General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Ironically, Canadian Heritage. See sign on the Wellington façade.

I guess it is overflow space for Canadian Heritage who are based across the street at Terrasses de la Chaudière.

Originally that building was the Gatineau campus of the Université du Québec's ENAP (École nationale de la fonction publique). Lots of federal public servants did their master's degrees there. I know quite a few. A ton in fact.

This building also seems to be in the way of Heafey's land assembly push. But I have not heard of requests to demolish it, nor do I even know if Heafey owns the land.

It's reasonably new as a structure.

[Marcus CLS]

Juteau Johnson Comba Inc. Recently added 8 monthly newsletters to their website. Oct2019 to May2020. Notable Transactions Minto purchased vacant parcels on Isabella Street East of Bank St. where signage shows a proposed office building for lease. Possible change to Residential?

Claridge Homes purchased 901 Carling Ave., close to and west of Carling Station. Mastercraft Starwood purchased Tubman Funeral home in Westboro Village.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Marcus CLS

Juteau Johnson Comba Inc. Recently added 8 monthly newsletters to their website. Oct2019 to May2020. Notable Transactions Minto purchased vacant parcels on Isabella Street East of Bank St. where signage shows a proposed office building for lease. Possible change to Residential?

Claridge Homes purchased 901 Carling Ave., close to and west of Carling Station. Mastercraft Starwood purchased Tubman Funeral home in Westboro Village.

All good news I'd say. The Isabella site could be a good spot for a cheaper rental building, considering it's along a heavy traffic area.

901 Carling is a good site for redevelopment. Off the beaten path just enough that a bait-and-switch Claridge designed building won't be to impactful.

I've been hoping to see Tubman redeveloped for a while. It's plain design and the depressing nature of the business adds nothing to street, not to mention that parking lot. Mastercraft Starwood builds simple, but quality buildings, so it could be a good fit. Height is a concern; on the one hand, we have Westboro Station (the condo, not the station) diagonally across, on the other we have shorter traditional mains street building on the north side.

[J.OT13]

From Jon Willing:

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a BIA doing this, but it appears the Glebe BIA is removing Coun. Menard, the local councillor appointed to the board by council, from the board and asking for new city representation on the BIA. #ottpoli

https://twitter.com/JonathanWilling/status/1275974594143322113

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

From Jon Willing:


https://twitter.com/JonathanWilling/status/1275974594143322113

This doesn't surprise me, as neither party has proven themselves particularly reasonable. The BIA has consistently ignored the wishes of the local community that is vital to their survival. I believe without exception, the BIA has opposed any proposal that has any impact on parking, however slight. Their latest move was the incredibly short-sighted opposition to the closure of the curb lanes of Bank St. to expand the sidewalks. They did this at a time when traffic was negligible, and essentially all of their business was coming from within the community.


On the other hand, Menard has approached his term as an activist, rather than a representative who needs to compromise to get things done. His constant attacks on the Mayor, though warranted in many cases, have resulted in him being sidelined from any influential role in municipal government.

I don't know who's to blame here, but the fact that they are at odds and opting for the nuclear option is sadly unsurprising.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by phil235

This doesn't surprise me, as neither party has proven themselves particularly reasonable. The BIA has consistently ignored the wishes of the local community that is vital to their survival. I believe without exception, the BIA has opposed any proposal that has any impact on parking, however slight. Their latest move was the incredibly short-sighted opposition to the closure of the curb lanes of Bank St. to expand the sidewalks. They did this at a time when traffic was negligible, and essentially all of their business was coming from within the community.


On the other hand, Menard has approached his term as an activist, rather than a representative who needs to compromise to get things done. His constant attacks on the Mayor, though warranted in many cases, have resulted in him being sidelined from any influential role in municipal government.

I don't know who's to blame here, but the fact that they are at odds and opting for the nuclear option is sadly unsurprising.

Re my bold, how so?
Meanwhile, the Glebe commercial strip continues its decline (imo).

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by phil235

This doesn't surprise me, as neither party has proven themselves particularly reasonable. The BIA has consistently ignored the wishes of the local community that is vital to their survival. I believe without exception, the BIA has opposed any proposal that has any impact on parking, however slight. Their latest move was the incredibly short-sighted opposition to the closure of the curb lanes of Bank St. to expand the sidewalks. They did this at a time when traffic was negligible, and essentially all of their business was coming from within the community.


On the other hand, Menard has approached his term as an activist, rather than a representative who needs to compromise to get things done. His constant attacks on the Mayor, though warranted in many cases, have resulted in him being sidelined from any influential role in municipal government.

I don't know who's to blame here, but the fact that they are at odds and opting for the nuclear option is sadly unsurprising.

