A PLACE WORTH SAVING "THE KILMORIE HOUSE" 21 WITHROW AVENUE Sky View
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A PLACE WORTH SAVING "THE KILMORIE HOUSE" 21 WITHROW AVENUE Sky View • This beautiful heritage home with its surrounding 2 acres is currently for sale as a housing development • It is all that is left of the original farm where our community now exists • It was built in the 1840's along what was then the newly developing Merivale farming corridor The History of 21 Withrow Ave • The Merivale district was known as the "Back Bush" because of the bush terrain that enveloped it. This area is where many Irish immigrants settled and established productive farms with fine farm houses. Many of our founding families were settlers here (Hoopers, Nesbitts, Boyd's, Scott's...) • 21 Withrow Ave was one of the original farms along the Merivale Corridor • The house was built by Archibald Scott for his brother William Scott • This beautiful house was built with locally quarried stone in 1842 • There are many architectural features that are specific to this time period • The Scott family lived here until the early 1900's when they sold the farm to William Wilfred Campbell who named it "Kilmorie House" The History continued... • William Wilfred Campell was a renowned Confederation poet. He was also hired by the public service in 1893 to the Department of Militia and Defence • Campbell was close friends with poets Archibald Lampman and Duncan Campbell Scott and with William Lyon Mackenzie King. • His friend Mackenzie King bought his cemetery plot when Campbell died of pneumonia in 1918 • The last resident was Dr David Roger, a well known cardiologist, who lived at 21 Withrow Ave for over 65 years, until his death in 2015 • The newly designated heritage house and the property are now up for sale Famous Resident Confederation Poet • You may recognize one of William Wilfred Campbell’s poems, Indian Summer: "Along the line of smoky hills The crimson forest stands, And all the day the blue-jay calls Throughout the autumn lands..." • From Kilmorie House he also wrote the poem “Down the Merivale Road." This poem is on a plaque along the Poets’ Pathway at Colonnade Road, Nepean Ontario. Magic • This is a magical space that gives everyone that sees it a feeling of peace, tranquility and history • Our community, City View, is determined to save this property. We envision it as a public passive park and community building. We have been working for over a year to preserve it from becoming a low/mid-rise development Local News Stories • We have approached the provincial and federal governments (Heritage Canada) to buy the property or help with funds to buy it. They offered support but require the City of Ottawa to also show their support before they can provide further funding from their programs for purchase, upgrading and maintenance. (e.g. Canada Cultural Spaces Fund and The Legacy Fund) • We have met numerous times with our local Councillor to see what the City can do. Although Councillor Chiarelli supports the purchase of the land, he determined that no City funds were available. He agreed to present a proposal to City Council, if members of our community would agree to a tax levy to show Council the community’s interest and commitment Lack of Parkland • Our community needs this green space as we lack parkland and green space • In 1913 our area was subdivided into streets & 25 foot lots for market gardeners and was called St. Claire Gardens. There were no requirements at that time to provide infrastructure or parkland. Streets were laid out in the early 20th century grid pattern • When home construction started in the 1940’s and 1950’s, each home was built on 4 of these 25 foot lots. Builders were required to construct the roads and dig drainage ditches • It was considered an unplanned community. In fact, our whole community still has rural drainage with ditches and the lack of storm sewers continues to cause drainage and flooding issues • Although park allocation is now mandated by the City of Ottawa and the Ontario Government, our Community has always been advised that there is no green space available to rectify this anomaly • This large green space with mature trees - has become available. It is our last opportunity to preserve some much needed green space. City of Ottawa Green Space Policies • The City prides itself on its policies for open space and parkland. It spends millions of dollars in constructing and maintaining parkettes, community and district parks, playing fields etc. in some communities. Most areas in Ottawa also have easy access to other recreational facilities – pathways, cycle paths, sports fields, natural lands, Green Belt or NCC land • The City of Ottawa Greenspace Master Plan 3.2.1. states ”The City’s Official Plan sets a target of 4.0 ha of total greenspace for every 