Hello Westboro

New WCA website

westborowca — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 04:23:23 +0000

This site is no longer being monitored nor updated. Please visit the new Westboro Community Associations website shown below:

https://westborocommunityassociation.ca/

Westboro Community Association Annual General Meeting TONIGHT!

westborowca — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:23:45 +0000

November 12, 2019

7 – 9 p.m.

Churchill Seniors Centre

345 Richmond Rd, Ottawa

See you there!

WESTBORO AGM: List of speakers confirmed!

westborowca — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 00:08:41 +0000

Tuesday, November 12, 6:30 – 9:00PM

Churchill Seniors Center, 345 Richmond Road

This is an important Annual General Meeting for you to attend. We need your input!

6:30 PM doors open – membership sign-in and refreshments – cookies!
7:00 PM reports from Board of Directors
Election of new Board
Update from Michelle Groulx, Westboro BIA: find out what’s coming up for the holidays!
Update from Councillor Leiper
Presentation on infill development in the neighbourhood by Robert Sandercott and David Wise, City of Ottawa
Time for questions and answers

Come out, meet your neighbours, and discuss the issues important to our community! Become a member for $10 per year – you get to vote. Don’t want to join? Come anyway; all are welcome to share their thoughts on the issues.

Your Community Association needs you! Interested in becoming a board member? Infill development continues to grow and we need people to help with this issue. Or maybe you are interested in the environment, heritage, housing, safety, traffic or working on social events or communications. If so, contact us!

hellowestboro@yahoo.ca

cbc.ca: Westboro curling club turns to redevelopment to sweep away tax troubles

westborowca — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:07:51 +0000

Deal could see new club built at nearby park, but some neighbours wary

Matthew Kupfer · CBC News · Posted: Oct 31, 2019 8:05 AM ET | Last Updated: an hour ago

The Granite Curling Club of West Ottawa says it wants to swap land with the city to secure the club’s future with a new mixed-used development.

People who live by the curling club near Westboro station are concerned the plan would amount to a loss of park space, since the club’s replacement four-sheet facility would be built behind the current club on part of Lion’s Park.

Geoff Wilson, club treasurer, told a community meeting Wednesday it’s essential to keep the club operating continuously.

“We cannot redevelop on our existing land without tearing this down first,” he said.

“We can’t knock this thing down and wait two years to have a new structure. It’s gone, it’s game, set and match at that point in time.”

The private, non-profit club is already in a financial tight spot, needing to increase fees after a recent property tax assessment put a strain on their finances.

Their taxes jumped from $8,000 to nearly $25,000 per year.

In the club membership’s preferred option, the curling facility would be built behind the existing building and stretch into Lion’s Park.

The developer would build a high-rise commercial and residential tower that could be 25 storeys tall.

The club said it would give the city a stretch of land to the east, larger than it would be taking, for a linear park.

A drawing of the Granite Curling Club of West Ottawa’s preferred redevelopment option, which would have the club occupy part of the current Lion’s Park. (KitchissippiWard.ca)

Loretta Fleming, who lives in a nearby co-op, is worried about the encroachment on parkland.

“This is our community too. We’re residents. When they’re gone after their hour or two of curling, it’s our park,” she said.

She’s concerned about ecological and community loss of having the city turn over existing green space at the request of any private group, even a non-profit.

“It would be a precedent that parkland is up for grabs,” she said.

“I don’t think it’s a good use of space for the people who are using the park right now, which are young children,” said Talitha Nabbali.

Linear park less versatile

Greg Mathieu, chair of the Granite Club’s redevelopment committee, said the proposal would make the park space more accessible to the community since it’s blocked from Scott Street by the current curling club building.

“Our feeling is about Lion’s Park is that it’s a great community asset. We believe we’re a community asset as well as the gymnastics club,” he said.

“We think opening it up to Scott Street … is going to provide some greater community use overall.”

Paul Landry, a senior project manager in the city’s parks department, said the linear park configuration would make the land less adaptable to different recreational uses.

“Even though you can get nice pathways, sitting areas, perhaps a splash pad and things like that — it still limits the utility of the park,” Landry said.

Coun. Jeff Leiper told residents at the meeting that is also his concern, but that he hasn’t taken a position on the proposal or the unusual request to swap land with the city.

The club has not filed a development or zoning application with the city.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/granite-curling-club-redevelopment-park-1.5341520

cbc.ca: Residents eye more balance, certainty with Westboro development reboot

westborowca — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 12:29:58 +0000

Infill study could shape future of development along LRT

Matthew Kupfer · CBC News · Posted: Oct 25, 2019 6:47 AM ET | Last Updated: an hour ago

Triplexes, like this one built on Ravenhill Avenue, were already popular in Westboro, but some developers were proposing building two triplexes on a single lot before a moratorium last year. (Eric Milligan)

Today is the deadline for Westboro residents to have their say on the future of intensification in the rapidly growing neighbourhood west of Ottawa’s downtown.

City council voted in October 2018 for a moratorium on the approval of multi-unit buildings from Golden Avenue east to Tweedsmuir Avenue, and Byron Avenue south to Dovercourt Avenue.