I can't speak to the BIA, but I agree on your points regarding Menard. Again, I'd like to present Leiper as the anti-Menard, who disagrees with the Mayor as well, but brings a more diplomatic approach... not that it helps him unfortunately... Leiper is also better at working with developers to improve projects instead of opposing for the sake of opposing and he's seems very attentive to his constituents needs and concerns.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I can't speak to the BIA, but I agree on your points regarding Menard. Again, I'd like to present Leiper as the anti-Menard, who disagrees with the Mayor as well, but brings a more diplomatic approach... not that it helps him unfortunately... Leiper is also better at working with developers to improve projects instead of opposing for the sake of opposing and he's seems very attentive to his constituents needs and concerns.

Agreed. I'd like to see him run for mayor, the sooner the better. We need people in office who are well-versed in the issues, have a vision for the future, but can work with the people they need to work with. Leiper checks all of those boxes.

People who are too married to an ideology rarely get as much accomplished.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Re my bold, how so?
Meanwhile, the Glebe commercial strip continues its decline (imo).

It's primarily on parking issues, where they have consistently opposed any proposals that will affect parking even in the slightest ways. Projects like the parking space parkettes were allowed to expire, even though they made a big difference in the urban environment. They have been completely disinterested in transit and cycling proposals, but spent tonnes of effort trying to get 2-hour parking on side streets (not necessarily bad, but much less impactful). Their statements constantly refer to the need to provide more parking to attract suburban shoppers, even though local shoppers (particularly those on foot, bikes and transit) are their key demographic.

I don't actually agree that the strip has been in decline. It's managed to keep all of the essentials right on the main street (grocery, pharmacy, hardware, banks, cafes, LCBO, beer store, bikes, sports, bagels, even a video store). The toy store was a big loss, and there is a shift to restaurants, but places like Banditos are a massive improvement over what was there. It remains to be seen how it will weather the pandemic, but it is still the most complete small neighbourhood that I have ever lived in.

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I can't speak to the BIA, but I agree on your points regarding Menard. Again, I'd like to present Leiper as the anti-Menard, who disagrees with the Mayor as well, but brings a more diplomatic approach... not that it helps him unfortunately... Leiper is also better at working with developers to improve projects instead of opposing for the sake of opposing and he's seems very attentive to his constituents needs and concerns.

Leiper would be my dream mayoral candidate However, I'm not sure if he would do it... not getting the sense that he wants to run for that position.

Menard seems like he wants to run, but is not a good fit IMO.

[caveat.doctor]

Originally Posted by phil235

It's primarily on parking issues, where they have consistently opposed any proposals that will affect parking even in the slightest ways. Projects like the parking space parkettes were allowed to expire, even though they made a big difference in the urban environment. They have been completely disinterested in transit and cycling proposals, but spent tonnes of effort trying to get 2-hour parking on side streets (not necessarily bad, but much less impactful). Their statements constantly refer to the need to provide more parking to attract suburban shoppers, even though local shoppers (particularly those on foot, bikes and transit) are their key demographic.

Not disagreeing with you, but I suspect that's exactly the calculus: the local shoppers are captive. Whereas the suburban shoppers have other options, so they're especially wary of anything that might cause inconvenience to that market.

-

Speaking of parking, Edmonton council voted yesterday to eliminate parking minimums city wide. Not as directive as imposing parking maximums, but could lead to more rational choices if the value (opportunity cost) of parking as compared to other uses becomes a decision point. Might be a good direction for us here as well.

Originally Posted by https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-parking-requirements-1.5624754

Edmonton city council votes to remove minimum parking requirements

With the change, Edmonton becomes first major city in Canada to drop parking minimums
CBC News · Posted: Jun 23, 2020 8:27 PM MT | Last Updated: June 23
(Scott Neufeld/CBC)

Parking minimums for new developments will soon be a thing of the past in Edmonton.

City council voted unanimously Tuesday to support the change to the city's zoning bylaws. With the change, Edmonton becomes the first major city in Canada to drop minimum parking requirements.

The new rules come into effect July 2 and will affect the development and redevelopment of homes and businesses.

Previously, the city required businesses and developers to provide a specific number of spaces depending on the size and nature of the building, but now it will be up to the developer or business to decide how much on-site parking to have on their properties.

"Parking is a powerful, but often hidden force that shapes how our communities are designed and influences every aspect of how people live, work and move around," Kim Petrin, development services branch manager for the City of Edmonton, said in a news release.

Edmonton set to revamp parking rules that date back to the 1970s
Parking rules needlessly limiting infill in neighbourhoods, council says
Removing the requirements will help Edmonton become a more walkable, active city, Petrin said.

