Thursday 29 March 2012

Buckthorn in Ottawa: Invasive Species Spotlight


The planting season is on its way, and this is always a good time to review some of the troublesome plants that we are combating in the Ottawa area. The insidious Buckthorn is making its way across our city, and make no mistake: it’s a tough one. To get the story on Buckthorn and what it’s doing in Ottawa, we asked David Barkley, Manager of Forestry Services for the City of Ottawa, to tell us a bit about this invasive species.

Q: WHAT IS BUCKTHORN? HOW CAN PEOPLE RECOGNIZE IT?
DAVID: It is a non native plant that was brought here as an ornamental shrub. There are two varieties in Ottawa: European and Glossy Buckthorn. It is a small tree with small rounded leaves and small fruit.

Q: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL WITH BUCKTHORN?
DAVID: The issue with Buckthorn is that it is quite invasive and takes over open and grassed areas not allowing other vegetation or trees to grow in the area by shading them out, and it is difficult eliminate.

Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR REMOVAL?
DAVID: Removal of Buckthorn is for the most part almost impossible or is a very daunting task on large sites.  The most effective way is done manually by pulling out the plant and the roots to discourage any possible new growth from the plant, but this will need to be done a number of times over a few years.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR A CITIZEN TO DEAL WITH BUCKTHORN?
credit: treetopics.com
DAVID: On private property, on a small scale, pulling the complete plant out is the most effective way, and disposing of the materials in the Green Bin program.

Q: ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO CONTAIN IT OR KILL IT?
DAVID: Other methods that are much more difficult or where success is uncertain are spraying with chemicals (such as Round Up), burning off the site with fire, mowing and flooding.  All these methods have varied results and will need to be repeated a number of years to be successful.

Q: WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET MORE INFO?
More information is found on the internet at sites such as the Invading Species site or Tree Canada.    

Q: WHAT ELSE SHOULD PEOPLE REMEMBER?
DAVID: Communities can assist the City by partnering with us to carry out buckthorn removal and tree planting in their community parks to get a forest growing.

Well, there you have it: the down-low on the low-down dirty nasty Buckthorn! Take care of your gardens, parks, and forests by dealing with Buckthorn as early as possible. If you have questions or are participating in a Buckthorn community clean-up, contact 3-1-1.

About David Barkley:
David Barkley is the Manager of Forestry Services for the City of Ottawa.  David studied Traditional Forestry, before going on and studying Urban Forestry and becoming a Certified Arborist. David has worked in various areas from tree seedling production, silvicultural operations, tree care, tree protection during construction and invasive plants and insect that impact forests and urban environments.

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Public Facilities: Location, Location, Location.


Recent developments with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) corporation have Ottawans discussing the potential construction of a casino here in town. Theories are flying about where such a large structure could be built; while I have no ready opinion on the matter myself, I am more than willing to discuss what questions should be asked when choosing a location for a large public facility, and reviewing what we’ve learned from previous builds that could save us headaches this time ‘round.

PROXIMITY: DOES IT EXIST OR MUST IT BE BUILT?

Heading to an event is usually only a portion of a planned evening out—and make no mistake, a casino can be the home to countless concerts, performances, and soirees just as our existing Scotiabank is now.. A couple may have tickets to see a magician at 8:30, and the rest of their evening plans may include dinner, a post-show coffee, and even a hotel stay. Thus, we can see that the revenue generated strictly by the ticketed event is only a fraction of the dollars spent on a special evening out.

Example of cab fare from a central location vs. our current largest venue.
Naturally, to facilitate this patronage of local businesses, we should aim to build our hotspots close to relevant amenities, the most crucial being:

  • Accommodations
  • Transit
  • Other activities/shopping/dining

If the facility is not built where these amenities are already in existence, there are really only two options: find ways to spur on development of these amenities around the facility...or build these amenities into the facility itself.

IF YOU BUILD IT, WILL THEY COME?

