COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN NOVEMBER 10, 2017 Councillor’s Column KEEPING YOU INFORMED SHAD QADRI – WARD 6 - STITTSVILLE Lest We Forget – Remembrance Day Reflections It is once again the time of year where red poppies are worn proudly upon the hearts of Canadians everywhere. Of course, it is Remembrance Day. It is a sad time but a time that also harkens feelings of joy, of nostalgia, and of respect toward the veterans of this incredible country who have devoted their lives in service to this land, its people, and what we stand for. “Lest we forget.” The term “Remembrance Day” as it is presently known was first coined in 1931 – 86 years ago. It has now been 72 years since the end of the last world war and those who lived to witness the atrocities committed are becoming fewer and fewer. Now, more than ever, it is important that we look back to our history to learn from the past and honour the noble sacrifices made by our veterans in order to build a better future for us and our children. On November 11th, Canadians will come together - whether it be at home, at work, or at an organized memorial site – in a moment of silence to remember the sentiments behind these sacrifices. COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN 1 COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN NOVEMBER 10, 2017 I encourage all residents and all citizens of our nation to take the time out of their busy lives to stand together in a silent moment of reflection to remember the heroes of our past who have fought for our rights and freedoms, the heroes of our present who are still fighting to keep us at peace, and the heroes of tomorrow who aspire to creating a world in which fighting is no longer necessary. I invite all residents to join me tomorrow at the Stittsville Cenotaph following the Remembrance Day Parade organized by the Stittsville Legion. Participants will line up at the Stittsville Legion at 1:30 and leave at 1:45, marching up to the Cenotaph by the Johnny Leroux Arena (10 Warner-Colpitts Ln). Afterwards at approximately 2:45, all attendees are invited back to the Legion (1480 Stittsville Main St) for food and live music as we acknowledge our brave veterans who have fought and are still fighting for our country. Thank you, and please remember to wear your poppy in support. Shea Road Woods Protection Approved at City Council I am thrilled and honoured to share the great news that the motion to purchase and protect a portion of Shea Road Woods in Stittsville was discussed and approved at this week’s City Council meeting. As a result of the decision, 5.4 hectares of land in the area south of Abbott St East and East of Shea Rd in the Fernbank Community would be acquired by the City. This is great news for the community as the woods are a popular site for many Stittsville residents to walk, play with their dogs and soak in some of the community’s natural beauty. It is important to note that while the COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN 2 COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN NOVEMBER 10, 2017 future uses will still need to be discussed, it is my intention to ensure the allowance of off-leash dogs in sections of this area is maintained. Working on retaining this property has been a priority project of mine for quite some time. I understand that with the recent growth of our unique little village, it is important to ensure our large areas of natural environment remain preserved wherever possible. City Council committed to acquiring this important natural area in 2009, to ensure area residents have access to high quality outdoor recreational space. The agreement with CRT Developments would see the City pay cash for about one third of the property. The remaining two thirds would be transferred in exchange for another parcel of land that was to be developed as a City park. As part of subdivision agreements, Ottawa requires each developer to design and build parks on behalf of the City. As part of a subdivision next to the Shea Road Woods, CRT Developments had already planned a 3.28-hectare park. In exchange for the Shea Road Woods property, the City would allow that land to instead be developed with low-density housing. There would be no net loss of recreational park facilities within the Fernbank Community as CRT Developments would pay for parks facilities next to the Shea Road Woods. The City would pay cash for the remaining 1.72 hectares, at an estimated cost of $1,577,573. Funding for that purchase would come from the Environmental Resource Area Acquisition Reserve Fund, which Council established to help acquire and protect natural features like Shea Road Woods. I would like to thank Mayor Watson and City Staff along with CRT Developments for their support in working with me to protect this important greenspace so that it can continue to be enjoyed by the community, and future generations. I would also like to highlight the following staff – Stephen Willis, John Smit, Nick Stow, James Bowser, Mark Richardson, Kevin Wherry and Jennifer Shepherd - for all of their hard work on this file as well as Councillor and Planning Committee Chair Jan Harder for providing her support. COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN 3 COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN NOVEMBER 10, 2017 Last but certainly now least, I would like to thank all residents for their incredible support of this very important item; it is great to see all of the hard work of the committed team of staff finally come to fruition. I look forward to sharing more news with the community as it is released. Johnwoods Closing November 15th I would like to remind residents that Johnwoods Street will be permanently closing on November 15th. Commuters are encouraged to use Huntmar Road and other alternate routes. I have continued to receive questions and comments on this road closure and working with staff I have the following information that I can share with the community. TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES Flex stakes were installed this week on Rosehill Drive, these are temporary and were installed by the developer. In my electronic newsletter last week, I advised the community that the long term plan is for chicanes to be permanently installed on the street next year – chicanes are a proven form of traffic calming which narrows a roadway to encourage drivers to slow down. In addition, there are already plans underway to have a speed board in this area on the street as soon as it is received. I will also be requesting additional Police presence in the area after Johnwoods closes. This week, I met with Transportation Staff regarding traffic calming for the other portions of Rosehill Drive and this will be included for traffic calming initiatives as well. Permanent traffic calming measures are done through the Area Traffic Management (ATM) group at the City. For a roadway to receive permanent traffic calming measures, it first must meet a set of Council approved screening criteria. If a roadway does meet the screening criteria, it is then prioritized against other locations that have also meet the screening criteria. It is difficult to say when a roadway that meets the screening criteria COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN 4 COUNCILLOR’S COLUMN NOVEMBER 10, 2017 will receive permanent traffic calming measures. Approximately seven studies are done a year by the ATM group and at last count they had over 40 locations on their list of locations eligible for review with more locations being added that can change the priority ranking. TRAFFIC COUNTS Traffic counts have already been done for the area and in addition to those counts, the City is also collecting data through the use of road tubes (ATR) which collect speed and volume data (this is planned for this Fall, weather permitting). As referenced in the documents on my website, there was a Traffic Impact Study completed for the Fairwinds West subdivision (33 Johnwoods) and this study has been available on the City of Ottawa Development Application website. In addition, there was also a traffic review done for the temporary and permanent traffic calming measures installed on the street. The City did undertake traffic counts recently in the area (including on a Senators game night) and will conduct traffic counts after the closure as well. I also had a private consultant conduct a traffic count on Johnwoods. After the traffic count following the closure is completed, I will share all this information with the community. ROSEHILL CAPACITY Rosehill was built and planned as a collector road which has the capacity to hold additional traffic volume and can accommodate buses as well. While I sympathize with residents on Rosehill that they may not have realized the road was planned for this, it was noted in the development plans for the subdivisions and in the purchase and sale agreements. o In the subdivision agreement (instrument number OC1658889) for the Mattamy’s Fairwinds West subdivision (draft approved on October 2013 and registered on August 13, 2014), both Rosehill Avenue and Santolina Street have been identified for potential transit services. o Rosehill Avenue between Huntmar Drive and Johnwoods Street is designated as a Collector street within the City’s Transportation Master Plan and is planned to function as a connection between Huntmar Drive and Johnwoods Street. o Rosehill Avenue, beginning with the portion within the original Mattamy Fairwinds subdivision (draft approved in 2006) has always been built to a 21.5 metre right of way width, with sidewalks on both sides and designed to accommodate bus traffic.