Letter to the Ottawa Citizen

A Riverview Park resident sent this letter to the editor.  It appears in today's paper.  The on-line edition also incorporates a video http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/todays-paper/pave+backyard+yours/4388778/story.html.  There is also an interesting post on the Spacing Ottawa blog site by another Riverview Park resident http://spacingottawa.ca/2011/03/04/back-to-the-60s-council-votes-on-retro-road-for-southeast-commuters/. 

Don't pave my backyard, or yours

The question of what will happen in the Alta Vista Corridor has been a hotly debated topic at the city level over the last 10 years. Because of strong opposition from city residents, Ottawa city council promised several years ago that the old-style 1950's plan to build a commuter highway through the middle of residential Alta Vista would be permanently shelved. Apparently this is not so, because once again we are discussing road-building in the AVC.


A $55M price tag for a 1.2 km stretch of roadway is absurd if the only goal is to make a better connection between Riverside and the Ottawa Hospital General Campus. There are two existing connections (at Industrial and at Smyth) which are only three city blocks apart on Alta Vista. The connection between Riverside and Smyth could be upgraded, with traffic directed north at the intersection of Smyth and Alta Vista - then a much less expensive connecting road from Alta Vista to the hospital ring road could be constructed through the NDMC lands. This solution would re-route traffic past office buildings, rather than residential properties, and would still make an efficient bus and car connection to the hospitals.

Unfortunately, the proposed $55M link seems to be a back-door way to begin construction on an Alta Vista Parkway - something the city promised that it would not do. The charges of NIMBY-ism are misplaced. The group opposing the construction of a commuter highway through residential neighbourhoods definitely doesn't want a highway in their backyards - but they don't want one in your backyard either (or the side, or the front). People who live in city center neighbourhoods have chosen to pay a premium to live in smaller houses closer to their work and other amenities, so they don't have to drive their cars everywhere. People who live farther from the city center need to get to work, but they don't need to drive there one by one in their cars. The city says it values a clean urban environment, and that it wants to grow in a green way, with transit, cyclists and pedestrians first - let them show that by the decisions that they take with the AVC.

Let's not pave over anyone's backyard.

John and Sheila Bell

If your not an incumbent give up hope

In the last week of the 2010 Ottawa municipal election campaign the Ottawa Citizen is releasing a series of editorial pieces identifying their choices for council in the various wards across the city. If their choices continue to favour incumbent councillors for re-election, as they have today (October 18) then newcomers don’t stand a chance and change in Ottawa will never happen.

 

 In almost every case the Citizen cites lack of experience as the main reasons for rejecting newcomers, even though in some cases they have some new ideas. If we don’t vote some of the newcomers in how will they ever gain experience and how will we ever see any improvement in the way council behaves and performs?

 

 The Citizen accuses candidate Clinton Cowan of talking in platitudes. This is interesting because Hume’s campaign is almost entirely based on platitudes. In an October 5 press release Hume claims that he has created a comprehensive development program to position Ottawa as a world class city:

• Firstly he wants to “pre-zone” areas to introduce fixed height restrictions. It is surprising that he has been chair of planning and environment committee for so long and is only now suggesting that changes are needed.
• Secondly he says that Ottawa has the potential to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing capitals in the world if the planning process is overhauled. Has Hume seen some of the strip mall and big box mall development that is taking place on every open space and suburban development across the city; development approved by planning committee under his watch? How can Hume miss the fact that Ottawa is one eyesore after another for miles along Carling, Richmond and Baseline? Now he wants yet another eyesore on the canal at Lansdowne Park.
• Hume picks up on one of Larry O’Brien’s ideas, citing Sparks Street as an example of poor development in the city centre. Existing and past municipal councils, of which Hume has been a member, have failed to communicate effectively with senior levels of government on this and other issues for years and years. Why should voters believe him now?
• Hume quotes urban designer George Dark’s praising of Hume’s planning initiatives. Interestingly, Dark is being paid by the city for work he is performing on Hume’s portfolio. No wonder he sings Hume’s praises!