Earlier this month, I used Scotiabank Place as an example of a facility that has gone with the former route: waiting for amenities to develop around it. As an Ottawa native, I remember when the Scotiabank Place—the Palladium, back then—was built. There was nothing around it for kilometers. Over the past 15 years, Kanata has become a thriving area, with many businesses, shopping, and dining, and many of these businesses rely on Scotiabank ticketholders for their revenue. However, few of these are at close proximity to the arena. Looking at the crucial amenities I’ve listed above, here’s an example of the reality of the arena’s location:

Lack of transit means more people in cars...this can mean more impaired driving,
serious traffic jams, and a greater carbon footprint.
 As you can see, the travel time from Kanata to a coffee shop for a post-event nightcap is generally a great deal longer than even from the outskirts of downtown (the example here is the Canadian War Museum). While a 35 minute walk may be pleasant some nights, remember this walk is along the side of a road and that Ottawa is reknown for its incredible range of weather patterns.  

Kanata from above. Arena is located in the loop in the middle.
Note all the undeveloped space in this sector of Kanata.
While Kanata has developed vastly over time, the reality is that the area in proximity to the arena just hasn’t built up to support the venue yet. With time, the arena will eventually have bus routes, dining, and hotels within a distance so that visitors are not reliant on a car. But for now, this particular facility is relatively isolated and progress in the immediate vicinity has been slow.

BRING THE MOUNTAIN, NOT THE OTHER WAY ‘ROUND.

Lebreton Flats area from above. Note the higher density.
A new facility like a casino would idyllically be placed where there are already existing amenities, but still finding a location with enough space to support its own amenity development, as well. In the instance of a casino, we’re not just looking at finding space to house a couple dozen blackjack tables; if built sensibly such a venue would have dining, theatre space, and banquet halls, to say the least.

For fastest turn on investment, whether we’re discussing a casino, hotel, arena, or any other facility, bringing the venue in towards amenities is best. In situations where this cannot be done, or other benefits are weighed out and the build is set for a more remote area, a development plan for that area may be called for.

THE PROS AND CONS OF BUILDING CENTRAL

The reality is that building centrally comes with its own set of struggles. Space is at a premium, the Official Plan may not accommodate new large-scale developments, and there may be other factors. However, generally the best practice would suggest that it is vital for the planning process of a public facility to include a contextual consideration of the proposed area. Where a solid plan can be made for the swift development of the surrounding area to support the facility, a more isolated location may be worth considering; however, in areas where swift development is not indicated, it may be worth jumping through the extra ‘hoops’ to secure a space in a central location.

-Peter



Thursday 22 March 2012

Scrapbook Page: Peter Out & About

Peter gets around! Here are some shots from the office album from recent weeks. Are there places you'd like to see Peter? Specific events or sights in Alta Vista ward that shouldn't be missed? Comment below!

The Do It For Darren Lunch

Peter with his peers at the DIFD lunch.

Peter purchases a swanky toque!
 The Do It For Daron lunch: a great opportunity to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health outreach.


















The ward tour: Peter took new staff members on a tour of Alta Vista.
Peter at the Trainyards Starbucks,
treating staff to a cuppa Joe.





The Hume Team inspecting the Alta Vista corridor.














A quick stop for snacks at Three Sisters Bakery!



Peter was recently a guest on Talk Ottawa, chatting about Community Design Plans.


Peter stopped in to the new CE Centre for the official opening...


It's been a busy start to the year. Stay tuned for more scrapbook pages in the future!

Tuesday 20 March 2012

News bites: updates and announcements



Here are a few announcements and news tidbits that are happening around the city 
and in our ward.

WARD 18 INFO: THE TELEPHONE GAME

We recently received stats from city staff detailing what calls were made to 3-1-1 by our constituents, and what issues were addressed in the phone calls. From our ward, there were 12,745 calls made, and the main areas of inquiry were as follows:
.
Tree maintenance questions resulted in a total of 1491 calls. This is to be expected, given our ward's struggle with the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. Garbage and organics was the next highest call volume, with 1269 calls made.
Parking, whether in regards to overtime or designated parking situations, accounted for 968 calls. Road maintenance calls made up another 760 calls.

All other call categories each accounted for less than 550 calls.

With the advent of the new ServiceOttawa website, plus new social media channels (like this very blog), we may see a decrease in the number of 3-1-1 calls that come through to the city over time; however, we can also see what a valuable service the 3-1-1 number is for our city.

