Present: Melanie Cave, Darlene Charron, Peggy Kampouris, Mary McIninch, Maeve McMahon, Chris McCann, Ron Poirier, Brenda Quinlan, Morris Rothman, Julie Stephens (newly elected board Member)
Welcome
Peggy welcomed everyone to our last meeting prior to the summer break.
Approval of the Agenda
The following items were added to the agenda:
- Zoning Review (Brenda) ** See Planning Item
- Transportation in the GCA and Lansdowne Review (Chris)
- G-Spot Cooperative Garden/Food Initiative (Maeve)
- Vote for new Board Member (Darlene)
- Fall Events (Darlene and Morris)
Brenda put forward a motion to accept the agenda; Mary seconded the motion.
Approval of the Previous Meeting’s Minutes (from May 21st)
Chris put forward a motion to accept the previous meeting’s minutes; Melanie seconded the motion.
Business Arising from Previous Minutes
Youth Representation on the GACA Board:
Ron Poirier reported that a new home owner and previous renter in our community is interested in getting involved with our board. His daughter, a Carleton University student, has expressed interest in joining as a Youth Representative.
Action: Ron to invite homeowner and his daughter to our September meeting.
Lighting issues and Tree Trimming on Maclean Street
Darlene reported that Natalie at David Chernushenko’s office had sent an email that they would be looking into the matter; however, the issue may only be addressed in the fall.
Action: Follow up to be scheduled at September board meeting.
Party in the Park: June 14th (Morris Rothman- Lead Organizer)
The board congratulated Morris for his fantastic efforts, hard work and organization of such a successful event.
Morris estimated 200 people participated throughout the 3 hour event (10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Highlights included:
- Barbecue, various drinks and food
- Rogers’ Community Cruiser (Tim Horton’s coffee and donut holes)
- Colouring Contest
- Counsellor Chernushenko judging the first “Colouring Contest”
- Constable Matt Hunt chatting with various homeowners and renters and playing soccer with several children
- Martial Arts group performing from Ottawa JKA and Shinseikan Dojo
- The sidewalk “Artwork in Chalk” created by numerous children
- Suggestion board for “Improvements to the Park”
Action: Local businesses will be given a “Special Certificate of Appreciation” from our Board in recognition of their assistance in sponsoring the event:
- Abbas Confectionary (Bell Street South)
- Ottawa JKA and Shinseikan Dojo (Cambridge Street South)
- Loblaws (Isabella)
- Shoppers’ Drug Mart (Glebe at Bank)
- Holistic Roots (475 Cambridge South)
- Detroit Soul Food (Gladstone Avenue)
- Forno’s Pizzeria (683 Bronson Avenue)
In addition, Morris mentioned the neighbour at 341 Bell Street South (beside Dalhousie South Park) who allowed us to run extension cords from his house.
- Sponsorship After the Fact: Peggy has the name of the owner of two rental buildings who would also like to contribute to these types of events.
Suggestions for next year:
- Have a First Aid kit on hand.
- Have extra water on hand for emergency use.
- Have handouts ready for those people who are unsure about buying memberships: explaining who we are, what we do.
- Have a sign-up sheet: “Do you wish to stay in the loop?” in order to for people to add their email addresses. They would then be sent updates from our committee.
- More recycling containers.
- Rent tables from a company that can transport them and pick them up from the park.
- Draw tickets to be printed off with space for person to write contact info on one side of the ticket and a tear off portion for the draw. Reason: There were many repeat winners at “Party in The Park” as we were using numbered tickets.
Action Item: Removal of posters on poles in neighbourhood due to City Bylaws. Please see items #12 and #13 in this link.
http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/laws-licenses-and-permits/laws/signs-city-roads-law-no-2003-520
Treasurer’s Report (Chris McCann)
Signing authority on cheques: Chris has asked that this action item be carried over to the September meeting as Iain is currently away on business. It had been proposed that the Vice-President of GACA be granted signing authority.
