DCA Meeting June 1, 2011 Minutes
DCA Board meeting, June 1, 2011
Present: Sue Stefko, David Perkins, Don McMaster, Michael Hatfield, Craig Haynes, Eric Darwin, Pamela Connolly, Michael Powell, Laura Bergen, Catherine Boucher, Charles Akben-Marchand, Karol Sjolund, Don Smith, Archie Campbell, Zsofia Orosz
Adoption of minutes of May meeting
The minutes were adopted with minor changes – moved by Eric, seconded by Mike.
Update on LRT
Matt Easton from the City provided a short update on the status of the LRT. The conversion of the core to LRT is expected to deal with the present bottleneck (50% cut in busses through downtown, including 2,000 busses off Rideau/Wellington); generate $3.2B in economic outputs. Preliminary design approval is expected in July – there is a slight change as the LRT will be at grade at Campus Station. They are conducting the final phase of the geotechnical and hydrological study. The design-build-maintain (OC-Transpo to operate) RFP will be out in October 2011 for pre-selected applicants, winning bid is to be announced in July 2012, construction to start in 2013 and service in 2018. The construction management part of the bids will go through public consultation to ensure sensitive treatment of affected communities. There will be an Open house at City Hall, in early July, where all updated designs can be viewed.
Transportation Committee
• meeting with city on Bayview Station access was very successful, pedestrian and cycling needs are to be integrated in the new design. Eric also attended a PAC meeting on all stations' design.
• Still pushing MUP for Carling, bike branch meeting on June 2, briefing PBIA, meeting with area planner. The councillor will have to ask for more funds for consultants to complete the study, so that the consultant can react to all the PAC comments.
Development Committee
• Balsam/Rochester site by Fanto – site maps (no elevations) were shared for 23 townhouses.
• Anderson/Preston - Bridgehead is moving into the building, Daryl Thomas remains and will take up the whole Preston frontage. Committee members met with the architect, reconstructions are moving along. Store will open onto Anderson, we concerns around increased traffic from freight and goods transport and people driving after picking up their coffee.
• Lebreton/Gladstone - car dealership, bylaw has been called several times for illegal parking of on empty lot. It is hoped that eventually the owner will consolidate his land pieces and sell it to a developer, as it recently happened with the Lada dealership on Norman where a large part of the block was sold to a Toronto developer of low-rise infills.
• Bay/Gloucester – Richcraft is asking for 18 (or maybe even higher) storeys, for a site originally zoned for 12. They should really apply for re-zoning rather than going to the Cte of Adjustment. We wrote to the CoA commenting on the new design and objecting that the increased height was not a minor adjustment.
• Section 37 – draft city guidelines (basically the same as Toronto's) are out, not sure when it is going to council. The DCA will have to be ready with our list of community improvements (often based on CDPs or similar processes) to help staff negotiate.
• Mid-Centretown CDP – Catherine brought to the DCA's attention that this CDP is now including DCA's area as it extends to Bronson. Changes are proposed for Catherine and Laurier Sts, mostly increased height limits. A lot of good things are in the draft report (retaining residential areas, increasing pedestrian/cycling/green spaces). However, residential is moving higher (taller buildings to be allowed) especially in the Cooper-Gloucester “apartment zone,” which would be stepping down to McLaren/Somerset. There will be a public open house on June 29 at the Museum of Nature. DCA development committee needs to discuss if there is a need to request an official meeting with the consultants. The draft plans can be found at http://midcentretown.wordpress.com/
• City review of infills – David is attending a meeting tonight.
• Devonshire PS – DCA sent a letter opposing the use of play area for parking.
• Cornerstone's open house was a great success – a wonderful addition to our neighbourhood.
Somerset reconstruction update
There is no need for new railings on the elevated section (viaduct) over the O-train, which will present savings. Underpass next to O-Train will be built in six weeks in August/September, during which the street will be closed to both directions (Breezehill-Musca Wine). From June 6 to Nov 25, Somerset will be closed to the East between Preston and Booth – Laura distributed information on detours for both cars and buses.
Liaising with CBIA, PBIA
Eric meets with them periodically. CBIA is looking for office help (about 8 hrs/week). They are also thinking of organising a night market – our Communications committee to consider if the DCA should have a table at the event.
Councillor's report
Laura reported that the Bay/Wellington bike box is to go in this year with a bike lane to continue on Wellington. This is a joint City/NCC project.
July 6 meeting
Following tradition, the July meeting is a pot-luck dinner, this year again in Eric's backyard. The role of committees will be discussed – what to do if a committee would like to put forward a motion to the board; how to handle committees with many non-board members on it; etc. Board members should indicate if they are interested in participating in a committee.