SMOKE-FREE UPDATE

The city released a press release today, updating the public on the next steps in the expanded smoking bylaws. According to the press release,


"During March and April, By-law and Regulatory Services and Ottawa Public Health staff are reaching out to all affected groups by:
In a nutshell, the bylaw is being expanded from
the original to include a
ban on smoking in parks, on beaches, and
on patios where food or beverages are served.
  • Sending letters and e-mails to all affected restaurants and bars, business groups, community associations, event organizers and users of City facilities;
  • Notifying the public through ottawa.ca, social media, and print and radio advertising;
  • Visiting all restaurant and bars with patios or terraces to discuss the changes, and providing information and signage to ensure that employees and patrons are aware of the new regulations;
  • Offering information and training sessions for restaurant staff and other interested groups; and
  • Engaging City employees through an internal communications strategy that includes information and training sessions."

It's important to note that, from now until July 2nd, 2012, City of Ottawa bylaw staff will be focused on educating the public and businesses of the new regulations, not enforcing with fines. Enforcement with fines may begin as of July 2nd, not sooner. Thus, we encourage the public and business owners to interact with their local bylaw officers when they stop by; their job will be to assist you with understanding your required actions and the areas of your neighbourhood or business that will be affected.


CLEANING UP THE CITY

The City has announced the launch of the annual Spring Cleaning the Capital Campaign. This is a great opportunity for neighbours to work together on community cleanup projects in any area of their neighbourhood that could use a spruce-up. It's also a great way for high school students to earn their community volunteer hours.

The city is providing cleanup starter kits to all registered cleanup teams, and teams that register before April 14 are eligible for early bird prizes. Registration closes May 15, and teams that submit their online cleanup reports by May 31 are eligible for further prizes.

If there's an area of Alta Vista ward that needs some neighbourly TLC, you're encouraged to speak with your fellow residents and get a team going. Together, we can make our ward the cleanest one in the city!






Friday 16 March 2012

Understanding CDP's: Community Design Plans


COMMUNITY DESIGN PLANS: WHOSE DESIGN IS IT, ANYWAY?

credit: ddpavumba
Community Design Plans, also called CDP’s, are a hot-button topic these days. It’s important that we educate ourselves on how these plans work, what they cover, and how they’ve come to be.

CDP’s are intended to recognize that the next 20 years will not be the same as the last 20 years; consequently, to manage change effectively, the CDP process was born. CDP’s are conducted in areas that are expected to have major growth and intensification, so naturally they are not meant as a tool for maintaining the status quo. They are produced, most specifically, to manage changing needs and visions; and as such, they wouldn’t be of 
much use in an area not geared for new development.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE CDP

CDP’s have evolved over the years. These policies used to be written in broad language, and they used to allow for developers (and community groups) to flex their interpretation of the language quite a lot. For instance, an older CDP may simply state that “higher buildings will be built around transit stations, and lower developments will be built in the rest of the area”. The developer was then able to propose a building of any height...and on the flipside, a community group would be able to oppose a building of any height.

As the learning curve of CDP’s continued, we learned to tighten up the policy so that wild interpretations weren’t as easy to get away with. New CDP’s will state clearly that, say, “buildings up to twelve storeys will be built around transit stations, and lower developments under six storeys will be built in other areas.”

CDP’s have also evolved to become known as secondary plans, and consequently they are a part of the Official Plan for the entire city; this means that the policy frameworks are approved by City Council, and are implemented by the zoning by-law.

THE BENEFITS OF THE MODERN CDP

As the CDP evolution has continued, these policies now provide several benefits:

-They provide certainty for the community experiencing growth and make it easier to manage community expectations. With more clarity built right into the CDP, community groups don’t need to take such extreme interpretations of CDP policies in their attempt to have development proposals rejected or amended.

-They also provide certainty for the developers, should be happy that the approval process has been made faster and easier by only requiring a building permit and site plan—unless, of course, they are attempting to amend the plan and zoning to add height and density; and the new CDP policy framework makes it very difficult-to-impossible to get this type of approval, given the newer, more stringent policy wording.

-Developers are learning, and quickly, that the old ways of proposing height changes anywhere they like is not going to work.

THE CREATION OF A CDP: COOPERATION

credit: AMBRO
The process of developing a CDP has also evolved over the years. In the past, CDP’s have been solely community-driven, without any input from the landowner. The new CDP’s take a much more balanced approach, involving both the community and the landowner in discussions, and consequently fostering a more realistic view of development. With this new inclusive process, our most recent CDP—the Bank Street CDP—may not generate even one appeal from either side. And that’s an amazing result.

