General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[Aylmer]

Another epic battle won ye fair night!

[harls]

On Saturday I noticed that the site for the Continental has been fenced off and some heavy equipment is now on site.

[waterloowarrior]

some westboro stuff from the westboro community association http://lovewestboro.wordpress.com/ (they are against most developments)

On April 8th, at the City’s Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) an agent for two developers advised PEC members that Ashcroft Homes, the new owner of the Canadian Tire property on Richmond Road, would be seeking a height increase to permit a building of nine storeys. They intend to challenge the Community Design Plan recommendation for the sight which is four to six storeys. They are also the owners of 93 Richmond Road which was the subject of an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing in 2006. To see this decision go to the OMB site select E-Decisions and search on 3321.

Last week there was a five-day OMB hearing on 747 Richmond Road at Cleary. The proposal for this site started out with two towers of 19 and 21 storeys and is now down to 12 and 15. The CDP recommendation was 6 storeys maximum. We will post the decision when it is received.

On April 10 there was an OMB hearing on a proposed development at 300 Richmond Road at the corner of Eden. This used car lot is 98 feet wide by 68 feet deep. The owners applied to the Committee of Adjustment (CoA) to build a five storey building where basically a one-two storey building is permitted under the CDP. The City’s Committee of Adjustment had denied the application on the basis that it was not a ‘minor variance’ and should be treated as a re-zoning application. This was also the position of the WCA. Instead the developer chose to appeal to the OMB and, in the absence of support from the City, the WCA appeared as an intervenor at the hearing to defend the integrity of the CDP.

If approved by the OMB a building basically filling the lot from one side to the other of at least 52 feet in height will be built. It will be taller than the homes at the south end of Eden Ave. What we heard at the hearing is the proposed five storey building is the only thing that is economically viable.

Yet the two storey Pharmasave at the corner of Richmond and Berkley has been very successful. Also you can find an example of heritage infill on Wellington Street that won an award from the City. It works and the frontage is about the same as 300 Richmond Road. As soon as we receive OMB’s decision, we will post it.

300 Richmond

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Isn't that right across from Fratelli?

[clynnog]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

Isn't that right across from Fratelli?

Right across the road from Fratelli etc. The Westboro Community Association need to learn in which context the word should be spelt 'sight' and in which context 'site'. IIRC, the WCA are headed up by Gary Ludington, a fellow who ran for Council in the area and lost to Shawn Little and then the current Councillor.

Both he and the Community Association guy for the area near Carlingwood Mall are very active at C of A hearings.

[Mille Sabords]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

some westboro stuff from the westboro community association http://lovewestboro.wordpress.com/ (they are against most developments)

300 Richmond

Unbelievable. That 5-storey building is as innocuous as it gets in terms of height. And it properly fills the lot in its entirety, making a contiguous street wall along Richmond with stores along the sidewalk, yadda yadda - everything we profess to want, hey! it's here.

Of course it's taller than all the houses on Eden... it's on the mainstreet! What do you expect, a bungalow? In fact, that whole block could stand to be at least 5 storeys. The proposed building is just setting the stage for the future.... hopefully the near future.

Actually, I sincerely hope Ashcroft blows up that Westboro CDP at the OMB. There have been too many problems with its legitimacy for it to stand much longer as the template for future ones. The city cannot build its future based on the selfish opinions of people who don't want to share their neighbourhood with others. CDP's cannot be an exercise in "how many storeys do you like and how many don't you like". What business is it, anyway, of people who live blocks away, to hold sway over the future of Mainstreets that belong to the entire city, not just their neighbourhood?

With a central location comes the advantage of proximity but the responsibility of accepting and integrating more intensification. It is the organic nature of city growth, which has been stunted by easy suburbia - and which Ottawa is trying to foster again now that there is a genuine market apetite for urban living.

Ah - what a good night's sleep that was!

[Kitchissippi]

I'm not against that project but I think the design could be better. I hate the corner detail -- I think if that curved feature was scaled down to the second storey line and the Eden side was stepped back a bit, it would show more respect to the residential street:

[Mille Sabords]

Good point, Kitchissippi, and good eye for the detail. (How did you do that? photoshop?)

