisa Salonius
- Avery Steinberg
- Carrie Bolton
- David Perkins
- Gabrielle Dallaporta
- Joanne Benoit
- Marni Crossley
- Robert Logie
- Scott Templeton
- Sue Stefko
- Jonathan McLeod, (Assistant, Office of Shawn Menard, Councillor, Capital Ward)
1. Call to Order and Approval of the Agenda
The meeting was called to order at 7:07 p.m. and the agenda was approved.
2. Approval of the September 8th Minutes
The minutes were approved.
3. Business Arising from our last meeting
There was no business from our last meeting.
4. General Update – Sue
4.1 JHS – 289 Carling
The company that is manufacturing the tower portion of the building is experiencing delays and it will not arrive before the new year. This means we will not be holding our meetings there in the spring as hoped for, hopefully we can by next fall. Joshua is holding an onsite meeting (in person) tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. and an update via zoom tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
4.2 Canada Lands Corporation (CLC) – 299 Carling
299 Carling went to the Urban Design Review Panel. They felt that four buildings is too tight and prefer the previous design of three buildings. The panel thinks a six-story would be more appropriate than an eight-storey beside Hasenack Place, which GACA has been asking for throughout the process. The review panel also suggested that this building be rotated 90 degrees for less of a shadow effect on neighbouring properties. They want to see no vehicular access from Carling and only from Lebreton. CLC hopes to commence the park consultation in the new year. Things are slowly moving along. The zoning proposal should be going to the planning committee later this month, and then to council after that.
4.3 Civic Hospital
The hospital is pressing ahead on the individual site plans. The first one is the parking garage. The DARA Tennis Club will have space. The garage roof will also have a treed/natural area and a general/activity area. The hospital will try to save as many of the mature trees as possible. The hospital plans to break ground next year. Some parking spaces will be dedicated to the community.
4.4 Official Plan
We sent our recommended motions to Councillor Menard. We will not be attending Thursday’s meeting, but the GCA is. The GCA mirrors a lot of our concerns -even though they are in a different transect than us, we care about the same kind of issues.
4.5 774 Bronson – 26 Storey proposal
The feedback period got extended until this week. If you have not put any comments in, there is still time. GACA put something out on social media about it and shared our comments on our website.
4.6 829 Carling – 60 Storey proposal
This building will be at the corner of Preston and Carling, across from the Claridge Icon, where the CIBC building is now. There will be 459 units. The first level is commercial, then the six above it are going to be parking, with 385 parking spaces. It is not in our neighbourhood or ward; we have no plan to proactively become involved. If we are asked to support the DLRA, we would consider that.
5. Pollinator Garden
Our project report was sent in and approved by the city. Sue needs to close this and settle up. Sue has tallied all the major costs that were incurred. It was a lot more expensive than expected, largely due to the increase in lumber costs. The total costs were $1400.00. If the councillor’s office pays for some eligible expenses, the cost to GACA is $376.55 – $300.00 was previously approved. The motion to increase GACA’s contribution to $376.55 was made by Sue, seconded by Joanne, and carried.
6. Councillor’s Office Update – Jon
6.1 Official Plan
We have several motions that we are going forward with, things like removing the Tewin lands, and motions dealing with climate change. We want to make sure they do not eliminate site plan control of low-rise buildings. We want language added about having healthy streets as part of the overall plan with 15-minute neighbourhood concepts. They realize that no major changes are going to pass, but looking for ways that can tangibly improve our communities.
6.2 Civic Hospital
The site plan was approved today. We will still have opportunities for comment and to encourage them to make improvements on things such as transportation, and landscape plans. The councillor’s office wants to negotiate compensation for all the trees that the hospital is going to cut down.
6.3 770/774 Bronson
The councillor’s office had a meeting with Doug James, Director of Planning for the City. They wanted to raise with planners the concerns that a 26-story building was not appropriate for this location. A fifteen story could be accepted, it is a gateway, right on Carling – 26 is really out of place. They also wanted to raise other issues such as lack of green space on the site. There is also a need for ground floor retail. A lively street level is needed to fit in with the future plans of Carling and Bronson. A big issue is parking and traffic and the intent to cram in 175 cars at Carling and Bronson and into Dow’s Lake.
6.4 998 Bronson
The proposed development is at the south end of Dow’s Lake – the last building before you get to the bridge at the canal. It is a low-rise building with no parking. It is within the building requirements, but it brings up the issues of problems with Bronson. It means cars will stop on Bronson for things like deliveries. They want to use this building as an example, so they can get some short-term solutions on Bronson, that hopefully will lead to long term solutions. Traffic on Bronson affects Dow’s Lake, the Glebe, Glebe Annex, and Carleton University. We will need to have plans and improvements to our streets. The city program of buildings having to pay cash in lieu for parking was asked about. This no longer exists, and it was counter productive as it encouraged parking lots. Parking is no longer required for many inner urban developments. The earliest the redesign of Bronson will take place could be 2024, with design commencing next year. Carling will be a bit later. 6.5 Climate Change – Today at council the environment committee passed a motion for the city to phase out the use of natural gas and to adopt policies that are more supportive of local green energy production. They will be launching the Better Buildings Ottawa Program. There is a lot going in the environmental side.
6.6 Speedway Gateway
Sue mentioned that last meeting we talked about the approval for a speedway gateway zone. Jon said the speedway has been approved, not sure if it is doing in this fall or next spring.
6.7 Bronson Redesign
It was asked what is being considered for the Bronson redesign. Street redesigns are brought on by infrastructure renewal – when they need to replace the pipes, basically. Since they have to rip up the structure of the street, the city is given the opportunity to think about a redesign. Initially there was no intention to make any changes to Bronson. The councillor’s office held a consultation in 2018. The staff is now going to go through a formal redesign process. Bronson is too narrow to be a four-lane highway, this would never be approved with a new street. The portion of Bronson that will be redesigned is from the Queensway to the canal bridge.
7. December Meeting
Sue mentioned that we usually have a Christmas get-together in lieu of a December meeting. We can discuss at next meeting if this is something that people are interested in.
8. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 8:22 p.m.
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