LEANING AT WINDMILLS: COMMUNITY NEEDS FAITH

When CDP’s are adhered to, despite some very determined and audacious developers, is it because there are vocal community groups making a loud fuss from the start? Not necessarily. The concept of the ‘squeaky wheel getting the grease’ doesn’t really apply here. With the newer, clearer, more stringent CDP’s, the reality is that the ‘grease’ is already there, and often the ‘wheel’ has been squeaking for nothing. Yet time and again, we end up with a pitched battle between the panicked community group, and the panicked developer, both who just want to ensure their vision is upheld. With the new CDP’s, the goal is to have the vision made so clear that no one need worry about what the outcome will be; both sides will know from Day One what will and won’t be allowed in their area.

-Peter

Thursday 15 March 2012

Good for Ottawa: city receives IBM Smarter Cities Challenge

The City of Ottawa and IBM announced this morning that our fair city is the recipient of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge. Read more about it on the City of Ottawa website.

It's a great day to be excited about the future of Ottawa!

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Emerald Ash Borer in Ottawa: Invasive Species Spotlight


Spring seems to really be here now, and with the return of green leaves, we’re reminded of the ongoing threat to our ash trees: the Emerald Ash Borer.

MEET THE BORER

The Emerald Ash Borer.
source: ottawa.ca
From the Ottawa.ca website: “Emerald Ash Borer is a non-native, highly destructive wood-boring beetle that feeds under the bark of ash trees. It was confirmed in Ottawa in 2008 and its impacts can be clearly seen spreading from the St. Laurent area. Since the insect spends most of its lifecycle under the bark of trees, it can be easily moved with firewood or other tree materials such as nursery stock, logs, brush and larger wood chips. This insect is able to fly, but since its spread has been primarily along major highways and transport routes, it is clear that humans are the main vector of dispersal.”

BEETLE BUSTING: A DIFFICULT BATTLE

Telltale signs of the beetle.
source: ottawa.ca

What does this mean for Ottawa residents? Over the last two years, it has meant that we’ve had to remove many dead or dying ash trees. The Borer’s effect on trees is first noticeable at the crown (top) of the tree, which means that often, it may seem as if the City of Ottawa Forestry Services is removing a viable tree; unfortunately, many of these trees only look healthy from ground level when in fact, they are destroyed internally by the beetle. Some residents have been reluctant to remove their ash trees, thinking that the tree looks relatively healthy; but because the beetle works on the insides of the tree, the result is a solid-looking tree that is actually a serious safety hazard and may fall to the ground, crushing cars, wires, rooftops, or even people.

Forestry has been experimenting with a naturally-derived pesticide that shows promise in preventing the spread of the beetle’s larva. However, treatment with the pesticide can cost between $300-$500 per tree, and must be done every 12-24 months. Removal and quarantine of the dead wood are the only other option at present...another costly process, with a full removal costing upwards of $2,000 per tree. This cost is covered by the City when the tree is on City of Ottawa property, but residents with ash trees on their own property are responsible for the cost of treatment or removal.

Ash leaves always grow in
opposite directions like this.
source: ottawa.ca

This beetle has already had a hefty impact on the number of trees in our city and most definitely within the Alta Vista ward. Forestry is interplanting, which means they are attempting to replace dead trees with new trees of different species as they go along; unfortunately, there’s an introduced plant species called Buckthorn that is complicating the process. Buckthorn strangles out other plants, and if we do not effectively remove it before planting in some areas, it will kill the saplings that are planted.


WHAT CAN RESIDENTS DO?

Residents can take some important steps toward helping with the Emerald Ash Borer problem:

1. Learn more about the Borer beetle on the city website here.

Mature ash bark.
source: ottawa.ca

2. Report any suspected outbreaks by contacting the CFIA at 1-866-463-6017 or emailing 311@ottawa.ca

3. Don’t wait too long to seek treatment for your own ash trees! Contact the City by dialing 3-1-1 to learn what your options are. Consider working with neighbours to take care of a shared tree.

4. Attend a public Open House meeting about the EAB. Two meetings are coming up: April 12 – Ben Franklin Place, and April 23 – Jim Durrell Recreation Centre. More information about the time and room will be posted here on the blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and at Ottawa.ca.

Young ash bark.
source: ottawa.ca
5. Be sure to have your ash trees disposed of properly: the beetle won’t die just because the tree has been removed from the ground.