Not my favourite building either architecturally but from an urban design standpoint it speaks the right language for this block.

[Kitchissippi]

Yeah, Photoshop. Love that clone stamp tool.

I wonder how they'll handle parking for this project. Doing a ramp for an underground garage is going to take a heck of room on that narrow lot, plus the cash-in-lieu for the commercial part is going to be hefty.

[Mille Sabords]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Yeah, Photoshop. Love that clone stamp tool.

I wonder how they'll handle parking for this project. Doing a ramp for an underground garage is going to take a heck of room on that narrow lot, plus the cash-in-lieu for the commercial part is going to be hefty.

As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be any cash-in-lieu of parking for small retail spaces on ground floors of buildings like this one on mainstreets. We'll get there some day.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords

As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be any cash-in-lieu of parking for small retail spaces on ground floors of buildings like this one on mainstreets. We'll get there some day.

that's the plan for the new comprehensive zoning bylaw
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/bylaw/zoning/bylaw/full_bylaw/pt_04/min_prk_rate_en.html

[TransitZilla]

The city has finally posted some information on its website about the Rideau Street Urban Design Study.

I'm confused- according to the Terms of Reference, there should have been 2 public open houses by now, but there have been none. Are they skipping those, or are they just late?

I just hope the final recommendations include filling in the Colonel By underpass and converting it to a level crosswalk. That thing has gotta go.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

The city has finally posted some information on its website about the Rideau Street Urban Design Study.

I'm confused- according to the Terms of Reference, there should have been 2 public open houses by now, but there have been none. Are they skipping those, or are they just late?

I just hope the final recommendations include filling in the Colonel By underpass and converting it to a level crosswalk. That thing has gotta go.

I think they nailed most of of the issues. Good thing.

[waterloowarrior]

Civic eyes new digs
Proposal sees hospital relocate to suburb in 2016
By DONNA CASEY, SUN MEDIA

After almost 100 years on Carling Ave., the Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus could be moving to the south end suburbs.

Faced with aging buildings and no space to grow, administrators want to relocate the campus to a 60-acre site at the corner of Woodroffe Ave. and Hunt Club Rd.

In a presentation to the Champlain Local Health Integration Network yesterday, hospital brass outlined their proposal to close the existing Civic campus and start construction on the new site in 2016.

It's expected the relocation of the Civic and related construction to the General and Riverside campuses will cost almost $3.7 billion over a 20-year period.

BEST OPTION

The proposal is subject to approval by the hospital's board, the LHIN and the provincial Ministry of Health.

Gino Picciano, chief operating officer of the hospital, said the option of moving the Civic to the Woodroffe location is the best of four proposals examined by hospital executives over the past 18 months.

"We think there's community support for this and we're not reopening the three-campuses issue," Picciano told the LHIN board.

Picciano said the hospital has had "very preliminary discussions" with the National Capital Commission, which owns the Woodroffe and Hunt Club lands, and there's been no discussion of what would happen to the existing
Civic property or buildings.

The site was one of 12 considered by the hospital, including Experimental Farm lands across the road from the Civic campus.

In January, hospital CEO Dr. Jack Kitts said the Experimental Farm location was ideal for the Civic relocation but Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the federal department responsible for the farm, quashed the idea, saying the property was protected by historical designation.

In its consultations, staff also considered a one-campus model, where the Civic, Riverside and General would be merged into one; a two-campus model where the Civic beds and clinics would be merged with the General; and keeping the existing Civic location and redeveloping the site.

Picciano said renovating the existing Civic campus would be an expensive, logistical nightmare, involving 32 phases of construction over a 20-year period.

Picciano said the Woodroffe site fits in with the city's growth patterns, transit accessibility and plans for future expansion.

Dr. Robert Cushman, CEO of the Champlain LHIN, called the proposed site "potentially very interesting."

"It's only once in every 30 years that you get a chance to re-site a hospital, so re-siting it where the population growth is, where the public transit is good, where the needs are highest -- this is a real opportunity here."