Ashley Salvador, an urban planner who spoke in favour of ending parking requirements, said lifting the parking minimums will let business owners and developers decide how much — or how little — parking they need.

City data shows that parking minimums have created an oversupply of parking in Edmonton, with usage rates sitting at around 50 per cent during peak hours, Salvador said.

"What this change does is a market-based approach, where we're removing government regulation and we're giving market the ability to sort out this oversupply and to reach a more efficient, optimal usage rate," she told CBC's Edmonton AM on Wednesday.

In its news release, the city said on-site parking can cost anywhere from $7,000 to $60,000 per stall and that Edmonton has an oversupply of on-site parking city-wide.

Maximum parking requirements will remain in effect downtown and are being expanded in transit-oriented developments and main street areas.

The new rules also allow for businesses and homeowners to share parking, or lease out parking spaces to other properties, which the city says could help with on-street parking in redeveloped areas.

City staff will monitor the effect of shared parking and report back to council next year.

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

Leiper would be my dream mayoral candidate However, I'm not sure if he would do it... not getting the sense that he wants to run for that position.

Agree, have been happy with him as my councillor - even when I (rarely) disagree with his positions he's clear and upfront with his rationale and open for discussion. Would love to have him take the lead.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by caveat.doctor

Not disagreeing with you, but I suspect that's exactly the calculus: the local shoppers are captive. Whereas the suburban shoppers have other options, so they're especially wary of anything that might cause inconvenience to that market.

No doubt you are correct. I think they should be more conscious of the risk of taking their key market for granted. If nothing else, this crisis has provided a huge opportunity to retrench the benefits of thinking and shopping locally. They really should be walking the talk.

[rocketphish]

Glebe business association turfs Coun. Menard from the board

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Jun 25, 2020 • Last Updated 5 hours ago • 3 minute read

The association representing businesses in the Glebe has made the extraordinary decision to turf its local councillor from the board and ask city council for a replacement representative.

The Glebe BIA’s decision Wednesday night came after Capital Coun. Shawn Menard throughout the spring strongly advocated for the removal of some street parking on Bank Street in favour of more space for pedestrians and cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, earlier Wednesday Menard put colleagues on notice that he’ll ask council on July 15 to vote on a proposal directing staff to explore using more road space for non-car transportation.

“This decision by the BIA came as a surprise to me,” Menard said in an emailed statement Thursday.

“Since entering office 19 months ago we have been promoting small local businesses in our newsletters, posting resources for businesses on our website, helping to secure a gateway sign to this area, adding more bike racks on Bank Street, helping to get planters fixed, adding public bathrooms, providing assistance to those who are house-less in this area, and by attempting to implement pedestrian and bicyclist friendly policies that have been shown to not only benefit residents, but also bolster businesses’ bottom lines.”

The BIA’s decision to boot Menard from the board is highly unusual, considering the local councillor has the most knowledge of the community and provides an important connection to council and the city bureaucracy.

As for the reasons why the BIA wants to cut governance ties with Menard, the organization declined comment beyond the rationale provided in a bulletin sent to businesses.

“There was agreement amongst the board that we need more consistent reporting from the city and a more fulsome commitment to our organization,” the BIA said in the bulletin. “The current arrangement was not working in the best interests of our members. It was therefore decided that we would proceed with a request to City Council for a new delegate to act as a liaison between us and the municipality.”

The BIA goes on to say, “we intend to work collaboratively with the Capital Ward Councillor and his office to support the area’s economic well-being and serve the needs of the community” as the organization helps with the economic recovery phase of the pandemic.

“Having a dedicated and available appointee from the municipality will better facilitate this period of transition. We will continue to work with all key stakeholders and our elected officials for their input as it relates to the neighbourhood and the businesses we represent,” the BIA said.

Menard said he also hasn’t heard the BIA’s rationale for removing him from the board, but he suspects “it’s because they disagreed with my response to hundreds of residents who asked for space for physical distancing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The councillor has rankled some businesses on Bank Street in his ward because he has been trying to convince the city to use some road space for active transportation.

In April, Glebe BIA executive director Andrew Peck wrote to Menard warning the councillor that removing traffic on a curb lane could hurt financially ravaged businesses that, at the time, were counting on curbside delivery and pickups to make money during mandatory pandemic-related closures.

Menard almost made a partial road closure happen, too, after following a process and receiving the OK from city staff to close one curb lane over three blocks in the Glebe, impacting 19 of 320 on-street parking spaces.

However, Mayor Jim Watson in May successfully led an effort on council to raise the bar for a road closure, requiring two-thirds of businesses to agree to a lane closure in front of their addresses, effectively crushing Menard’s intentions.