As a resident of Ward 18 (Alta Vista/Canterbury/Riverview) I was particularly incensed by the Citizen’s rationale for supporting Peter Hume. I happen to support one of Hume’s opponents, but for the first time ever all of the three candidates opposing Hume are viable and have good platforms. The only thing any of them lack is the level of financial contribution needed to mount a large campaign. This is no problem for Hume, having a war chest from past campaigns – a war chest built largely by the developer community.

 

Cowan is right in saying that troublesome areas have crept into the culture at city hall; the power of special interest groups; and the failure of councillors to consult the community regarding past developments. “People now feel that special interest groups have hijacked our seat at council and at the Planning and Environment Committee….” says Cowan.

 

The Citizen editorial writer cites the televised debate on Rogers. My recollection of the debate is that Hume blustered and interrupted at every opportunity, attempting to put his opponents off-base. Any credibility Hume may have had before that debate, which was zero to precious little, completely evaporated and left him looking like the small, aggressive bully he is.

 

Had the writer attended the all-candidate event hosted by Riverview Park Community Association last week in Ward 18 he/she would have seen a high level of enthusiasm for Hume’s opponents and Hume’s handling of questions from the Riverview Park community was pitifully off-base.

It’s not only the infrastructure that needs an overhaul

Re; One-time suburb needs infrastructure overhaul, Louisa Taylor, The Ottawa Citizen, October 15, 2010.


While the three candidates opposing Peter Hume for councillor in Ward 18 have different platforms they all agree on one point, along with an increasingly large number of residents. After 19 years with Hume at the helm, it’s time for a representative on council who cares for and respects Ward 18 and it’s residents.

Candidate Clinton Cowan says that “After 19 years, the position of councillor has changed to ward boss rather than city employee….Hume doesn’t respect the wishes of the community.” Hume says these accusations are “patently untrue” and points to the long list of endorsements he has received from residents as proof that’s not the prevailing view on the street.

Hume goes on to say “Ask the people who live near the proposed new bus garage, for example, and they’ll tell you I’m there for them.” But it wasn’t quite like this on the ground. The first time the community really had an opportunity to state its concerns over this garage occurred early this year when an open house was organized to inform people about plans to expand the “proposed” bus garage, when construction was already at an advanced stage.

Concerns were raised forcefully by members of Riverview Park Community Association as well as the local residents Hume refers to. At this time Hume was not too accepting of the communities concern, preferring instead to identify mediation steps that did little to address residents’ concerns directly.

As it turned out, residents were far from satisfied by these offsetting benefits and Hume and the city have now had to take additional measures in order to minimize the negative impact that the “garage mahal” will have on the community. These new measures have not come without significant cost to the taxpayer and will not be in place for some time. Details of the land swap arrangement between the Ottawa Train Yards landowner and the city have not been made public other than to indicate that the deal also involved transfer of a substantial sum of money to the developer.

The developer seems to have benefited from this negotiation two ways: firstly, the contiguous area of land resulting from the exchange will make it easier for Ottawa Train Yards to expand this already large shopping mall; and secondly the owner has new cash in the bank besides.

Despite his claims to the contrary, some of Hume’s votes on council have been against the interests of many of his ward residents but clearly in the interests of developers; for example his endorsement of the Alta vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC) and his abandonment of the international design competition to redevelop Lansdowne Park.

As Clinton Cowan says, “It’s time for a Fresh Start.”

A well attended all candidates event in Riverview Park

At last evening’s all-candidates meeting hosted by Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA) four candidates running for councillor in Ward 18 were in attendance (Clinton Cowan, Kevin Hogan, Peter Hume and Ernie Lauzon). Six candidates running for mayor also attended (Clive Doucet, Cesar Bello, Andy Haydon, Mike Maguire, Charlie Taylor and Jim Watson). All 20 were invited.

Each candidate was given five minutes to present their platform and the there was a short question and answer period. All three opponents to incumbent councillor Peter Hume did a convincing job, persuading people that changes are needed at city hall and in Ward 18 in particular.

