Dalhousie Community Association

This message is sent on behalf of Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer, National Capital Commission. Mr. Eric Darwin President Dalhousie Community Association E-mail: EricDarwin1@gmail.com Dear Mr. Darwin: Thank you for your correspondence of November 9, 2009, in which you express the concerns of your Association on the possibility of having an intermodal rapid transit station located at Bayview, as part of the Rapibus Transit initiative. As you are probably aware, the NCC is leading the ongoing joint Interprovincial Transit Integration Strategic Planning Study. This joint study aims to recommend the most suitable and feasible strategies for seamless and efficient integration of interprovincial transit and is examining a number of routing options as an effective means of improving interprovincial transit as well as various infrastructure options to accommodate growth in transportation and transit demand. These different infrastructure options are based on the assumpti...

The DCA is proud to be supporting the addition of supportive women's housing units at the Cornerstone Project, to be constructed starting in March 2010 on Booth St corner of Eccles, site of the old Loeb grocery store. Councilor Holmes, Royal Galipeau MP, Jim Watson, MPP, Sue Garvey of Cornerstone, Yasir Naqvi MP. Present but not in the picture: Clive Doucet, Mayor OBrien, Grace Xin (Chinatown BIA), about 60 volunteers and friends that turned out to get the project launched. Thanks to the hosts, Somerset West Community Health Centre. Royal Galipeau and Sue Garvey with the Olympic Flame that made a surprise visit to the launch. Yasir Naqvi, Diane Holmes, Anthony Leaning architect, Sue Garvey of Cornerstone, Eric Darwin representing the DCA

The new green bin recycling program for organic waste starts in January. Now is the time to start loading it up with food scraps, peelings, etc. This video tells you more... http://bit.ly/8drPrk

DCA Meeting and Christmas Dinner December 2, 2009 Location: Vietnamese Palace Present: Charles Akben-Marchand, Michael Hatfield, Ida Henderson, Eric Darwin, Craig S. Haynes, Doug Gableman, Ann Cavlovic, David Seaborn, Jessica Sellars, Maija Kagis, Zsofia Orosz Guests: Diane Holmes, Laura Bergen, Lori Mellor, Grace Xim, Max Ross, Ron Clarke, Carol Sissons Somerset Street reconstruction Max Ross of the City (Infrastructure services) and Ron Clarke of Delcan presented the process for the upcoming reconstruction (roads, sewers, water) of Somerset. This is the continuation of the reconstruction started on Wellington from Island Park, stage 3 will be in 2010 Spadina-Preston, stage 4, Preston-Booth in 2011. For the proposed planning and consultation process see attached document. A number of issues were highlighted by DCA members during the review of the street plan present. These included expansion of pavement on over the O-Train, bike lane marking, inclusion in the East-West ...

THE DALHOUSIE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 755 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6R1 2 December 2009 Lorraine Stevens Planning and Growth Management Department City of Ottawa Dear Ms. Stevens, Re: Site Plan Control – 314 Booth Street (File D07-12-09-0192) We have reviewed the drawings circulated and have the following comments Parking Lot There are no improvements indicated for this piece of the project which contains the required parking for the new building at 314 Booth Street. However we understand that the Committee of Adjustment’s decision on the minor variances required for this project required that this parking lot also be subject to site plan control. This parking lot is an eyesore. Although there are 5 modest trees in the boulevard along Booth, the battered chain link fencing enclosing the lot provides no screening along Booth and the lot is wide open along Eccles. We recommend that: • A tree be planted south of stall(HC) #1 • That the driveway cut i...

THE DALHOUSIE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 755 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6R1 4 December 2009 Kalle Hakala Planning and Growth Management Department City of Ottawa Dear Sir, Re: Demolition Control – 358 Arlington Avenue (File D07-05-09-0008) We are strongly opposed to the demolition of residential buildings without constructing replacement residential units. We are unaware of any good planning circumstances at this address that would make demolition a benefit to the neighbourhood. To the contrary, a vacant lot will: • have a negative effect on the cohesiveness of the neighbourhood and streetscape, • constitute a loss of much needed affordable housing, • be contrary to the OP requirement for intensification, and • allow the disruption caused by the truck deliveries at the adjacent restaurant, to extend further into the neighbourhood to the west. Demolition should not occur until a building permit is issued for replacement housing. Yours truly, Eri...

The DCA participates in the City's clean up days. Our focus is usually around the Dal Community Centre at Empress/Somerset, including the stair-streets over Nanny Goat Hill. A number of participants commented on how many pedestrians, dog-walkers, and passers-by thanked them for the tidy up efforts. Participants included Linda, Archie, Eric, Ida, Craig (the event organizer), Yasir, Jeannine, Maija... (let me know if I missed any names and I'll add them...). Shown below is Yasir Naqvi, MPP, and a resident with their booty. Volunteers sported fashionable work gloves supplied by the City .

DCA Agenda Dec 2, 2009, 6.15pm at Vietnam Palace restaurant on Somerset between Booth and Rochester. First 45 minutes on the agenda; then dinner (pay your own way or split with immediate table mates). Minutes – approve November minutes Communication 1. Timeliness of web presence Guest – Ron Clark, Delcan (to be confirmed) Somerset between Preston and the OTrain is to be reconstructed in 2010. The City wants to set up a stakeholders group. Here are some of the key issues to be considered: • Leave Somerset 4 lanes at the intersection or make it 3 lanes as was done on Preston and West Wellington this year? • Location of bus stop by May’s restaurant (NW corner of Preston) • Extending the short bike lane now at the crest of the hill • Décor, look and feel: like the new Preston? Like Somerset West of OTrain? Like the new Somerset east of the intersection (scheduled for rebuilding in 2011)? • East meets west: Piazza Marco Polo? Transportation 1. CCC (Ida) 2. DOTT...