Council could be in the strange position of appointing another councillor to the Glebe BIA board who doesn’t represent the area at city hall.

At least one director of a BIA board must be appointed by the municipality, according to provincial law.

In Ottawa, the normal course of governance has had council appointing the councillors to the BIA boards in their wards. At the beginning of the term in December 2018, council naturally assigned Menard to the Glebe BIA board, which subsequently in January 2019 approved all members for its 2019-2022 term.

Despite being bounced from the BIA board, Menard said he’ll still support the businesses in the Glebe.

“I want to make it clear to residents in my ward that I will continue to support their interests and we should not judge the small businesses here by the actions of the seven board members of the BIA,” Menard said. “I will continue to support these small businesses, and I’m asking you to do so as well.”

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...cm/e7f92bb7-46cd-4180-9f51-a1e397f42a13/

[Lightspotting]

While initially denying it, it becomes extremely clear from this interview with the BIA's executive that this is retaliation for Shawn Menard's push for more space to respect physical distancing at the cost of 19 parking spots.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-9...al-councillor-for-its-board-of-directors

Last year a similar situation happened with the Preston Street BIA and a bike lane detour but did not escalate further
https://twitter.com/JLeiper/status/1133149048947576832?s=19

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by Lightspotting

While initially denying it, it becomes extremely clear from this interview with the BIA's executive that this is retaliation for Shawn Menard's push for more space to respect physical distancing at the cost of 19 parking spots.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-9...al-councillor-for-its-board-of-directors

Last year a similar situation happened with the Preston Street BIA and a bike lane detour but did not escalate further
https://twitter.com/JLeiper/status/1133149048947576832?s=19

Doesn't it also allow for more patios or is it just to widen the sidewalk? IF just to widen sidewalk I agree it's a bit silly and those spots are needed in current environment. Regardless it would still increase my support for Menard as he should work for his voters not BIAs.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Lightspotting

While initially denying it, it becomes extremely clear from this interview with the BIA's executive that this is retaliation for Shawn Menard's push for more space to respect physical distancing at the cost of 19 parking spots.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-9...al-councillor-for-its-board-of-directors

Last year a similar situation happened with the Preston Street BIA and a bike lane detour but did not escalate further
https://twitter.com/JLeiper/status/1133149048947576832?s=19

Quite a preposterous interview... despite being pressed for examples of their issues besides the parking spot issue, Mr. Peck seemed unable to name one.

The BIA board seems to fundamentally misunderstand the role of the local councillor on the BIA board. It is not simply to be a cheerleader for the BIA, it is to represent the interests of the residents in the local community, i.e. the businesses' neighbours.

Isn't Councillor Chiarelli still a member of the Bells Corners BIA board? If council has not removed him, how could it possibly justify removing Menard over a simple disagreement?

[J.OT13]

The whole conspiracy that the Mayor was somehow involved isn't that far-fetched. Mid-way through Menard's work to close down part of the parking to allow more social distancing, the Mayor presented a motion that killed the initiative, requiring 2/3 (then changed to 1/2) support from local businesses.

[J.OT13]

From Kate Porter:

Who is the Glebe BIA board? Its website lists:

Eli Saikaley, Silver Scissors
Eric Kunstadt, Kunstadt Sports
Judy Richards, Davidson's Jewellers
Stephanie Spruston, OSEG
Ronaldo Sayah, real estate
Joshua Thatcher, Whole Foods
Stephane Sauve, Glebe Meat Market
Allan Bateman

https://twitter.com/KatePorterCBC/status/1276270168939905030

[phil235]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Doesn't it also allow for more patios or is it just to widen the sidewalk? IF just to widen sidewalk I agree it's a bit silly and those spots are needed in current environment. Regardless it would still increase my support for Menard as he should work for his voters not BIAs.

Disagree on the spots being needed. The ones that Menard wanted to close were a tiny fraction of the available spots. Parking has been a non-issue in the Glebe for months. On the other hand, the narrow sidewalks are a big issue, particularly since the pandemic started.

The sad part is that the restaurants in that stretch do not have patios. Wider sidewalks would have allowed them to put some tables out and bring in some revenue. That would have been far more valuable than a few parking spots.
Now they are suffering due to a decision by their own BIA.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The whole conspiracy that the Mayor was somehow involved isn't that far-fetched. Mid-way through Menard's work to close down part of the parking to allow more social distancing, the Mayor presented a motion that killed the initiative, requiring 2/3 (then changed to 1/2) support from local businesses.

Jim himself tweeted a photo of his first patio lunch of the season with members of the BIA executive, so frankly it would be more shocking if he didn't know about this.

Will Jim appoint himself as council liaison to the BIA?