Some of the audience questions directed a Hume asked for clarification on council decisions he has made in connection with development plans that affect Riverview Park residents. The first questioner received a weak response from Hume. In fact he failed to answer the question at all. The detailed question asked:

“The TrainYards complex provides only uncertain and low paying jobs to residents of Ottawa and increases traffic, yet again, on Industrial Ave, not the sort of conditions that will encourage people to settle in the community to help it be a safe and beautiful place to raise a family.

“Could you explain to me what the benefit is, to Riverview Park and indeed to the city of Ottawa, of the still-growing TrainYards big-box store complex when it serves to dilute business from downtown and the Byward Market, 10minutes away, from one of the oldest and most established shopping centres in Ottawa, St Laurent Shopping Centre, which is just around the corner, and from other shopping close by in the area: Alta Vista Plaza and Elmvale Acres.”

In response Hume indicated that we (council) were unable to negotiate an entirely satisfactory commitment from the developer to a multi-used industrial/business/retail area that would provide employment and retail opportunities. He suggested that instead they tried to make the shopping complex more community friendly. Clearly Hume, his committee and council friends as well as his developer friends failed badly here. Not only is the complex not community friendly it’s not even shopper friendly when you need a car to go from one store to another. Hume never did address the question of benefits to Riverview Park or any of the other issues raised by the questioner.

Unfortunately there was no time for a rebuttal to Hume’s statements by his opponents. However candidate Clinton Cowan is already on record, stating “How else can one explain how a Walmart and a large-box store development has ended up in our ward, ten minutes from downtown? This is a dagger in the hearts of our locally owned businesses! If this is an example of high quality development then we must ask whether we have let our guard down or was the backdoor left open?”

A very convenient arrangement!

Interesting that an issue of Hume News from Councillor Peter Hume inviting residents of Ward 18 to his annual Riverview corn Roast should arrive in the mail, right in the middle of the 2010 municipal election campain. 

I sincerely hope that this will not be used as an opportunity to promote his platform for office, at taxpayers' and the community's expense.

Live and let live

Councillor Peter Hume's Riverview Community Update - July 2010 attempts to tackle the "problem" of crows roosting in urban areas. I believe his article is a response to an open letter from a local resident that is posted on the Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA) web site.

The original letter makes a number of claims relating to problems presented by the crow population in Riverview Park. among these are the menace to health, property damage, noise, bird feeders, their affect on the rest of the bird population and the threat to air ambulances flying into the Ottawa General hospital. Unfortunately most of these claims are inaccurate and misguided.

I question that crows are a menace to the health of the community, actually the presence of a healthy crow population in the area is a good sign. These birds are scavengers that help control the local rodent population.

I have never seen crows pecking gravel off roof shingles as this letter writer claims. However, I have seen squirrels do extensive damage to the trees in my backyard by denuding branched of leaves, causing the limbs to die. They also invade bird feeders much more commonly than crows do. Potential property damage from bird droppings is largely caused by pigeons, and pigeons tend to stay around the neighborhood all day in pursuit of food.

The loud noise periods from crows are at sunrise when they assemble for their daytime excursions and sunset when they return to roost. The noise they make as individual birds is no different to that presented by other predatory birds like bluejays or gulls. Crows are fascinating social animals and they are very interesting to watch. It is particularly fascinating to watch the way they raise and protect their young.

Sitting in our backyard on a summer day used to feel like being in a peaceful oasis; this is no longer the case. Over the 13 years that we have lived on the north side of the General Campus, a significant increase in noise levels has resulted from ongoing development of the Ottawa Hospital Lands; not only from construction but also from the increased ambient noise levels resulting from the expansion. This can only get worse if the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC) is developed. It will also further threaten the crow and other wildlife populations as a large number of trees will likely be removed.

I have seldom seen songbirds scared away by crows. Other wildlife in the area, such as squirrels and pigeons, are far more intrusive and destructive to local gardens and bird feeders.

Regarding the air ambulance problem, it is unfortunate that the helcopter landing site is located in a very restricted area that is encompassed by hospital buildings and colse trees. It might be better if the helipad was located slightly away from the hospital complex as it is on the Civic Campus site.

Member of city staff and OC Transpo missing

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.