“Party in the Park” Donation Jar: Chris reported that $191.15 was collected that day. The committee was very happy with that amount of support.
In addition, $90 in membership fees was collected.
Report from GCA AGM
Chris McCann attended the Glebe Community Association’s AGM and presented the GCA with the $144 owed to them as part of our agreement with the association ($2 per membership sold as of May 2014). Our agreement allows us the use of their meeting rooms, and for one to two members to attend their AGM, etc.
Some items of note for residents of the G.A.C.A.:
- Paul Dewar is attempting to set up discussions with the chairperson of the NCC to pursue using parking lots in the government office complex (along Booth and Lebreton) and then using alternative routes to Lansdowne (rather than Lakeside) for the shuttle service on game and event days.
- David Chernushenko talked about the near term possibility of the new Glebe bike route along O’Connor from Parliament Hill to Lansdowne and new bike lanes on the Bank Street Bridge. He also reported that the signalized crossing on the Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Fifth would, remarkably, be completed on time for the first football game (July 18th) at Lansdowne.
- David Hole (dhole@uottawa.ca, 613-816-0180) of the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study gave a presentation on “What Makes a Healthy Neighbourhood”. Relevant information/stats is contained in their website: neighbourhoodstudy.ca
There are 108 neighbourhoods in Ottawa. We are not recognized yet as the Glebe Annex but, rather, as West Centretown. He would create a separate category for us if we request it. This would be a great resource for many relevant issues to us in terms of demographic profiles (population, income, education, health, linguistic and ethnic character, owners versus renters, shopping, bars, restaurants, etc.)
Membership (Brenda Quinlan)
Brenda reported that we are now up to 81 memberships. Nine memberships were sold at the “Party in The Park”.
Action: Brenda will do up a flyer to go with Membership Drive in the fall.
Safety/Traffic (Peggy Kampouris)
A few concerns were raised about parking on our streets when an event occurs at Lansdowne Park.
There was a reminder to all vehicle owners not to leave valuables in cars as there have been a few break-ins recently.
Ron mentioned that there had also been two house break-ins in the last month.
For more info, please go to: http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/crime/crime-mapping-tool.asp
Liaison with the City
Peggy volunteered to join the Working Group presently consisting of Darlene and Ron. This group will be working with Councillor Chernushenko’s office about our Safety Audit and LED project.
Action: Discussion to be continued at September meeting.
Parks (Mary McIninch)
Mary mentioned that she was unsure if the “Walk Through” of the park had been done yet.
The Parks Chair of the Glebe Community Association had been in touch with her a few times.
Some feedback included:
- Keep green space intact for the soccer field.
- Move benches by soccer area.
- Check age of equipment.
- Slide not to code but it would pass safety inspection.
- Replace springs on teeter-totters (Contact 311)
Mary also announced that she would be stepping down as “Acting Chair” of this committee since Sue Stefko will be back for our September meeting.
Peggy thanked Mary for all of her work on the G.A.C.A.’s behalf.
Peggy will also be compiling the results of the suggestions written down and collected at our “Party In The Park”.
Some recurring suggestions: Water source, swings, better play structure, new benches
Web Update (David Perkins)
This report is to be given at the September meeting as David was unable to attend this meeting.
Planning/Rezoning of Ottawa (Brenda for Sylvia Milne)
Brenda attended the June 17th Rezoning Meeting on Sylvia’s behalf. This meeting was dedicated to the central area of Ottawa. The following are Brenda’s notes from the session:
2014 Zoning Review – Public Information Session – June 17, 2014
- Bronson is Traditional Mainstreet under the Official Plan but most of the sites on the street are still zoned residential. In general, all properties on Bronson (Gloucester to Carling) will have Traditional Mainstreet designation to permit mix of residential and commercial uses.
- Maximum height of 20m or 6 storeys.
- Service stations and auto-dealerships only where they are already permitted – no new ones.
