Last evening (Jan 27, 2010) there was a meeting of Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA) to discuss the proposed expansion of the OC Transpo bus garage on Industrial Avenue that is currently under construction. There are many concerns about this development (pollution, noise and congestion) that have never been adequately discussed with the community.
At last night’s meeting members of the community were given the opportunity to air their concerns and to call for action. The meeting was well attended and the event was included in CTV’s 11:30 pm local newscast. Unfortunately there was not a single representative from the city, OC Transpo or city council in attendance.
RPCA was informed that Councillor Peter Hume had a previous engagement and was unable to attend. This is understandable but it is also unfortunate that Hume did not ask RPCA to reschedule the meeting to a date when he could attend and hear first hand the concerns of residents in his ward.
RPCA was also notified that The City official who had planned to come tonight is unavailable due to an illness in the family. It is unfortunate that attendance was not delegated to another member of city staff.
There was not a single representative from OC Transpo in attendance; this is shameful.
The meeting produced a number of recommendations and observations that will now be presented by members of RPCA’s executive to a smaller group from the city including, Councillor Hume, and OC Transpo.
The new bus garage has been a major issue for debate at city hall this week, with OC Transpo requesting an additional $17M to complete the project, a grand total of $97M. Some councillors are asking for a review of the entire project and for OC Transpo’s operations in general. Nancy Schepers, the deputy city manager in charge of transit, has admitted there have been some problems with the management of the construction of the garage.
In light of all this, the community’s concerns are clearly justified and need to be heard.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Is Hume the man to watch?
Following is the text from a letter to the editor I wrote to the Ottawa Citizen last weekend. As they chose not to publish, I decided it was worth posting here.
In his article in the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday January 23, 2010 (Hume is the man to watch) Randall Denley suggests that Councillor Peter Hume would make an excellent mayoral candidate in the coming municipal election. Some of the observations Denley makes about Hume are questionable and ignore problematic aspects of his performance.
Like most politicians one of Hume’s attributes includes a more than adequate share of arrogance and he tends to punish those who disagree with him; including members of the local community. This is not a quality seen in visionaries but it is a quality that makes bad managers. We have already seen arrogance in abundance from the present occupant of the mayor’s chair and it is not something we need to see repeated any time soon.
In action, Hume sits on the fence over many issues, and eventually often votes against the wishes of people in his ward and he often reneges on agreements previously made with fellow Councillors. Issues that come to mind include the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC), the negotiated agreement with the Lansdowne Live group and currently, his response to Riverview Park residents in Ward 18 over their concerns about plans to expand the new OC Transpo Bus Garage on Industrial Avenue.
Hume’s performance on the rejuvenation of Lansdowne Park is far from the good example of how he operates that Denley suggests. The design competition he is currently endorsing is a far cry from the international design competition he originally supported in cooperation with Councillor Clive Doucet and others. His reversal on this issue during the final stages of city council’s debate has all but eliminated the possibility of alternative viable proponents coming forward.
At a recent open house in Riverview Park that offered a long overdue opportunity for the community to comment on the OC Transpo bus garage expansion it appeared that Councillor Hume was more interested in mediation - providing other facilities/services in the neighborhood - than in mitigating possible damage to residents’ quality of life and home values from noise and pollution. Residents are so concerned about this expansion that they are holding an extraordinary meeting of the community association tonight. They have invited members of city staff and OC Transpo. Councillor Hume has indicated he will not be able to attend.
Many people in the communitywould be quite pleased if Hume was to put his name forward for mayor, not because they hope he will be successful, but rather to improve the odds for new viable candidates to run in Ward 18. Hume has represented this Ward for far too long.
In his article in the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday January 23, 2010 (Hume is the man to watch) Randall Denley suggests that Councillor Peter Hume would make an excellent mayoral candidate in the coming municipal election. Some of the observations Denley makes about Hume are questionable and ignore problematic aspects of his performance.
Like most politicians one of Hume’s attributes includes a more than adequate share of arrogance and he tends to punish those who disagree with him; including members of the local community. This is not a quality seen in visionaries but it is a quality that makes bad managers. We have already seen arrogance in abundance from the present occupant of the mayor’s chair and it is not something we need to see repeated any time soon.
In action, Hume sits on the fence over many issues, and eventually often votes against the wishes of people in his ward and he often reneges on agreements previously made with fellow Councillors. Issues that come to mind include the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC), the negotiated agreement with the Lansdowne Live group and currently, his response to Riverview Park residents in Ward 18 over their concerns about plans to expand the new OC Transpo Bus Garage on Industrial Avenue.
Hume’s performance on the rejuvenation of Lansdowne Park is far from the good example of how he operates that Denley suggests. The design competition he is currently endorsing is a far cry from the international design competition he originally supported in cooperation with Councillor Clive Doucet and others. His reversal on this issue during the final stages of city council’s debate has all but eliminated the possibility of alternative viable proponents coming forward.
