Support Rescue-Westboro in its Battle against Condo Development on Roosevelt Avenue

Rescue-Westboro finally got a court date for its Legal Challenge against the condo development proposed to replace three single-family homes at 398, 402 and 406 Roosevelt Avenue. November 19^th and 20^th 2019 it is.

Although they have already raised over $41K, they need additional funds to continue the appeal. Visit their revamped GoFundMe page to donate:

https://www.gofundme.com/rescue-westboro

This particular development is important because, if successful, it would set a zoning precedent of transferring a ‘Traditional Mainstreet’ zoning from a major road (Richmond) to an adjacent residential side street.

From the Rescue-Westboro GoFundMe page:

We are a group of Westboro residents desperately trying to prevent the City of Ottawa from allowing a developer to tear down three single-family houses on the small dead-end street Roosevelt Avenue in order to build a six-story condo. To permit this, the City has disregarded its zoning bylaws as well as the recommendations of its own planning committee and board of architects; both of whom thought a six- story condo too large for the street.   If this condo is permitted to be built it will set a dangerous precedent allowing other developers to do the same thing on other small residential streets in other communities.  We have retained a lawyer to challenge the City’s ruling but our costs are immense as we are up against the combined resources of both the City and the developer’s legal teams. It’s truly a David and Goliath situation. We have already contributed a very significant amount, but we are in need of additional financial support to help us defend the character and safety of our streets.

 

Earlier this week a note was hand delivered to a number of houses in the Richmond Road area about the City’s plans to do a preconstruction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity to the construction activities for the Stage 2 LRT project.

The City is prepared to do videotaped and photographic records of the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings in the construction zone.

The idea is that in the event of damage as a result of the construction operations, a record will exist of the buildings before work began.

All the information collected as a result of this work will be kept confidential, and will be released only with the homeowner’s consent, should this be required.

The work is being done by DST Group on contract with the City.

If you feel you are likely to be affected by the construction, and did not get this information, please email to:

telasmar@dstgroup.com

 or call Toni at 613-858-2287 to book an appointment or to get more information

Join us for a RAIN Home Visit to look at how downspouts, rain barrels, gardens and other solutions help protect your home, community and waterways by managing rainwater where it falls.

This interactive home tour will be led by a certified RAIN Guide from Green Communities Canada. The guided assessment is a comprehensive 1½ hour visit to help homeowners find the best solutions to address trouble spots at your own home.

The two tours will take place in the Westboro area. The location will be provided after you register. Space is limited! The tours will take place “Rain or Shine”. These tours will be presented in English with opportunity to ask questions in French.

• Saturday, July 13 – 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday, July 13 – 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Register here!

The project is part of the City of Ottawa’s Pinecrest Creek/ Westboro Stormwater Management Retrofit plan to reduce the harmful impacts of stormwater.

The Pinecrest Neighbourhood RAIN project is working with homeowners to manage rainwater runoff, protect and beautify their properties, and keep our creeks and rivers healthy. RAIN holds information sessions and workshops, showcases best practices in the community and shares practical tips on ways to Slow It Down, Soak it Up and Keep it Clean.

www.ottawa.ca/rain       https://www.facebook.com/RAINOttawaPLUIE/

Venez vous joindre à nous lors d’une « Visite à domicile RAIN ». Nous examinerons comment les tuyaux de descente pluviale, les citernes, les jardins et d’autres solutions peuvent vous aider à protéger votre maison, votre communauté et les cours d’eau en gérant l’eau de pluie là où elle tombe.

Cette visite interactive sera animée par un guide certifié RAIN de Green Communities Canada. Cette évaluation guidée se compose d’une visite approfondie d’une heure et demie au cours de laquelle les propriétaires parviendront à trouver les solutions qui répondront au mieux aux problèmes identifiés dans leurs maisons.

Les deux visites se dérouleront dans la région de Westboro.. Les adresses vous seront transmises après votre inscription. Le nombre de places est limité! Les visites auront lieu « beau temps, mauvais temps ». Ces visites se feront en anglais mais vous pourrez poser vos questions en français.

• Le samedi 13 juillet, de 10 h à 11 h 30
• Le samedi 13 juillet, de 13 h à 14 h 30

Enregistrez ici !

Le projet Pluie du quartier Pinecrest aide les propriétaires à gérer le ruissellement de l’eau de pluie, à protéger et embellir leur propriété ainsi qu’à garder nos ruisseaux et nos rivières en santé. Lors de séances d’information et d’ateliers, les résidents peuvent découvrir des meilleures pratiques et obtenir des conseils pour ralentir l’eau pluviale et la garder propre.

