n my column last month, I reported on an application from the Tim Horton franchisee in Ontario to demolish the Strand Theatre on Bank Street and construct a retail shop. OSWATCH, the Board's land use committee, has now done an in-depth review of the proposal and its representatives have met with both city planning officials and the owner of the property.
Despite the fact that the development runs counter to the Neighbourhood Plan, an official planning document adopted by the former City of Ottawa some 20 years ago, the existing zoning of the site appears to allow a retail outlet like Tim Horton's. Moreover, the property's owner has provided Tim Horton's with an option to lease the property and redevelop it. Con-sequently, it appears that our only lever at the moment appears to be moral suasion.
With this in mind, OSWATCH members will meet with the representatives from Tim Horton's to attempt to persuade them not to exercise their option. If this fails, then OSWATCH will make efforts to have the building architecture and site planning more in keeping with the Old Ottawa South neighbourhood. OSCA supports Councillor Clive Doucet in encouraging a multi-story development for this site to encompass residential units along with pedestrian friendly retail space on the ground floor.
For the second successive meeting, the OSCA Board heard from some 25 residents living near the west end of Hopewell Avenue (close to the entrance to Brewer Park). Led by spokesperson Duncan McDowell, they made their case for some dramatic changes to counter mounting traffic problems affecting them. Particularly vexing are the significant increase in traffic and traffic speed coupled with an almost universal ignoring of the "no right hand turn" sign as vehicles exit the Brewer complex at Brewer Way (the street running between the arena and the pool) and Hopewell. These problems have been exacerbated this summer by the new Brewer Gate development that has gone up on the corner of Sunnyside and Bronson.
Three members of the City of Ottawa Police Department were on hand to discuss enforcement options for dealing with the problem. Based on long experience, they counseled that enforcement through increased surveillance and ticketing would have only a short term impact and would not provide any long term solution.
Councillor Doucet then described his efforts to reach a more permanent solution, efforts that had received approval in principle from the OSCA Board at its September meeting. Once the paving in and around the Brewer Gate development is complete, the city will close off Brewer Way at Hopewell using ballards and a chain that can be removed to permit emergency vehicle access. In the case of Sloan Avenue, which is a public road running parallel to Bronson behind the pool, there is a legal process involving public hearings before any road closing can take place.
In the event that Sloan is closed, access to and from the pool, arena and park will be limited to Bronson Avenue at the signalized intersection across from Carleton University (adjacent to the playing fields and speed skating oval). Consequently, there would be no vehicle access to the park directly from the local community, a prospect that clearly concerned a number of board members.
During the ensuing discussion, Councillor Doucet undertook to look into a number of points. Of these the most critical is the need for the city to examine the current road leading from the signalized intersection at Bronson into the complex. Some characterized this entrance as a maze and predicted increased accidents unless changes are made.
OSCA's financial year runs from September 1 to August 31. At this date, we only have preliminary figures for 2000/2001 but it appears that OSCA will record a modest surplus of around $1,000 on total revenue of just under $290,000. A large percentage of this revenue comes from fees charged for our recreational and children programming. OSCA's total accumulated surplus (the difference between assets and liabilities) is a healthy $49,500. So OSCA remains in good shape financially.
OSCAR, which has its own financial statements in keeping with its arms-length relationship with OSCA, had a loss of around $3,000 for the same period. That said the paper remains in solid financial health because of the performance of past years. One of the board's principles with the Review is that it operate without any OSCA subsidies.
Finally, the Firehall building fund, the third financial entity under the OSCA umbrella, is a registered charity established to provide a fund raising vehicle for refurbishing and enlarging the Firehall, the Old Ottawa South Community Centre on Sunnyside. It currently has assets of just over $30,000 and is now poised to become a principal element of the fund raising campaign that OSCA is about to launch. Interested residents can see a model of the proposed Firehall redevelopment at the Annual General Meeting on November 6.
Speaking of the Firehall Building Fund, it is possible through the United Way Campaign to denote to any registered charity including our building fund. All one needs are the name and the charity's number. So here they are if you wish to direct your contribution in whole or in part to creating a much larger and more modern community centre while preserving its heritage characteristics: 89666 9520 RR0001. The official name of the charity is The Old Ottawa South Firehall Redevelopment Fund.
After two year's as OSCA's president, I plan to step down from the top job but stay on the board for another year. Working with such a great group of board members has been both memorable and rewarding. Even writing a monthly column has had its pluses. I used to take this challenge very seriously, weighing every word and agonizing about punctuation in the knowledge that Old Ottawa South residents were some of the most literate in the city. But then my children reminded me of the obvious. I likely had only two readers: my wife, whom I forced to edit my work, and the OSCAR editor. From then on, I became more relaxed about the column and actually grew to appreciate the value of having to articulate the key issues facing the community association every month.
I leave the presidency with a heightened appreciation of the commitment and energy required to keep a voluntary organization like OSCA running smoothly year after year. Voluntary organizations are fragile vessels that can easily run aground when faced with divisive issues and we had several over the past two years. That we survived and even prospered is a tribute to the quality of the board members, our many volunteers, OSCA's Executive Director, Deirdre McQuillan, and our City Councillor, Clive Doucet. I thank them for the support they have given me and for the civility they have shown each other when the going got tough. Quintessentially Canadian! And a special good-bye to Doug Stickley and Pat Kealey, who are leaving the board this fall after many years of distinguished service to their community.
I wish the new president, to be named at our November board meeting, all the best. Surely this column will take on a new sparkle- at least my children, and the editor, hope so! See you in the neighbourhood.