OSCA President’s Report

By John Graham

Patty’s Pub

n my last month’s column, I noted that Patty’s Pub had submitted an application to the City’s Committee of Adjustment for a minor variance to allow them to establish a 78-seat patio in the front half of the adjacent parking lot on the north side of their building. Readers will recall that the Pub has a licence from the Ontario Alcohol and Gaming Commission for a 90-seat patio granted last summer after a public hearing where a number of residents opposed the application. This licence – with restrictions prohibiting live entertainment and music and on late openings – was contingent on the owner obtaining permission from the city to open the patio.

After listening to the applicant’s lawyer, the Committee of Adjustment heard from three dissenting speakers: OSCA’s Michael Jenkin, followed by Helen Beck, who spoke on behalf of the neighbours, and finally, Councillor Clive Doucet. Following a short conference with his colleagues, the chair announced that his committee was postponing consideration of the application indefinitely. He asked the applicant to look for ways to reduce significantly the size of the patio and to examine options for assuring effective noise abatement. In doing so, the applicant, according to the chair, should work with the residents to seek mutually agreeable solutions. Only then, could the applicant re-submit his proposal. In that the application was not rejected, the applicant cannot appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board.

This outcome strikes us as fair to both parties. Michael offered the services of OSCA’s land use committee, OSWATCH, as a possible mediator. I will report on further developments in the fall.

Tim Horton’s and the Strand Theatre

We have received formal notification from the city of an application from the Tim Horton franchisee in Ontario to demolish the Strand Theatre on Bank Street and construct a retail shop. The deadline for comments is Sept. 3 but OSCA has asked for an extension of at least two weeks in order to allow for a more detailed examination of the proposal and site plan. A preliminary examination of the site plan reveals the following:

• The proposal calls for the construction of a one storey retail outlet on the north third of the lot (the adjoining properties are the south parking lot of the Fresh Fruit Company to the north and the Penzoil Oil Change Garage to the south).
• The store would front directly on the sidewalk with seating capacity for 40 customers and no drive through.
• There would be a laneway to the north of the store to access a garbage storage facility at the rear of the property.
• About two thirds of the site facing Bank would be a parking lot with a two lane entry from Bank. This lot would have a capacity for 21 cars.
• A wooden fence 1.8 metres high would be constructed along the rear of the property.
• Landscaping (beds of bushes and sod) would be carried out along the rear of the site and along the southern border.

From our preliminary review of the site plan, it is not clear whether there are any zoning issues to deal with. Leaving these aside, OSWATCH will likely comment on the landscaping, the architectural character of the store front and traffic flows. Those residents wishing to make comments or wanting more information should contact OSCA’s executive director Deirdre McQuillan, at 247-4872 or by e-mail at osca@cyberus.ca.

OSCA Needs You

Every year about a third of OSCA’s 20-person board decide to move on and, therefore, an important aspect of the early fall period is to attract new ‘blood’ to rejuvenate the organization. At its June meeting, the OSCA Board established a nominating com-mittee, consisting of myself, Michael Jenkins, Jane Allain and Peggi McNeil to manage this re-juvenation exercise. Consequently, we would like to hear from Old Ottawa South residents interested in volunteering their time, either as members of the board or one of its committees. But this begs the question – what does OSCA really do?

The OSCA mission is a broad one: to enhance the quality of life of the Old Ottawa South Community, bounded by the Rideau Canal to the north, Bronson Avenue to the west, the Rideau River to the south and Main Street to the east and consisting of some 7,500 people. To accomplish its mission, OSCA undertakes three basic activities: first, it publishes a community newspaper, the OSCAR; second, it advocates on behalf of the community on a wide range of issues (see above for examples); and third, it operates in partnership with the city of Ottawa a number of recreational and education programs. The board’s role differs in each of these areas, so some elaboration is called for.

Begun over two decades ago, the OSCAR aims to be a vital, community-based newspaper providing a forum for the community expression. It is self-supporting, relying on advertising revenues to cover all operating costs. Moreover, it operates at ‘arms-length’ from the board of OSCA. OSCA approves its annual plan, which includes a slate of officers, their remuneration, a budget and a statement of assets and liabilities. But editorial policy as well as the day-to-day management and operation of the paper is the responsibility of the editor, Norma Reveler, and her staff. In short, OSCA acts vis-à-vis the OSCAR as a policy board and consequently, spends very little time during its monthly meetings focusing on the Review.

At the other end of the spectrum is OSCA’s advocacy role, which encompasses a wide range of issues. These include land use (the proposal for a patio for Patty’s Pub is a good example), traffic (vehicle speed on Riverdale, the proposed Alta Vista Transportation Corridor and increasing congestion of Bronson are major ongoing concerns), the maintenance of city streets (the rebuilding of Bank Street will be the next major concern), and environ-mental issues (often concerning the two parks, Winsor and Brewer). This set of issues usually dominates our monthly meetings. Moreover, given that OSCA has only one part- time staff person, executive director Deirdre McQuillan, board members not only set policy in these areas but also they do most of the work required, usually through four standing committees – OSWATCH, which deals with the land use concerns; ECOS, which focuses on environmental issues; the External Relations Committee, which is our major link, among other things, to other community groups throughout the city; and the Firehall Redevelopment Committee, whose mission is to manage the process of revitalizing the existing firehall.

Perhaps the role that is most visible to the community is the mounting of recreational programs aimed at the community residents throughout the year. And what variety! Our mainstay over the years has been programming for preschool and children in elementary grades through playgroups, after four programs, summer camps and sports such as tennis, soccer and baseball. For adults, we offer fitness courses, dog obedience, dance programs, garden clubs, walking groups, pottery and a number of sports activities, among others.

Several factors underpin OSCA’s ongoing effectiveness in this area.  Volunteers to run many of the sports programs are one key to our success. But another is our unique relationship with the city. Our programs are managed by OSCA’s Program Committee, which includes not only community volunteers and several board members but also city staff, who provide expert advice on programming matters and who manage the delivery of the programs in collaboration with Deirdre McQuillan. This encompasses among other things the hiring and supervising of part-time staff to run programs like After Four.  The city also provides space in the firehall for programming purposes (although programs occur in four other locations as well.) This partnership has worked well for us and the city.

OSCA’s programming role is a key element to our financial viability.  Of our budgeted revenue of approximately $276,000 for this year, we project that programs will generate over $242,000. Thanks to OSCA’s robust programming activities, the association finds itself in a healthy financial situation overall.

So there you have it – OSCA in a nutshell. I hope I have conveyed the rich variety of our activities. It’s never dull at an OSCA board meeting. If you are interested in making our community a better place to live and in grappling with some complex issues, why not give me a call at 730-0069. I’ll be happy to elaborate on our existing needs.