y the time you read this we will be well into the reconstruction on Bank Street. Already a large part of the southern end of the street is torn up with major excavation going on installing new sewer and water pipes. According to City of Ottawa staff, the project is proceeding according to plan and so far no unexpected structural problems have been encountered.
Many of the one way streets (Cameron, Ossington and Grove) are already partially blocked and in the first block west of Bank have been temporarily converted into two way streets to allow residents to get access to their homes. The Number 7 bus is no longer running down Seneca and Grove on its return trip downtown but has been diverted to Sunnyside for the duration of construction and the Number 1 route is now running northbound on Riverdale and Sunnyside rather than on Bank, again for the balance of the construction period.
Unfortunately, things are likely to get messier on Bank Street as the construction progresses north and even more of the street is torn up. So far, however, while the disruption for merchants has been significant, many have reported that their core clientele have remained loyal and while business levels are down for this initial period at least it is not as bad as expected. According to City of Ottawa staff, overall volume of traffic on Bank Street and on the Riverdale-Sunnyside detour is down by about 20% during the first few weeks and volumes may decline even further, especially southbound, as the level of construction slows traffic down further.
Traffic seems to be moving well, but in the first few weeks of the detour increased enforcement by the Ottawa Police has led to the issuance of over 90 traffic violations to motorists who were not obeying stop signs or driving inappropriately. Clearly, driver impatience is resulting in inappropriate and potentially dangerous behaviour.
Residents on Riverdale and Sunnyside are also taking the initiative to help calm traffic on the detour by erecting a large sign at the corner of Riverdale and Cameron reminding motorists to drive carefully and watch for children. A fund raising campaign is underway to raise money for lawn signs delivering the same message. The OSCA executive decided to make a contribution to the campaign as a show of solidarity with the residents of Riverdale and Sunnyside who are currently bearing the brunt of the traffic diversions. Jennifer Knight, a board member, is helping to organize the fund raising campaign.
The proposals for new zoning on Bank Street are now out and were the subject of an Open House meeting held on April 30, which was attended by about 30 residents and merchants/developers. On the whole, the reaction was positive and some changes were incorporated into the proposals as a result of the feedback at the meeting and from questionnaires. The revised proposals are now posted and you can link to them via the OSCA web site (www.oldottawasouth.ca) under the "What's Hot" column. The councillor and I have circulated an e-mail notice to residents encouraging them to look at the proposals and submit their comments by the May 21 deadline.
OSWATCH, OSCA's planning and development committee, worked for about a year with City of Ottawa staff in developing the proposals, which it's hoped will encourage the type of development on Bank Street that will result in a traditional city centre "Main Street" that has lots of small to medium-sized stores and is an attractive and safe environment to shop in.
In conjunction with the rebuilding of Bank Street the new zoning rules will encourage more mixed residential and commercial development, a continuous line of store fronts right next to the sidewalk and more flexible rules for parking requirements, and where appropriate, locating parking facilities at the rear of buildings rather than at the front or side of buildings. This will make better use of the land fronting the street for retail development and will reduce the volume of in and out traffic and conflicts with pedestrian use of the sidewalks.
Leo Doyle, an OSCA Board member and a member of OSWATCH, has written a detailed article on the substance of the proposals and what they try to achieve in this issue of the OSCAR so I will not go into detail about the proposals here, but encourage you to read Leo's article.
While by the time this article appears in OSCAR the period for comments will have expired, if you do have concerns or comments you can still present them at the City of Ottawa's Planning and Development Committee meeting on June 26. At that public meeting the committee will review and vote on the proposals. You can get details of the time and place of the meeting, or a hard copy of the report, from the city official in charge of this project, Françoise Jessop, at 580-2424 extension 13862, or francoise.jessop@ottawa.ca.
A real milestone has just been passed with the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Firehall as Ottawa South's community centre. Opened in 1978, the Firehall has been the centre of community activities and OSCA's headquarters for over a quarter of a century now and that in itself is a real tribute to the community's solidarity and cohesiveness. Very few voluntary organizations last that long and the fact that OSCA today is stronger, better financed and more active than 25 years ago is something to be proud of.
In order to celebrate this important achievement, OSCA is organizing a party for the community to be held on Saturday, June 21. The party will start at 4 p.m. with activities and games for the kids. There will be a BBQ dinner, an art show, and a dance running until 10 p.m.
All the activity will take place in and around the Firehall and along Fairbairn Street. We are hoping the mayor will come to plant a tree and a commemorative garden will be established along the east side of the building. Best of all the event is free, including the food, so come out, bring the kids and celebrate 25 years of achievement with your friends and neighbours.