However, Marie Fortier, board chair of the LHIN, said she was concerned about leaving the city's core without a community hospital.

CUTTING BEDS

Fortier said she's also worried about the relocation plan's proposed cut of 250 to 300 inpatient beds for services that don't fit into the Ottawa Hospital's specialities of neurosurgery, trauma, cardiac and other specialized care.

Picciano acknowledged that both the Queensway-Carleton and Montfort Hospitals don't have the space or resources to take those beds from the Ottawa Hospital.

"There's a lot more work that needs to be done, both on their part and ours," said Fortier.

"It would be very dangerous for us to say that we endorse it, we love it, it's great."

"We now need to make sure that we get this out to the community in the right time and the right way," she added.

The LHIN will look at the three Civic campuses over the next month and work out public consultations.

OTTAWA HOSPITAL MASTER PLAN

Total project cost: $3.7 billion.

Phase 1 of the proposed plan to move the Civic to Woodroffe Ave. and Hunt Club Rd.
- 2016-2020: total construction cost $1.9 billion
- 2015-2017: Maternal and newborn building, General campus, $143 million - 2015-2018: Clinic and research building, General campus, $375 million
- 2018-2020: Level 8 refit, General campus

Phase 2
- 2020-2022: Rehabilitation Centre, $230 million
- 2020-2023: Riverside campus, $352 million

Phase 3
- 2022-2025: ER, ICU and new tower at the General campus, $538 million - 2025-2027: Remaining renovations at the General campus, $160 million

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/04/24/pf-5370556.html


too bad they weren't allowed to just go across the street, where there's already a lot of development anyways

[eemy]

I wonder how that would affect ambulance response times. Also, couldn't they shift more services to the General site? There's plenty of room there. Just look at the situation in Toronto. They have Sick Kids, Toronto General, Princess Margaret, and Mount Sinai, all at the same spot, and still expanding. Surely there are options for the Civic.

[BlackRedGold]

Since when did Nepean become a south end suburb?

Outside of Barrhaven, Nepean has always been considered west end.

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

I wonder how that would affect ambulance response times. Also, couldn't they shift more services to the General site? There's plenty of room there. Just look at the situation in Toronto. They have Sick Kids, Toronto General, Princess Margaret, and Mount Sinai, all at the same spot, and still expanding. Surely there are options for the Civic.

It sounds like they may shift some things. The proximity to transit (rail or not) would certainly be a good thing. This would certainly help Ambulance response times in the other wests areas of town.

I guess as they said - it fits the population shift within the city...a larger proportion of people living further out - particularly has the homes more in the city empty as kids move out (leaving less people per residence)

The only problem I have is that while there has been several expansions I really wonder at what point will the city require another hospital. This sounds mostly like just moving an old one around. Our population is growing.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by c_speed3108

It sounds like they may shift some things. The proximity to transit (rail or not) would certainly be a good thing. This would certainly help Ambulance response times in the other wests areas of town.

I guess as they said - it fits the population shift within the city...a larger proportion of people living further out - particularly has the homes more in the city empty as kids move out (leaving less people per residence)

The only problem I have is that while there has been several expansions I really wonder at what point will the city require another hospital. This sounds mostly like just moving an old one around. Our population is growing.

I never could understand why there is no hospital in Orleans. Or at least why there are ZERO plans to build one.

Actually, the entire area of Eastern Ontario between the Montfort and Hawkesbury, some 90 km long with well over 200,000 people I'd say, has no hospital.

[waterloowarrior]

^ There is also Winchester, Alexandria, and Cornwall

[Acajack]

Yes, but I was referring to the area closer to the south shore of the Ottawa River: Beacon Hill, Blackburn Hamlet, Orleans, Navan, Cumberland, Rockland, Clarence, Wendover, Plantagenet, etc. It's actually not that easy to go north-south from Highway 17 near Rockland to the 417 area around Casselman, which you would need to do to get to the hospital in Alexandria.

Plus the area I described that hugs the river is much more populated than the area along the 417.