GACA Board Meeting – April 12, 2023

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of the Agenda

3. Minutes from the February 9th Meeting

4. Business Arising from our last meeting

• In our March meeting Iain expressed issues regarding construction of The Clemow at 275 Carling. He has not received a response from the City, and neither has Jon. Sue will resend the letter to the city. There is a new issue with this site’s security lights being on all night and disturbing residents at the LakeLander. Sue is working with BurMont construction to address this.
• JHS – The Lakelander still has some issues regarding trespassing – new temporary signage has helped; permanent signage will be installed soon. More about JHS will be discussed later in the meeting.

5. AGM – May 17, 7 p.m.

• Robert Bell from Dow’s Lake Residents Association was selected in our vote for guest speaker for our AGM.  He will present on 774 Bronson, another Katasa Project.  Robert is informative and has been helpful to GACA in the past, particularly regarding 275 Carling.
• The agenda and minutes will be circulated to the board prior to the AGM.
• We will be postering for AGM, and then for the membership campaign after the AGM.

6. Ottawa Cleaning the Capital – GACA Spring Clean

• The dates of Saturday May 6th, with a rain date of May 7th were chosen.
• People can do it at another time if they are not available then – please let Sue know.

7. General Update – Sue

• The apartment at 314 Bell is proposing that additional units be added to the building and is asking for relief on some zoning provisions.
  • Miles from the councillor’s office sent Sue a very helpful summary of his considerations.
  • Board members expressed support and some will provide comments.
  • Input is due the 4th of May – any feedback/comments would be appreciated.
• Bronson and Carling reconstruction have both been delayed again.
• The Canvasser – the movie GACA’s previous president Scott produced – is playing at the Mayfair next month.  Our neighbourhood features prominently in the background.
• There is an increase in petty theft from Abbas, which may be attributed to the JHS. In general, there is more loitering and smoking in the neighbourhood, especially outside the park, which makes many people uncomfortable. As warm weather approaches, there is concern that these incidents will increase. Sue and Joanne are going to try to set up a meeting with Joshua from the JHS and our community police constable.

8. Party in the Park – Joanne

• Gabrielle and Joanne and other GACA members are hoping to have a meeting this Sunday morning to discuss party options.
• We are still looking at dates and will finalize that at the meeting.
• Gabrielle circulated some fun ideas such as a scavenger hunt; we will discuss these further.

9. Councillor’s Office Update – Jon

• JHS – It will be important to get all hands on deck.  We will have discussions on this, Miles is a good contact in the councillor’s office. At the very least, having the councillor’s involved is good; they can be a bridge in between JHS and the community.
• Bronson and Carling Redesign
  • We are now looking at 2028 or 2029 for a start for Carling, and that means a start date for Bronson two years earlier. We want to move these dates up as the delay is very frustrating. We understand there are delays due to the LRT construction, but we should not have to wait another decade. The GCA and the DLRA are also very eager to get this going earlier.
• Carling Bike Lanes Traffic Cones – we had traffic cones on Carling for bike lanes in previous years, but that won’t be possible this year. One of the reasons is the hospital construction.  They are going to see if there is a more semi-permanent solution.  A few councillors will likely get involved.
• Katsasa Building – Dow’s Lake – it has been reduced by a few stories in response to community pressure; Katas will contribute $100,000 to the ward for affordable housing.
• There are no updates to the Booth Street Complex or the opening of Orangeville to pedestrians.
• Potholes – particularly on Bronson was a concern raised to city staff.
• Crosswalk at Abbas – still trying to get it partially funded by staff, Jon is going to check with Phil Landry.
• The city is holding a survey on Lansdowne.
  • They will be holding a public consultation Zoom on April 27th.
  • Councillor Menard is going to hold a consultation as well, and conduct his own survey.

10. Adjournment

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