At a recent open house in Riverview Park that offered a long overdue opportunity for the community to comment on the OC Transpo bus garage expansion it appeared that Councillor Hume was more interested in mediation - providing other facilities/services in the neighborhood - than in mitigating possible damage to residents’ quality of life and home values from noise and pollution. Residents are so concerned about this expansion that they are holding an extraordinary meeting of the community association tonight. They have invited members of city staff and OC Transpo. Councillor Hume has indicated he will not be able to attend.
Many people in the communitywould be quite pleased if Hume was to put his name forward for mayor, not because they hope he will be successful, but rather to improve the odds for new viable candidates to run in Ward 18. Hume has represented this Ward for far too long.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Plasco/City of Ottawa Contract needs a rethink
Randall Denley is rightly critical of current city plans for garbage disposal and recycling (Garbage disposal plans need to be sorted out, Randall Denley, Ottawa citizen, Jan 17, 2010). Adding to Denley’s comments I have some further concerns. Testing of the Plasco system undertaken so far at the Trail Road site has involved incineration of pre-green-bin recycling garbage. This includes a large percentage of biodegradable waste with relatively high water content. Post green-bin recycling garbage incineration will therefore have a significantly different mix with a potentially larger concentration of toxic materials.
There are some unknown factors that need to be answered before any long-term contract is signed with Plasco. Further tests need to de conducted to determine the incineration efficiency of the new garbage mix as well as measurement of smoke stack effluents for dioxins and other toxic emissions.
There are some unknown factors that need to be answered before any long-term contract is signed with Plasco. Further tests need to de conducted to determine the incineration efficiency of the new garbage mix as well as measurement of smoke stack effluents for dioxins and other toxic emissions.
Friday, January 15, 2010
City handling of public consultations on development projects is less than fair
On January 11, 2009, along with a number of Riverview Park residents and people from outside the community, I attended an open house to review and respond to an amended environmental assessment that will facilitate expansion to the OC Transpo Garage that is currently under construction on Industrial Avenue.
The site currently under construction will accommodate some 145 or more articulated buses and the planned expansion is to provide parking space for an additional 80 buses. The first phase of the project is now well advanced and a new garage facility is projected to start operations this fall.
The open house specifically addressed the expansion but many of the Riverview Park residents attending were quite surprised to learn about the size and the potential impact of the facility that is currently approved and under construction.
People expressed concern about potential noise and air pollution. Heavy bus traffic along Industrial Avenue at certain hours is also a concern as well as the number of busses idling for long periods before going into service.
Councillor Peter Hume sent out community invitations to this event, but apparently many residents living closest to the new facility did not receive them. Councillor Hume was in attendance. There were a number of OC Transpo representatives and City consultants present to address specialized concerns - noise levels, pollution levels, architecture, etc. These people went to some length in describing the detailed analysis they had performed and the measures that will be introduced to mitigate undesirable effects.
One factor revealed by the consultants is that the planned facility meets all provincially mandated standards for an industrial facility. The problem is that this “industrial facility” is immediately adjacent to a large residential community. The community will likely be seriously affected by the facility in many ways and the city does not seem inclined to do much more to mitigate them. Rather, it appeared that the City (Councillor Hume at least) is more interested in mediation – providing other facilities/services in the neighborhood (sidewalks etc.) that will do nothing to mitigate damage to residents’ quality of life and home values from noise and pollution.
Information on the project was presented on storyboards but there were no handouts to take away, the information is not immediately available on-line, and the unrealistic timeline for submitting comments (January 29, 2010) was not clearly identified. Fortunately, Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA) was able to obtain electronic copies of the storyboards from the consultants after the meeting. Time is of the essence for this project and OC Transpo wants to move on quickly and damn the torpedoes.
OC Transpo did not invite anyone from the consulting group doing an environmental assessment for the proposed Cumberland Bus Transit-way to the open house. This is disturbing as the preferred route for the transit-way encroaches on the bus garage expansion being planned. Neither have they held proactive meetings with RPCA or communicated with them throughout the process?
It has taken nearly 8 months for this open house to be arranged. The consultation process is reminiscent of that used for Lansdowne Live. It is interesting to contrast this to the speed with which Councillor Hume moved when it was learned that a site for parole office was being considered on Industrial Avenue.
Many residents left the open house feeling less than happy and are unsure of the next step. Fortunately RPCA was well represented at the open house and they are following up aggressively on a number of issues.
Questions beyond specifics of the site that need to be answered include:
- How was this proposed garage presented to the public in the first place?
- What of the specifics of bus ingress and egress to/from the OC Transpo site?
- Why is the process for consulting with local stakeholders not more proactive?