That moratorium was extended until 2020.

Eric Milligan, who has lived in a Westboro infill home himself for the past eight years, is encouraging his neighbours to send feedback to the city about the type of development they want in their neighbourhood.

“We’d like to get it back into balance. We think it’s horribly out of balance right now,” Milligan said.

He said people understand intensification is one of the city’s objectives for the core, but that people want to protect aspects of their quality of life — especially as developers would apply to build triplexes and then seek variances to fit even more units on a lot.

“It’s having a massive impact on the character of the neighbourhood, the amount of green space that’s available on the lots, the destruction of mature trees, parking, congestion,” he said.

Milligan said he thinks provincial rule changes will also be required to rebuild trust among his neighbours for a system they see benefiting developers.

Infill will spread along LRT, councillor says

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, who put forward the motion, said so far feedback has ranged from calling for greater height allowances close to the expanding LRT line, to trying to avoid change.

Leiper said he’s glad the study asks people what they love about their neighbourhood so the city can format better zoning rules.

“The challenge is going to try to turn ‘What I love about my neighbourhood’ into new math. So we can describe it objectively and quantitatively,” he said.

The councillor said the results of the Westboro study can be a model for other neighbourhoods as LRT spreads the pressure for intensification.

“Developers are going to start eyeing neighbourhoods, like what’s around Blair Station, for the next wave of infill, so this study is probably going to give the city some new tools be able to address what the rules should be around infill,” Leiper said.

Leiper said no single study or rule change will rebuild trust for community members, but having the city define and enforce rules based on what residents want should reduce the number of fights between the neighbours and developers.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/westboro-infill-study-deadline-1.5334732

REMINDER: Westboro Infill Study Comments Due October 25

westborowca — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 13:51:25 +0000

From the City of Ottawa:

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The City has completed a Discussion Paper summarizing the issues relating to infill development within Westboro. Some of the issues covered include but are not necessarily limited to:

Existing housing and development trends within the neighbourhood;
The type, size, and location of infill development in Westboro;
Defining the neighbourhood’s character;
The development of three-unit and multi-unit buildings;
The use and function of front and rear yards.

The issues covered within the paper are not meant to be an exhaustive list. We would love to hear your input on the issues you’ve encountered with infill within the neighbourhood, as well as what you love about Westboro and want to see enhanced as the community grows.

The paper is available at the project website at this link. We would appreciate hearing any questions or comments you may have by October 25, 2019.

FCA Workshop: A New Official Plan for Ottawa

westborowca — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 13:47:01 +0000

Please see the poster below from the Federation of Citizens’ Associations of Ottawa:

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1946 Scott St.: Zoning By-law Amendment Application

westborowca — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 13:42:40 +0000

From the City of Ottawa:

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Please be advised that a Zoning By-law Amendment application has been submitted for 1946 Scott Street (File No. D02-02-19-0117). The applicant proposes the construction of a 9-storey, 48-unit residential apartment building with 14 below-grade automobile parking spaces and 52 bicycle parking spaces. The underground parking is located in the basement of the building and will be accessed from the rear of the building.

Below is a preview of the submitted site plan and perspective rendering, which will be sent in full during circulation.

Granite Curling Club will be Developed! Get the Facts!

westborowca — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 20:19:46 +0000

Councillor Leiper’s office, along with the Granite Curling Club and Morley Hoppner and Bridgeport, will be hosting a public meeting on provide details about the club’s redevelopment plans with the community. City staff in Planning and Parks and Recreation will also be available to field questions during the meeting.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

7:00-9:00 pm

The Granite Curling Club (2020 Scott St)

Yes, the Club is staying but there will be new development on the site. Although no formal development applications have been filed, this public meeting will be the first opportunity for the community to review details of the proposal and provide initial feedback. When a formal application is filed, a sign will go up on the property and a lead planner at the City of Ottawa will be assigned. Until this is done, please submit feedback about this project to Jeff.Leiper@Ottawa.ca and / or Fiona.Mitchell@Ottawa.ca.

More info here:

https://kitchissippiward.ca/content/granite-curling-club-redevelopment-community-meeting-october-30-700-900pm

Clare Gardens Park Fall Clean-Up: Saturday, October 19 @ 10:00 am

westborowca — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:29:51 +0000

Clare Gardens Park Fall Clean-Up

Saturday, October 19th, 2019

From 10:00 am till noon

(Rain date: October 20th)

It’s that time of year. The WCA and the Volunteer Gardeners of Clare Gardens Park are hosting the park’s autumn clean-up.

We’ll bring rubber gloves. We’d appreciate if you could bring a broom, a rake or a shovel, and a few yard waste bags if possible.

Hear the park news and ask questions. Tell us if you have any park-related concerns. We welcome your feedback.

Bring your families and meet your neighbours!

See you in the park!

Organized by:

The Volunteer Gardeners of Clare Gardens Park

volunteergardenersofclarepark@gmail.com

and

The Westboro Community Association

hellowestboro@yahoo.ca