Planning

You’re Invited: Community Workshops on Neighbourhood Walkability

As a community, walkability and pedestrian-friendly streets frequently come up as high priorities for the future of QTN. What does a 15 minute neighbourhood look like for QTN? Here’s an example of where you can walk today from the Alpine Ave tennis courts (source: walkscore.com):

Walking map of QTN

We encourage you to participate in a series of community workshops on neighbourhood walkability being hosted by Walkable Ottawa. To register for a workshop please visit Walkable Ottawa’s website. Here is some additional information on these sessions:

·  Sept 9, 7:00-8:30PM. Residential Focus: Neighbourhoods which are predominantly residential. They may have some public amenities, but little or no commercial. For example, Barrhaven West/Old Barrhaven, Alta Vista, Crystal Beach, or Manor Park.

·  Sept 10, 7:00-8:30PM. Mixed Urban: Somewhat walkable neighbourhoods with a mix of residential and commercial, near and around walkable shopping streets. For example, Sandy Hill, Glebe Annex, or Chinatown.

·  Sept 11, 7:00-8:30PM.  Mixed Residential: Neighbourhoods in which residents use their cars every day, with available rapid transit, which are located farther away from the city centre. For example, Overbrook, Britannia, or Hiawatha Park.

·  Sept. 12, 7:00-8:30PM. Approaching Walkable: Neighbourhoods which are similar to Mixed Residential in terms of car use, but with walkable shopping streets. For example, Westboro, The Glebe, or Beechwood.

“What should we expect?”
Each evening will open with introductions, followed by a brief Q&A and an informational video on the many aspects of walkability. We will then move into smaller groups through breakout rooms divided by participants’ main interests, and close with a large group discussion.

“Walkability survey?”
A week ahead of the consultation, you will be invited to complete an online survey on walkability in your neighbourhood. This will allow us to include your direct input in our consultation, and provide some context in advance of the community workshops. If you find it too long, do not feel pressured to complete all of it: simply the parts that matter most to you.

“Where is the information going?”
All the information we gather will be compiled into a report, which will be made publicly available on our website. These ideas will then be worked through with a diverse group of stakeholders, and presented to the City to supplement the work the Planning Department is doing on walkability.

More Changes Coming to QTN: Update on Berms, Paths, and New Development

Planning Committee Report

Thank you for taking time to provide thoughtful suggestions and concerns on proposed plans for QTN, such as the proposed berms in Connaught Park, the paths that will connect us to future LRT stations, and the Lincoln Fields and Queensview surveys. Your feedback helps to get more serious attention to present issues and future plans for our community.

Connaught Park Berms: Revised Design & Update

Work on the berm plans continues. Feedback from residents showed that more residents supported having berms to mitigate the visual and noise impacts of the LRT than the original plan which had almost no mitigation measures except tree re-planting. A drainage study was completed and the plans for the berms were revised to address some concerns.

On June 24, a revision of the berm proposal was presented to several QTNca board members. Click here to view the revised berm presentation (slide 8) and a  high-resolution PDF of the concept. Please note that the proposed modifications are subject to change. They were made to address many resident concerns:

  • Drainage concerns;
  • Visual impacts of the LRT (e.g., fly-over, tunnel);
  • Noise impacts of the LRT (e.g., berm size, location, greenery);
  • Preservation of natural environment and replanting of trees/vegetation;
  • Quality of pathways (e.g., ease-of-access to LRT stations, local travel for groceries or school, safety issues, winter maintenance); and,
  • Active uses such as dog-walking, winter sledding, and other casual recreation uses.

This week we learned that the City is taking over leadership of the berm project. Instead of final plans coming soon from KEV, as expected, the process is delayed again. The impacts of the City taking over the project are uncertain. We will continue to advocate for strong measures to mitigate visual and sound impacts, ensure usable paths, and maintain trees and green space.

We will share final plans and updates on the process to keep everyone informed.

Multi-Use Pathways (MUPs)

Residents who copied us on their feedback were clear – the Queensview station connections to QTN are insufficient and changes are needed to make crossing Carling Avenue more safe. Many of the proposed improvements, such as connecting Queensview station to Severn Ave, are not funded. While they would improve access to the LRT, they may not be built as part of the Stage 2 LRT project, unless other funding is found.

We continue to insist on improved access to LRT as essential, along with improved pathways that allow residents to bike and walk to get services or for recreation. All residents can help to reinforce the importance of making these improvements now, without delay.

Queensview Drive – Impacts of the Official Plan

The City has changed its approach to planning for Queensview Drive. Plans for its future as a hub close to a LRT station will now be included in the new Official Plan which covers the whole city. We will not have the promised community consultation through the station study before major decisions are made that will impact QTN. The secondary plan, including QTN, will now address details later, after the Official Plan is adopted.

