Study looks at small business viability along Marier Avenue
Ottawa East News, Nov 10, 2014
By Michelle Nash
Marier Avenue could become a small-scale commercial district following the results of a new city zoning study.
A zoning study looking at the local shops and services within urban neighbourhoods began in November 2013 with a survey sent out to residents.
The city's planning department is undertaking the study to see if there are appropriate locations in Ottawa's urban residential areas where the city should allow “low-impact businesses” to continue, or where new businesses should be allowed to open up shop.
The city planner working on the study, Andrew McCreight, met with members of the Vanier Community Association’s planning committee on Nov. 3 to discuss which residential streets could benefit from the addition of small corner stores, doctor’s offices, and small coffee shops.
“We want to bring in a more walkable commercial area that can change a street,” McCreight said. “(This makes) it less comfortable for people to do illegal things on those streets.”
McCreight’s comment was music to the ears of many in attendance.
Of the eight residents who attended the meeting, many loved the idea of the addition of small shops along Vanier’s residential streets.
“This is incredibly important,” said Geoff Derry. “This is what could revitalize our streets.”
When looking at Vanier, McCreight said there is an opportunity to re-zone all of Marier Avenue from Beechwood Avenue to Montreal Road as a low commercial residential district -- meaning homes along the street would be able to open a small business on 100 square metres of the ground floor of a home. No parking would be required or permitted.
Some of the types of businesses that are being considered are home-based businesses, libraries, restaurants, retail, artists’ studios, convenience store, medical facilities, retail food stores and animal hospitals.
The street was picked, McCreight said because it is already an active pedestrian and cycling route.
Dan Shipley, a resident of Marier Avenue, said he loved the idea because it gives small business the opportunity to open and survive because rent would be less than a main street like Beechwood.
Another street McCreight said has potential to be re-zoned is Lafontaine Avenue, which some residents weren’t sure would work the same, stating most of the apartment buildings along the street closer to McArthur Avenue face inwards and instead parking lots for those buildings line the street, possibly making it less attractive to open a small business.
McCreight asked the group if there were other streets they felt could benefit from small-scale business and Derry said he believes Hannah Street, which already has some shops along it would be a good candidate.
The study does not just focus on the Rideau-Vanier area, but across the city in Rideau-Rockcliffe, Somerset, Kitchissippi, Capital and Alta Vista wards.
McCreight said he has reached out to those individual community associations to also meet, discuss the preliminary ideas of the study and receive feedback.
“This is about engaging with the community to see what you are interested in,” McCreight said.
Part of the process is to zone existing corner shops along residential streets accordingly, so that if one shop closes, another would be able to open with little hassle.
Although the study had originally been scheduled to wrap up In August, McCreight said it is taking him longer than he expected to gather information and work on the individual ward zoning.
Now the city staffer is aiming to have it complete and mail out the community heads up letters by December, with further consultations to take place following the mail out.
The study is aimed to be presented to council by March 2015.
Residents interested in finding out more information can contact McCreight, by emailing
[email protected] .
With files from Laura Mueller
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/n...marier-avenue/
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It's funny, I was just thinking that this past week. I definitely think Sparks needs something like this. There aren't any bowling alleys in the CBD, so I can see it doing pretty well, and it's a bit of an attraction for tourists/locals.
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