Community Update
Councillor Clive Doucet
OSWATCH Chair Michael Jenkin

Letter of May 14

May 22, 2003

Dear Old Ottawa South residents,

Thank you all for your feedback. There is no building currently proposed the corner of Sunnyside and Bank and there may not be for many years. What the City's zoning review study was suggesting was raising the existing 4-storey height limit for Bank St. at two key, under-developed corners of the neighborhood to try and encourage attractive, value-added infill. One of these corners was Bank and Sunnyside, the other was Bank and Riverdale.

Given the objections of the neighbours,I will support the removal of the proposed 6-storey allowance for Bank and Sunnyside. Michael Jenkin, President of OSCA and Chair of OSWATCH, also supports this position. The last thing we want to see happen is have the bulk of the report, which by and large is considered positive change for the community, get derailed by concern over a small part of it. So the 6-storey option is out, we'll stick with the existing 4-storey height limit. I would still recommend that we continue to propose the gateway idea for Bank and Riverdale where wehave received no complaints and a six-storey, well-designed building overlooking the river would be attractive to live in and pass by.

Some quick background: this study came about in late 2001 at the request of the Old Ottawa South Community Association in the wake of the old Strand Theatre's demolition. What became clear at that time was that the zoning levers were not in place to fix the problems facing Bank Street in keeping with the objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan which the community had developed some time ago. The purpose of this zoning review is to find ways to bring about a more attractive, vibrant, and pedestrian-based neighborhood environment. Without a "main street" zoning framework it's unlikely we'll see the kind of development along Bank that Old Ottawa South needs.

The Old Ottawa South Urban Design and Zoning Review Draft Report will be going to Planning & Development Committee on June 26th, 2003 where residents have the right to address Committee for five minutes each should they wish, or submit written comments, after which the staff report gets debated by Committee. If it is passed, it would then rise to Council in July for approval and the formal by-law would rise to Council for approval in August 2003.

Sincerely,
Clive Doucet

(14 May 2003): In an effort to get as much public feedback as possible on the recommendations contained in the Old Ottawa South Urban Design and Zoning Review Draft Report, it has been made available in its entirety on-line at: www.clivedoucet.com and www.oldottawasouth.com. The report is also available in print through Françoise Jessop, Program Manager, Urban Design & Zoning, Development Services, 580-2424 ext. 13862, (francoise.jessop@ottawa.ca).

This study came about in late 2001 at the request of the Old Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA) in the wake of the old Strand Theatre’s demolition. What became clear at that time was that the zoning levers were not in place to fix the problems facing Bank Street in keeping with the objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan which the community had developed some time ago.

The study’s purpose was to come up with a set of zoning and site plan guidelines that would result in the filling of vacant areas and intensify the residential aspects of the street. Following a public meeting on April 30^th, 2003 at Southminster Church where City staff unveiled the draft design principles, further adjustments have been made to fine-tune the report according to comments received. There was general agreement as to what the community wanted to see; a more continuous commercial building façade, second storey residential and retail development, less surface parking lots - in a word, to enhance the "Main Street" look, feel, and function of Bank Street so that it becomes more community and small-business friendly.

It’s important to underline that intensification done right means making the street and the surrounding community more vibrant, desirable, and pedestrian-friendly. It doesn’t mean, for example, off-loading parking problems on the surrounding residential streets. The existing four storey height limit for buildings will be maintained. There is a "gateway" suggestion for the intersections of Bank&Sunnyside and Bank&Riverdale which is an attempt to create key points of density in the neighborhood by allowing, not requiring, six storey development in these locations. This would come with conditions of angular planning to mitigate the sun/shade impact on abutting residents, as well as required setbacks for the fifth and six stories so the building appears more like a four storey structure.

This summer’s reconstruction of Bank Street between the bridges is set to bring us a beautified streetscape with wider sidewalks, buried hydro wires, corner bulbouts, and pedestrian level lighting. The timing is perfect for this zoning review that sets a non-prescriptive context for small-scale, pedestrian-centered, community-focussed, and mixed-use development. This is about vision, about defining what it is we love about Bank Street in Old Ottawa South, what we would like to improve, and figuring out the best way to get there. We invite you to take part in this process and make your views known to City staff before this report rises to Planning and Development Committee on June 26^th, 2003.

Clive Doucet, Capital Ward

Michael Jenkin, Chair, OSWATCH