A NECESSARY STEP

Some parts of our ward, and the city overall, are saturated with ash trees. You may live in a neighbourhood that has already experienced some heavy tree removal, and it is indeed upsetting to see mature trees dying in this way. However, our best hope for controlling this tree-killing beetle is to remain vigilant, take action with infected trees, and keep educated. It is only through coordinated effort that we may manage to stop the spread of this insidious little insect.


UPDATE: INFO SESSION DETAILS

The following information has been gathered regarding the EAB info sessions:

EMERALD ASH BORER
PUBLIC INFO SESSIONS
APRIL 12 4-8pm
BEN FRANKLIN PLACE
and
APRIL 23 4-8pm
JIM DURRELL CENTRE
(ELLWOOD HALL)


Thursday 8 March 2012

City Planning: A Transparent Process PART II

Part II of II: This post concludes a review of the development application process, and common myths and misconceptions surrounding the process. Part I can be found here.


CITY PLANNING: EXAMPLES OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS

credit: AMBRO
There tends to be an air of wariness amongst those who have been misinformed or only partially informed of the approval procedures for local development. Indeed, if you yourself are not a landowner who has gone through the application process, there may not be much cause for you to have previously learned a lot of detailed information about the procedures. As you can see from the stages outlined in Part I, a lot of work and professional review go into the city planning process, along with care, attention, and respect for the existing development policies.

I’d like to debunk this myth that we’re dealing with the ‘wild west’ of planning. Where do these misconceptions spring from? Well, ironically it may be due to the fact that our staff perform so efficiently. Many poorly-prepared or unrealistic proposals are dropped early in the process, thanks to the diligent review process implemented by staff, so the public (and the committee itself) only see a small percentage of the total proposals submitted.

Specific cases can be cited as great examples from which to learn. A recent proposal to build a 9-storey building in Wellington West was dropped in the pre-consult stage when the developers were informed that they could, by law, go ahead with the application--provided they applied for an Official Plan and zoning amendment, as the Wellington West CDP has limited the height of new builds to 6 storeys. This particular developer dropped the proposal and walked away from the project entirely, uninterested in pursuing a height increase within a neighbourhood that has doggedly defended the limits of its plan. Consequently, this plan never even reached the stage of formal application, which means it was done and over with before the public would ever have  been introduced to it.

credit: ddpavumba
Another case occurred in Kanata, at #2 The Parkway: a landowner sought approval for a 16-storey build on the location of a small postal station with institutional zoning. Citizens of the Kanata area rose up in opposition to the proposal, objecting to the possibility of ‘spot re-zoning’—in fact, the group even began a website and campaign. What the group failed to recognize is that every property owner in Ontario has the right to make an application to rezone their property, so the City couldn’t halt the application...but this doesn’t mean that every application is approved by any means. Indeed, the Planning Committee does not promote spot re-zoning. The developer’s formal application was recommended for rejection by the urban planner, and consequently, the developer has returned to the drawing board, preparing a new proposal that meets the existing policies more effectively. While we are always welcoming of public feedback, a lot of panic and effort was put into the anti-development campaign that, in the end, was not necessary.

DEVELOPING OUR TRUST IN CITY STAFF

A lot of furor could have been avoided in the Kanata case with better awareness of planning procedure, and a touch more faith in our city staff's adherence to policy. Well-intentioned individuals will sometimes cry foul play on the planning procedure, frightened that some sort of secret deal is happening at the pre-consultation level. I assure you, that is not the case, nor the point of the pre-consultation stage. Much like when applying for a passport, an individual is provided with a checklist of forms to fill and documents to bring; in the same factual manner, the developer is simply notified at pre-consult of what he will need to prepare in order to be considered. 

credit: Stuart Miles
And the goal of city staff, as well as the Planning Committee, is to provide an objective process for all involved. This means that we do not jettison our policies and professionalism in the face of community opposition, nor in the face of demands by developers. The Planning Act and the Official Plan, as well as relevant City of Ottawa policies, are the pillars of the decision making process. Staff work diligently at their jobs, despite some unjustified skepticism by certain members of the community and community associations, to maintain an objective and policy-based perspective on the applications being received.