- Recognize existing low-density residential uses (detached dwellings and duplexes) through an exception to the TM zone. Shallow lots (how shallow?) will require stepback after 4th floor on front and after 4th and 5th floors on back (not clear when this will happen – related to already existing low density housing, sunlight etc.)
- Buildings can go right to sidewalk.
- No mention of parking for commercial businesses.
- Info provided about infill projects and specific requirements.
Residents are encouraged to check out the website for further information and take the opportunity to send comments to the city.
http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-consultations/planning-and-infrastructure/bronson-avenue
Tentative Scheduling:
- August – comments submitted
- September – draft report
- October – final report
- November – Planning Committee
- December – presentation to Council
New Business
Transportation in the GCA and Lansdowne Review (Chris McCann)
Chris attended this meeting on GACA’s behalf. Here is his report:
This meeting was scheduled on June 17th by the GCA to deal with traffic related issues at the opening football game at Lansdowne and for other upcoming large events
- Opening game is July 18th.
- 25,000 additional people are expected to come to the Glebe as a result of this event.
- The City and OSEG )Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) are partners in launching this opening.
- The City will be collecting data on traffic and transit usage, evaluating it and modifying the measures taken.
- More Bylaw/Parking control officers (9) will be assigned to the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Old Ottawa East. Currently, 3 are assigned at peak times and 1 in the evening.
- The QED (Queen Elizabeth Driveway) will be the major route to get to and leave Lansdowne. People will arrive at/depart from Lansdowne via OC Transpo buses (about 90 bus trips), via OSEG shuttle buses along Lakeside Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Bank Street (about 80-90 bus trips), private vehicles for reserved on-site parking (1400), cycling and walking (3700 people), and via private vehicles parked on residential streets (6200).
- Brian Mitchell, chair of G.C. A. Traffic, made a presentation in which he asked that the City/OSEG make more efforts to consult the community in advance and asked why major arterial roads (eg. Carling, Preston, Bronson) are not being used rather than residential streets (e.g. Lakeside Avenue and Fifth Avenue).
There is an Open House of Lansdowne for Glebe Residents (with guided tours) on Sunday, July 6th from 2 to 4 p.m.
G-Spot Cooperative Garden/Food Initiative (Maeve McMahon)
Maeve talked a bit more about this initiative, which has been operating for four years. Its goal is to try grow and cook food at low cost for students at Carleton University. The group had been invited to the “Party in the Park” but it is not clear if anyone attended.
Concerns by the Board were raised about the property standards of the building they use. Garbage accumulation has been a problem and the curbside appeal is dismal.
Action: Discussion to be revisited at the September meeting. It would be a good idea to make sure that the student group is aware of our AGM in October and that the group is invited.
Vote for New Board Member (Darlene for Sylvia Milne)
Darlene, acting on Sylvia’s behalf, proposed that Julie Stephens be elected to the board. Julie had been an observer at the May meeting. Julie has been an outstanding volunteer with our spring and fall clean-ups and was instrumental in dealing with recycling at our “Party in The Park”.
Julie introduced herself to the group, telling everyone a little about how long she has lived in the area, where she works, her hobbies, etc. The rest of the board did likewise.
Darlene put forward the motion that Julie be elected to the board. Brenda seconded the motion.
Fall Events (Darlene Charron and Morris Rothman)
Fall Clean-up: To be registered for Saturday, September 27th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Action: Darlene to register our group and to contact Tim Horton’s on Bronson Avenue (at Chamberlain) for coffee and donut holes as Tim Horton’s is one of the sponsors of this event.
Movie Night in the Park: To be rescheduled for Saturday, September 27th
Time: TBA
Action: Morris to contact previous sponsors for “Party In The Park”.
The board also voted that $150 (maximum) be put towards this event (using most of the donation money collected on June 14th). Darlene put forward the motion; Ron seconded the motion.
The meeting was adjourned.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17th at the Glebe Community Centre (175 Third Avenue) at 7 p.m.
