FCA-FAC Summer Newsletter – July 20, 2017
News from Federation of Citizens’ Associations of Ottawa
Planning and Development
1. At our meeting in Kanata May 17, 2017 Stephen Willis, the city of Ottawa’s planning department’s new GM, presented his report on Planning, infrastructure and economic development. Please see more information on it here.
Included in the link are his powerpoint presentation, a copy of the city staff planning list and the Q&A of the FCA members’ questions and answers from Mr. Willis.
2. At our AGM June 15, 2017 keynote speaker & former OMB Member Marc Denhez presented his talk on ”Fixing the Planning System.” in Ontario. You can find the notes of his talk here.
3. Infill I-II update. FCA President Sheila Perry met with Elizabeth Desmarais from the City of Ottawa’s planning department in July 2017 to discuss Infill I-II. Details of the meeting including a power point presentation from the City can be found here.
4. The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) has granted Taggart Miller approval to proceed with the CRRRC Landfill and Waste Processing Facility at Boundary Road and Hwy 417. Details of the decision can be found here.
5. OMB Reform: Greenspace Alliance has recently put together a review of Bill 139, part of the proposed Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017: Amendments to the Planning Act. The Bill proposes among other things a very substantial reform of the current appeal process for official plans and offical plan and zoning amendments. Comments on these parts of Bill 139 may be made via the EBR web site (#013-0590) until August 14, 2017. The Bill itself is here. For more background, please visit http://wp.me/P8kfbP-19V; you’ll also find there links to media coverage of this initiative which is updated regularly.
You can find the Greenspace review from July 2017 here: http://fca-fac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Bill-139-note-Draft-2-15Jul2017.pdf
A recent Globe and mail article on what the development community is doing on the issue can be found here.
FCA Member associations are encouraged to submit their respective views to their MPP as well as to the FCA for further discussion. For more details please visit the FCA website here.
6. The Salvation Army is proposing to move from its current George Street location to Montreal road. Information on the application can be found here.
7. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has initiated a preliminary design and environmental assessment study for the rehabilitation and / or replacement of seven bridges (at four locations) on Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway) from Metcalfe Street to Main Street, including the Rideau Canal Bridge, in the City of Ottawa. A letter notifying you of the study commencement can be found here.
8. Bunkhouses: July 12, Council unanimously passed an interim control bylaw for areas that have seen a number of bunkhouses built. This interim control bylaw takes effect July 12 and is valid for 1 year. It applies to all lands zoned R1, R2, R3 or R4 and located within these areas Sandy Hill, Heron Park, and portions of Old Ottawa East, Old Ottawa South, Centretown and Overbrook . Basically it bans any new bunkhouse developments.
Specifically,
(a) no new apartment may contain more than 4 bedrooms,
(b) no new apartment may exceed 120m2 in floor area,
(c) no new detached house may contain more than six bedrooms, and
(d) no new apartment building with six apartments or fewer may exceed a total floor area of 500m2, including any basement, motor vehicle storage area or any other building area.
Details here and here.
Surveys
1. Please take some time to fill out the following City of Ottawa Property Standards Survey. Deadline to fill out is July 24. 2017. Details here.
2. Please take time to fill out the National Capital Commission’s Ottawa River North Parklands Survey. Deadline to fill out is July 24, 2017. Details here.
3. FCA year end survey results. We asked you to chime in on how we are doing at the FCA and here is a link to what you told us:
http://fca-fac.ca/2017/06/fca-year-end-survey-results/
FCA business items
1. Proposed Calendar for FCA General Meetings: Wednesdays:
Sept. 20, 2017, Overbrook.
Oct. 18, 2017
Nov. 22, 2017
Dec. 20, 2017
Jan.17, 2018/
Feb. 21, 2018
Mar. 21, 2018
April 18 2018
May 16 2018
June 20, 2018 AGM
CAs interested in hosting please contact us at info@fca-fac.ca.
2. FCA new board members. The FCA would like to congratulate its newest board members. Details on the new FCA Board can be found here:
http://fca-fac.ca/2017/06/2017-2018-new-fca-board/
3. Membership: The FCA is pleased to announce that Heritage Ottawa is the newest Member of the FCA. Have inquiries about FCA membership? Please contact us at info@fca-fac.ca.
4. The FCA would like to congratulate its 2016-2017 FCA Award winners Judy Forrest, Ian Johns and Archie Campbell. Details & pictures of the winners can be found here. The official press release on the winners can be found here.
5. Next FCA-FAC General Meeting
The next FCA-FAC general meeting is September 20, 2017. It will be hosted in Overbrook by the Overbrook community association.
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