Anyone can apply to rezone their property; and anyone can forge ahead with an application, despite recommended rejection, if they feel that they can justify why their divergence from a collective’s vision is more important, valid, or appropriate than what has been established. But this doesn’t mean that city staff and committee members will bend to the whim and whine of each developer or community group. To do so would be chaos. In order to see Ottawa blossom to its full potential, I would advise builders to stop attempting to change the rules with every application, and focus on a better product. And Ottawans, I urge you to develop your awareness of city policies and procedures so that the fear mongers cannot rile you with false stories of shady dealings.

I hope that this post has helped to clarify our process, and to shed some light on the hard work of your urban planners. A city with well-informed citizens will always find itself progressing in a way that is more effective and satisfactory for all involved stakeholders.

To return to Part I of CITY PLANNING: A TRANSPARENT PROCESS, click here

-Peter

City Planning: A transparent process PART I


Part I of II: This post is the first part of a review of the development application process, and common myths and misconceptions surrounding the process. Part II can be found here. 
credit: Ambro


With the advent of our new blog, I will occasionally be sharing my perspective on various current issues as they relate to city planning—an area in which I am very active as Chair of the Planning Committee. Planning has long been my wheelhouse, and I have a mix of history and personal perspective to share on many matters, after 20 years in office.

THE DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL PROCESS

Lately, I’ve received a lot of questions about the approval process for new development proposals, and the role that our on-staff urban planners play in these procedures. I fear there is a fair amount of confusion about the process for development plan approvals, and the role of city staff in the process. Let’s take a tour of the process.

1. A property owner has an idea.
The first step: the owner has an idea of how they’d like to develop their property.

2. The property owner seeks pre-consultation.
At this stage, city staff will listen to the landowner’s initial ideas and will share with him a list of the steps he needs to take before filing his formal application. Steps may include traffic studies, sun shade studies, or other neighbourhood info. Some landowners may also consult community associations or other concerned parties.

3. The property owner files a formal application, which is reviewed by the planner.
The formal application becomes publicly available for review. The city’s urban planner begins the process of reviewing the application package, seeking to develop her recommendation of approval or rejection for the proposed development. When she has reviewed all the provided package, studies, and information, she renders her recommendation to either approve or reject the project.

4. The property owner makes a choice.
If the urban planner rejected the landowner’s proposed plan, he can choose to go one of two ways: he may forge ahead, without the approval of the planner, in the hopes of appealing to the Planning Committee...or, he may rethink his plan and decide to either change his proposal. He may also drop the project altogether.

5. Planning Committee reviews and votes.
At this stage, Planning Committee hears from the planner, the property owner, and sometimes other parties like community associations who may have a vested interest in the matter. After hearing the presented information and reviewing the application package, the committee votes on the plan, and the proposal is either approved or rejected.
  
Now, what doesn’t happen at the pre-consultation stage is any sort of approval or rejection by the city staff. At this point, the staff’s role is simply to provide the landowner with a checklist of all the studies, appeals, and procedures he will need to provide to be sure his formal application will be considered ready for review. It seems there is an urban myth circulating that city staff are able to give approval at this early stage of the process; this is simply untrue. Staff’s job at this level is to provide the landowner with the information he needs for application, but not to offer a favourable or unfavourable recommendation.

credit: Salvatore Vuono
It is at stage 3, or earlier at stage 2, that many applications are dropped. Few property owners choose to forge ahead to the Planning Committee with a negative recommendation letter attached to their application. Most would rather rework their plan to fit the appropriate CDP’s, Official Plan, and other policies. Thus, very few rejected applications end up at the Planning Committee table. The Planning Committee values the expertise and knowledge of our urban planners, and developers are aware of this; thus, they are unlikely to attempt to bypass the planners’ recommendation. This is a good thing for the committee, as it means that many poorly-planned applications are filtered out before they end up monopolizing the resources of the Planning Committee; the downside, however, is that another myth is begun: that the Planning Committee approves virtually every proposal the city receives. In reality, the proposals that reach the committee’s table have usually been more sound, more in keeping with the existing Official Plans, and have been recommended by the city staff--thus, they naturally have a higher rate of approval.

The stages of application are in place to ensure that all potential developers have their 'ducks in a row', and are prepared with solid research to back their proposals. It's is a step-by-step process, with each stage dependent on the results of the last.


So what happens with the many proposals that are declined at an earlier stage? Why is the public not directly informed of all of these discarded plans? And why is there sometimes a wary attitude towards the procedures and the staff who follow them? Read Part II to learn more.

-Peter


Tuesday 6 March 2012

Social Media Ahoy!