Ce projet s’inscrit dans le Plan de modernisation de la gestion des eaux pluviales du ruisseau Pinecrest/Westboro de la Ville d’Ottawa, dont le but est de réduire les effets néfastes des eaux pluviales. www.ottawa.ca/fr/rain/            https://www.facebook.com/RAINOttawaPLUIE/
envirocentre.ca

@EnviroCentre

 

Update: Parkway Realignment for LRT

from Rail Construction Program, City of Ottawa:

PUBLIC NOTICE

Stage 2 O-Train Light Rail Transit Project
Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway Realignment – Phase 2 Update

Summer through Fall 2019

---

June 25, 2019

This notice is to advise that, as part of the Stage 2 O-Train Light Rail Transit project, crews will begin to realign the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway between Dominion Avenue and Cleary Avenue. This work will allow for future construction of the cut-and-cover tunnel to safely occur on the south side of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway without interfering with traffic.

As outlined below, the next phase of activities is scheduled to begin effective the week of July 1 and continue through fall 2019. All work is being done in accordance with the regulatory requirements for the project, and with planning participation and approval from the NCC.

Phase 2: July through October*

Temporary traffic lane construction and utility relocation will occur to the north of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. Once completed, traffic will be shifted to the north side of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in preparation for work in the median.

Phases 3 and 4: September through December (and into 2020)*

Temporary traffic lane construction and utility relocation will occur in the median of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. Once completed, all traffic will be shifted to the north side of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. Additional area clearing and tree removal will occur along the south side of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in preparation for cut-and-cover tunnel construction.

*Please note paving and other roadworks are weather dependent and dates will be subject to change.

HOURS OF WORK

In addition to typical daytime construction hours, limited nighttime activity will occur to avoid impacts to traffic in the area. Nighttime activity typically occurs between 6:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

ANTICIPATED IMPACTS

Pedestrians and Cyclists
Pedestrian and cycling access along Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway will be maintained. Temporary crossings will be implemented along the construction corridor and pedestrians and cyclists should use extra caution as traffic patterns change.

Motorists
Traffic will be maintained although delays may occur at times. Intermittent daytime off-peak lane closures will be required at times. Motorists should be aware of and adhere to traffic control signage, posted speed limits and traffic control personnel.

Residents and Businesses
Noise and temporary disruption are not anticipated to be significant during daytime or nighttime work. Residents may hear truck movement and limited roadwork activity at night when noise from commuter traffic is low. Access to and from properties will be maintained although local traffic delays may occur.

The safety of workers and the public is paramount, and we thank you for your patience during construction.

For further information about this project, please contact the City’s representative:

Annie Goodchild
Stakeholder Relations, Rail Construction Program, City of Ottawa
Email: annie.goodchild@ottawa.ca
Phone: 613-580-2424 ext. 12764

OR

Email: stage2@ottawa.ca
Phone: 3-1-1

Important tips to protect your vehicle from car thieves

A PUBLIC ADVISORY from Executive Services, Ottawa Police Service:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, June 26, 2019      12:33pm

(Ottawa) – From Ottawa to the GTA we continue to see thefts of high-end Lexus/Toyota vehicles, particularly larger SUVs and 4Runners. We found that an additional technique using signal amplifiers has been used in Eastern Ontario.

We recommend you consider an additional line of defense to protect your asset: consider keeping any vehicle with a proximity key fob inside a radio frequency shield device (RSF device).  This will prevent the key fob’s signal from being amplified to the vehicle from inside the house protecting it from being driven away.

We remind car owners of the following tips to protect their vehicle:

• Make your vehicle less vulnerable to theft by parking it in a locked garage and or blocking it in tightly with a second vehicle.
• Consider installing an after marker anti-theft device.
• Be vigilant that no one has tampered with the door locks mechanisms.
• Consider installing a club.
• If you are selling your vehicle, be wary not to let anyone have access to your car keys or your vehicle out of your sight. This prevents a thief from copying your key during a “test drive” so they can return to steal it.
• The onus is on the registered owner of a vehicle to ensure that the person they let drive their vehicle has a valid driver’s license.  As such, request to see their driver’s license prior to allowing them to test drive your vehicle. This gives you an opportunity to note the person’s identity and home address.
• Further to that, note the license plate and vehicle description of any individuals who attend your home to enquire about a car for sale.
• Finally, good old fashioned neighbourhood watch is a great deterrent.  Call 911 to report any suspicious activity; be vigilant.

More safety tips are available online.

Survey: Byron Richmond Public Art project (O-Train Stage 2)

 

As part of the O-Train Stage 2 LRT project (https://www.stage2lrt.ca/) an “artist team will design and implement a community engagement process that capitalizes on the Byron-Richmond Corridor’s assets, inspiration, and potential, to create a quality public space and experience for its users” (per https://ottawa.ca/en/residents/arts-heritage-and-culture/o-train-public-art#stage-2-confederation-line-and-trillium-line-extensions ).

The Byron Richmond Public Art project will engage an artist(s) to work with the community beginning in 2020 through a social engagement process.   Through this process, the artist will act as instigator or facilitator to help the community work towards a common goal, raise awareness and/or promote dialogue and collaboration around public art and community priorities.

A survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7KFZTYH) now solicits public engagement for information, consultation, involvement, or as committed contributor / sponsor to the project.