- Why was a site with close proximity to an established residential area selected (the existing OC - Transpo Garage and St. Laurent is located in an area that is exclusively industrial)?
- Is any OC Transpo follow-up with members of the Riverview Park community planned?
The site currently under construction will accommodate some 145 or more articulated buses and the planned expansion is to provide parking space for an additional 80 buses. The first phase of the project is now well advanced and a new garage facility is projected to start operations this fall.
The open house specifically addressed the expansion but many of the Riverview Park residents attending were quite surprised to learn about the size and the potential impact of the facility that is currently approved and under construction.
People expressed concern about potential noise and air pollution. Heavy bus traffic along Industrial Avenue at certain hours is also a concern as well as the number of busses idling for long periods before going into service.
Councillor Peter Hume sent out community invitations to this event, but apparently many residents living closest to the new facility did not receive them. Councillor Hume was in attendance. There were a number of OC Transpo representatives and City consultants present to address specialized concerns - noise levels, pollution levels, architecture, etc. These people went to some length in describing the detailed analysis they had performed and the measures that will be introduced to mitigate undesirable effects.
One factor revealed by the consultants is that the planned facility meets all provincially mandated standards for an industrial facility. The problem is that this “industrial facility” is immediately adjacent to a large residential community. The community will likely be seriously affected by the facility in many ways and the city does not seem inclined to do much more to mitigate them. Rather, it appeared that the City (Councillor Hume at least) is more interested in mediation – providing other facilities/services in the neighborhood (sidewalks etc.) that will do nothing to mitigate damage to residents’ quality of life and home values from noise and pollution.
Information on the project was presented on storyboards but there were no handouts to take away, the information is not immediately available on-line, and the unrealistic timeline for submitting comments (January 29, 2010) was not clearly identified. Fortunately, Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA) was able to obtain electronic copies of the storyboards from the consultants after the meeting. Time is of the essence for this project and OC Transpo wants to move on quickly and damn the torpedoes.
OC Transpo did not invite anyone from the consulting group doing an environmental assessment for the proposed Cumberland Bus Transit-way to the open house. This is disturbing as the preferred route for the transit-way encroaches on the bus garage expansion being planned. Neither have they held proactive meetings with RPCA or communicated with them throughout the process?
It has taken nearly 8 months for this open house to be arranged. The consultation process is reminiscent of that used for Lansdowne Live. It is interesting to contrast this to the speed with which Councillor Hume moved when it was learned that a site for parole office was being considered on Industrial Avenue.
Many residents left the open house feeling less than happy and are unsure of the next step. Fortunately RPCA was well represented at the open house and they are following up aggressively on a number of issues.
Questions beyond specifics of the site that need to be answered include:
- How was this proposed garage presented to the public in the first place?
- What of the specifics of bus ingress and egress to/from the OC Transpo site?
- Why is the process for consulting with local stakeholders not more proactive?
- Why was a site with close proximity to an established residential area selected (the existing OC - Transpo Garage and St. Laurent is located in an area that is exclusively industrial)?
- Is any OC Transpo follow-up with members of the Riverview Park community planned?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A token democracy
One of the catch phrases used to define democracy in our society is "government for the people of the people by the people." In Canada, the only time citizens get to make government accountable appears to be during an election. By proroguing parliament Prime Minister Harper has once again protected himself from being accountable to parliament for his decisions, and for those of his government.
This is the second time within a 12 month period that Harper has halted the normal process of parliament: the first time, to protect his minority government from a confidence vote that they would likely loose; the second time, to stop debate on questionable actions taken by his government that are being challenged by the opposition.
His publicly stated reason for proroguing parliament - to enable his government to concentrate on the next phase of the economic recovery - is a complete sham. It suggests that each and every time the PM needs to prepare new strategic plans, he will suspend day-to-day accountability of himself and his government to parliament and hence to the public.
By taking this decision over a holiday period and with the house in recess Harper hopes that public response will be muted and that the public will largely have forgotten about it once parliament resumes in March.
This is an issue that needs to be kept in the public eye. Democracy is not being well served by Harper?s actions. He and his government must be called to account.
This is the second time within a 12 month period that Harper has halted the normal process of parliament: the first time, to protect his minority government from a confidence vote that they would likely loose; the second time, to stop debate on questionable actions taken by his government that are being challenged by the opposition.
His publicly stated reason for proroguing parliament - to enable his government to concentrate on the next phase of the economic recovery - is a complete sham. It suggests that each and every time the PM needs to prepare new strategic plans, he will suspend day-to-day accountability of himself and his government to parliament and hence to the public.
By taking this decision over a holiday period and with the house in recess Harper hopes that public response will be muted and that the public will largely have forgotten about it once parliament resumes in March.
This is an issue that needs to be kept in the public eye. Democracy is not being well served by Harper?s actions. He and his government must be called to account.
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