Ladies and gents, the Hume office is online with plenty of great social media. Here are some great ways to stay in touch with what's happening within the office, the ward, and even on committees:

TWITTER: Regular news, updates, tidbits, and info will be posted on Twitter, along with retweets from other tweeters. You can check out the twitter feed anytime without even registering for Twitter, yourself.

FACEBOOK: We have a Facebook page up for you to join. This is a great way to keep up to date with regular news and notices about new blog posts, announcements, and more.

BLOG: If you're reading this, you've already found the blog. But of course, you can subscribe to receive updates by email (see the box on the right)...you may also consider adding us to your blogroll or Google Reader.

WEBSITE: Watch for additions, changes, and renovations to our website over the spring and summer!

As times change, we're always looking for new ways to connect with citizens. Our social media channels are managed by our comms coordinator Jordan, with input, additions, quotes, and posts by Peter himself. By cooperating on our social media efforts, we'll be able to provide things like live tweeting from certain meetings, and consistent updates to our sites on a regular basis, even when Peter himself is hard at work in other areas.

This will be a great opportunity for increased interaction and conversation with the people of Ottawa.

Monday 5 March 2012

Positive Developments for Riverview: better access to our hospital


Peter took the Hume Team to view
the tobogganing area this March.
Keen interest continues to build towards the development of a new two-lane vehicle and transit access from Riverside Drive and the Transitway, to the hospital ring road. I am diligently supervising many facets of this complex project, working with city staff to ensure this essential roadway is developed by considering the best interests of our residents, The Ottawa Hospital, and the developing NDMC lands. With first steps towards breaking ground still a year away, I encourage citizens to familiarize themselves with the facts and information about this project as they become available.

I am committed to ensuring this access route respects the priorities of our neighbours. To this end, we have reworked the preliminary design to allow for the hospital woods to remain undisturbed, continuing to serve as a respite for local wildlife; as well, we plan to move the existing sledding hill to an area within the corridor that will be more accessible to the community and will better meet safety standards. Provisions will also be made for noise reduction features, such as berms, to be incorporated into the plans.

This particular area has been a designated future transportation corridor for many decades, but I am pleased that we continue to work creatively in finding solutions that will allow us to support transportation needs in our city while still conserving the neighbourhood’s sledding hill and canopy growth. Rest assured, I will be closely supervising this project over the next year as it takes shape and as the final draft designs are eventually completed, then readied for release. Our goal is to provide balanced road and transit access, while supporting the area’s development and maintaining the unique features that make this part of our neighbourhood so special.

-Peter 

New City of Ottawa Website Makes Life Easier!


I’m pleased to say that our new City of Ottawa website went live in February. The site has been revamped to be far more user-friendly, allowing residents and businesses to access services in the blink of an eye.

This site is a great start on our grander ServiceOttawa plan. You’ll discover that you can now go online to find and book last minute ice time, report graffiti, or register for recreation programs. You can even take a virtual tour of rental spaces in City facilities.

Tour the site, and try out one of the new easy-to-use online features! Not only is this a great way to guarantee consistent service for each and every resident, but it’s also flexible with your schedule...because the internet is available 24/7!

And stay tuned for developing website and social media additions to my own site! The best way to be  in-the-know is to head to our website and subscribe to our e-newsletter at peterhume.ca

-Peter

Safe Streets Campaign Shifts Into Gear Again!


During the election campaign, many residents raised concerns with me about traffic and the safety of our neighbourhood streets. I launched the Alta Vista Safe Streets Campaign in June 2011 to provide an immediate and direct response to traffic concerns brought to my attention. We purchased an electronic radar sign, placed it at 18 different street locations so far, and currently it is placed on Alta Vista at the intersection of Summit Ave, on the east side. The neighbours have reported a reduction in the number of speeders, and overall the results were very positive.Other city councillors have now started to adopt the same signs and are beginning to launch this project in their own neighbourhoods.
We have now purchased a second radar sign, and will be setting it up soon. I’m seeking your feedback on where you’d like to see it placed. Let me know of any streets where drivers could use a reminder. Email me today and share your thoughts! peter.hume@ottawa.ca
We have also added a new feature to both our signs: they will now capture and record all automobile speeds, providing us with a report. We will then be able to establish how many drivers are over the speed limit. This information will be helpful in establishing where our Safe Streets campaign is most needed.


-Peter