1,000 residents and this has been achieved throughout most of the urban area.” (8 to 10% of developable land area) • And yet, our community has none of these. We are now sandwiched between heavy commercial areas (Merivale Road) and heavy traffic roads (Baseline Road, Woodroffe Avenue, and Meadowlands Drive). Baseline has now been approved as a “Transit Intensive Corridor”and the Clyde Triangle is set to become another commercial development. These traffic levels have caused increased pollution, noise and cut-through traffic for us • The open space we once enjoyed on the Frank Ryan farm has been reconstructed and paved over by Algonquin College. Both of our elementary schools have closed. The Baseball Park at the Nepean Museum is reserved all year exclusively for the East Nepean Little League Community Support • Councillor Chiarelli proposed that a Tax levy be signed by a majority of City View residents in order to show community support. This levy would mean agreeing to a $5 per month household payment for 10 years to provide at least $700,000 towards the $2.3M purchase price. He committed to conducting this poll but there have been numerous delays to the process • To date, we have majority support for this endeavour and believe our Councillor has a clear mandate to present the proposal to Council. Not all residents have responded, or answered our mailing or the door-to-door campaign (rental homes, absentee land lords etc.) however the Community Association is continuing to collect support Rightfully Ours • The City View Community has over 1,000 residences and taxes have been paid on these properties for nearly 80 years. There has never been a tax break for lack of parks or infrastructure • Since the inception of the City View Community Association in 1950, the community has worked to establish more green space. The City has always agreed that we lack parkland, but has claimed that there is no available land to remedy the situation • In 1977 a document, entitled “City View Tomorrow” was presented to the City of Nepean outlining our lack of green space and requesting that this property at 21 Withrow be considered for future parkland • Over the years, our green space has been reduced even more. Numerous infills and intensification are being approved, contrary to our local zoning bi-laws. This is allowing huge homes to be built on sub-divided lots with the removal of many mature trees. The removal of so many mature trees is threatening to change the character of City View. These new homes are all subject to a very large Development Fee which is held as Cash in Lieu. These funds have never been used for parks in City View • City View has one of the lowest if not the lowest parkland ratio in Ottawa The Possibilities are Limitless! Imagine... • Community Centre • Poets/Artists Cultural Centre • Seniors Drop In Centre • Family/Children's Play Area • Dog Park • Conference Centre • Wedding/Party Venue • Reconciliation Centre • Nepean Museum Home • Horticultural Showcase • Passive Park Save the ecological balance that this property helps to give to City View. People and nature coming together. Ideas and projects become limitless! Where dreams become reality! A Beautiful Intimate Wedding Venue The Children are Our Future • In the 1950-60's City View was teeming with children. However as these baby boomer children grew up the number of children in the neighbourhood declined • With new Provincial & City infill policies and with the older population moving or passing on, the number of children has been again increasing greatly • The number of City View children were well above the 500 mark at the end of 2015. The increase continues Community Benefits Small/Medium Children/Senior Play Park Passive Parkland Conference Rooms A place where seniors and Flowers, trees, benches, come sit Have your meetings in quiet small children can play. A place and watch and feel the natural to medium private conference where anyone can go just to wonders all around this beautiful rooms. relax and get rid of everyday property. Minutes from the busy stress. hustle and bustle of Merivale Rd. What has been done before? Old Grant School The Al Purdy A-frame Cash for Parks Piling Association Poets Retreat up in City's Wards The old Grant Alternative School in The A-frame was built on Roblin Lake in 1957 On Dec 31st 2016 the city councillors found Ottawa's west end was bought by the by the late Al Purdy, one of Canada’s they had $11.2 million at their discretion to City in 2010 and the buildings and the greatest poets, and his wife, Eurithe. Thanks to buy new parkland etc.. Two new park land were sold to the Centre the generosity of Eurithe Purdy and donors planners have been hired. In Somerset multiservices francophonè de l'Ouest from across Canada, the A-frame was ward a lack of available parkland has the (CFMO) for $1.