Expected changes include:

  • Mixed commercial/residential uses (currently employment area zoning)
  • High, medium, and low-rise buildings (specifics will be in draft plan)
  • Transit-oriented development (e.g., less parking, more pedestrian walkways)

The QTN planning committee has highlighted:

  • Community-oriented services, accessible by foot or bike
  • Well-designed transition between commercial areas and neighbourhood, including trees.
  • Noise reduction on south side of the neighbourhood
  • Issues relating to the one exit from Queensview Drive onto busy Pinecrest Avenue.

We hope to learn more about the options being considered by City Planning in late-Summer in order to host some form of discussion for residents prior to the tabling of the draft Official Plan this Fall.

Lincoln Fields & Carling Ave Redevelopment

Similar to Queensview Drive, plans for the Lincoln Fields Station/Carling Avenue area, as an LRT hub, will be included in the new Official Plan. The secondary plan, which will now deal with additional details, has been delayed until after the Official Plan. Expected changes include mixed commercial/residential uses and higher densities. For example, the proposed apartments on Richmond Road/Forest St/Bond St anticipate future development on the north side of QTN.

We have been told that further community discussions will occur this Fall. Earlier newsletters and a QTN submission on Lincoln Fields mall address impacts for QTN that we continue to raise. We are pushing for more community input early in the process. Watch for fall updates.

Sidewalks – Update on Connaught Ave, Henley St

QTN residents had early input into planning a pedestrian sidewalk or walkway on Connaught Avenue, during our annual Winter Carnival. City planners will re-engage the community with their final plans/options in the Fall. Construction is expected to begin in 2021.

We have learned that plans for a sidewalk/pedestrian path on the north side of Henley from Connaught to Alpine are being developed, as part of the sewer renewal project on Henley. We have flagged the significant drainage issues from Elmhurst Park onto Henley St which causes localized flooding year-round. We expect more specific plans and discussions this Fall.

Questions and Suggestions

We continue to advocate for action on the issues identified by QTN residents. We welcome your questions and suggestions and hope to host community discussion in early Fall – likely on-line due to COVID-19. We will continue to update you on each of the projects in QTN.

Sincerely,

Kathy Vandergrift, Chair of Planning Committee & Vice-President, QTNca
Simon Partridge, President, QTNca

Connectivity review: Speak up about your route to the LRT & Update on Berms

How will you access future LRT stations in our area – Lincoln Fields, Queensview, and Pinecrest? Will the new paths allow you to get where you need to go? Are they well placed? Do they need improvements?

Your access to future LRT stations is the central question to be answered by the Connectivity Enhancement Study by the City of Ottawa. You have an opportunity to review the plan and provide feedback between June 26 and July 10, 2020.

Your Voice Matters

It is important that QTN residents speak up, and use this process to show community interest for safe, adequate access to this major infrastructure project. We strongly encourage you to review the plan (click to view). To help ensure your feedback is taken seriously and to allow the association to support residents, please copy qtncommunity@gmail.com on your response to the City’s consultation.

Background

Several QTNca board members participated in a meeting with the City of Ottawa on the Connectivity Enhancement Study. We continued to highlight the need for:

  • Improved and direct access to LRT stations for pedestrians, cyclists, and persons with disabilities;
  • Ensuring the proposed pathways provide safe, year-round access to the LRT;
  • Reducing the impacts of visual and sound pollution from the LRT;
  • Maintaining and enhancing green space; and,
  • Improving the communication of plans and providing opportunities for genuine community consultation.

Communication and genuine consultation has been an issue throughout the project. Residents of QTN continue to receive information after decisions have been made. Also, our opportunities to review the options are limited and brief. We must use this opportunity to have our voices heard.

We have seen a few improvements in the access to future LRT stations, but these improvements are not enough. For example, while there is now a feasibility study of an additional connection from Severn Ave to Queensview station, this important connection needs to be part of the plan, and fully funded. Millions of dollars have been allocated towards a bridge to connect those south of the Queensway to the Queensview station, but access from streets north of Queensview (Moncton Rd, Severn Ave), continues to be a problem.

Safety concerns on sections of the connectivity plan are ongoing. For example, the proposed pathway from Roman Avenue is located between the Queensway and the OC Transpo Depot, rather than closer to the houses along Severn Ave. How do you feel about this connection?

Access to Lincoln Fields station from QTN is improving with the creation of a new Multi-Use Pathway however, connections to Lincoln Fields Mall have not been included and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway on/off ramps are not seeing safety improvements despite a plan to implement cycling infrastructure along Carling Ave.

Connaught Park Update: Berms

A drainage study has been completed and the berms are being redesigned to address a number of your concerns. This is part of the approval process by the National Capital Commission (NCC), which controls land uses in Connaught Park.  QTNca representatives have worked to keep your concerns a high priority by submitting two letters during the public consultation and continuing to engage in stakeholder meetings that bring together KEV, the NCC, Councillor Kavanaugh, and City staff.  The NCC review of the final design is expected to finish in in mid to late July so we anticipate receipt of additional details shortly thereafter.

Have questions? Want to discuss?

As previously mentioned, we would have preferred to host a public meeting, but given the current circumstances, we must communicate by email instead. Please contact us at qtncommunity@gmail.com if you would like to discuss further.