The meeting adjourned at 9:25 – moved by Catherine.
Present: Sue Stefko, David Perkins, Don McMaster, Michael Hatfield, Craig Haynes, Eric Darwin, Pamela Connolly, Michael Powell, Laura Bergen, Catherine Boucher, Charles Akben-Marchand, Karol Sjolund, Don Smith, Archie Campbell, Zsofia Orosz
Adoption of minutes of May meeting
The minutes were adopted with minor changes – moved by Eric, seconded by Mike.
Update on LRT
Matt Easton from the City provided a short update on the status of the LRT. The conversion of the core to LRT is expected to deal with the present bottleneck (50% cut in busses through downtown, including 2,000 busses off Rideau/Wellington); generate $3.2B in economic outputs. Preliminary design approval is expected in July – there is a slight change as the LRT will be at grade at Campus Station. They are conducting the final phase of the geotechnical and hydrological study. The design-build-maintain (OC-Transpo to operate) RFP will be out in October 2011 for pre-selected applicants, winning bid is to be announced in July 2012, construction to start in 2013 and service in 2018. The construction management part of the bids will go through public consultation to ensure sensitive treatment of affected communities. There will be an Open house at City Hall, in early July, where all updated designs can be viewed.
Transportation Committee
• meeting with city on Bayview Station access was very successful, pedestrian and cycling needs are to be integrated in the new design. Eric also attended a PAC meeting on all stations' design.
• Still pushing MUP for Carling, bike branch meeting on June 2, briefing PBIA, meeting with area planner. The councillor will have to ask for more funds for consultants to complete the study, so that the consultant can react to all the PAC comments.
Development Committee
• Balsam/Rochester site by Fanto – site maps (no elevations) were shared for 23 townhouses.
• Anderson/Preston - Bridgehead is moving into the building, Daryl Thomas remains and will take up the whole Preston frontage. Committee members met with the architect, reconstructions are moving along. Store will open onto Anderson, we concerns around increased traffic from freight and goods transport and people driving after picking up their coffee.
• Lebreton/Gladstone - car dealership, bylaw has been called several times for illegal parking of on empty lot. It is hoped that eventually the owner will consolidate his land pieces and sell it to a developer, as it recently happened with the Lada dealership on Norman where a large part of the block was sold to a Toronto developer of low-rise infills.
• Bay/Gloucester – Richcraft is asking for 18 (or maybe even higher) storeys, for a site originally zoned for 12. They should really apply for re-zoning rather than going to the Cte of Adjustment. We wrote to the CoA commenting on the new design and objecting that the increased height was not a minor adjustment.
• Section 37 – draft city guidelines (basically the same as Toronto's) are out, not sure when it is going to council. The DCA will have to be ready with our list of community improvements (often based on CDPs or similar processes) to help staff negotiate.
• Mid-Centretown CDP – Catherine brought to the DCA's attention that this CDP is now including DCA's area as it extends to Bronson. Changes are proposed for Catherine and Laurier Sts, mostly increased height limits. A lot of good things are in the draft report (retaining residential areas, increasing pedestrian/cycling/green spaces). However, residential is moving higher (taller buildings to be allowed) especially in the Cooper-Gloucester “apartment zone,” which would be stepping down to McLaren/Somerset. There will be a public open house on June 29 at the Museum of Nature. DCA development committee needs to discuss if there is a need to request an official meeting with the consultants. The draft plans can be found at http://midcentretown.wordpress.com/
• City review of infills – David is attending a meeting tonight.
• Devonshire PS – DCA sent a letter opposing the use of play area for parking.
• Cornerstone's open house was a great success – a wonderful addition to our neighbourhood.
Somerset reconstruction update
There is no need for new railings on the elevated section (viaduct) over the O-train, which will present savings. Underpass next to O-Train will be built in six weeks in August/September, during which the street will be closed to both directions (Breezehill-Musca Wine). From June 6 to Nov 25, Somerset will be closed to the East between Preston and Booth – Laura distributed information on detours for both cars and buses.
Liaising with CBIA, PBIA
Eric meets with them periodically. CBIA is looking for office help (about 8 hrs/week). They are also thinking of organising a night market – our Communications committee to consider if the DCA should have a table at the event.
Councillor's report
Laura reported that the Bay/Wellington bike box is to go in this year with a bike lane to continue on Wellington. This is a joint City/NCC project.
July 6 meeting
Following tradition, the July meeting is a pot-luck dinner, this year again in Eric's backyard. The role of committees will be discussed – what to do if a committee would like to put forward a motion to the board; how to handle committees with many non-board members on it; etc. Board members should indicate if they are interested in participating in a committee.
The meeting adjourned at 9:25 – moved by Catherine.
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