Rencontre du Conseil d’administration d’Action Côte-de-Sable
Le 30 janvier, 2012
www.ash-acs.ca
Courriel: info@ash-acs.ca

Present/Présents: Sam Almsaddi, Sophie Beecher, François Bregha, Christopher Collmorgen, Mona Frendo,Marcia George, Jane Gurr, Kyle Simunovic, John Verbaas.

Regrets/Absents: Eric Crighton, Julie Crôteau, Liz Kessler, Alice Kwong, Claire MacDonald

1. Welcome and introductions

Christopher Collmorgen welcomed everyone and invited Board members and members of the public to introduce themselves.

2. Review and approval of the agenda

Sam moved (Jane seconded) that the agenda be approved, with the amendment that presentations on Arts Court and the Rideau-Charlotte properties be added.

3. Approval of minutes

François moved (Sam supported) approval of the November 28 minutes.

4. Arts Court

The City has agreed to expand the current Arts Court facilities, which are too small for the current occupants, in partnership with the University and a developer. This will involve a three-storey addition immediately east of the site, with a high-rise over it (a hotel, apartment building or condo tower). Total cost is estimated at $30 million. The City hopes to complete a concept plan this Spring, issue tenders this Fall, start construction in October 2013 and complete the building in 2015. The City will be invited back to present the concept plan to an ASH Board meeting this Spring.

5. Richcraft property, Charlotte and Rideau

Richcraft has agreed to demolish the existing derelict properties on the site it owns and build a temporary park at its own expense to City standards. The City will assume any liability from park use. In return, Richcraft is seeking a signed assurance from the City and ASH that they will not object to development on this site as long as it meets the approved zoning designation. Demolition of the current buildings would take place this Spring and the construction of a new building may not get underway for 8 to 10 years. Part of the land is contaminated. The City will provide the wording of the commitment Richcraft is seeking to ASH for Board discussion.

6. Councillor’s report

Claridge bought the property at Chapel and Rideau for redevelopment. Should it ask for a rezoning, this property would qualify for S. 37 of the Planning Act, creating benefits for the community. Mr. Fleury would like the community to start thinking about such benefits to be prepared if and when the time comes. The redevelopment may also provide an opportunity to improve this part of Rideau St. during reconstruction next year.

The Councillor is continuing to discuss with OC Transpo improvements to bus routes 5 and 16. Some improvements were made for access to the Smythe campus but not to connect Strathcona Heights to Rideau St. The Councillor hopes further changes will be made in April.

Rideau St. will be renewed in 2 phases starting this April: Dalhousie to Chapel will be done this year and Chapel to Wurtemberg in 2013. Overhead hydro wires will be buried.

7. Questions from the floor

There were no questions.

8. Executive Committee report

Christopher reported that the Executive had agreed to the following priorities to the AGM: update of ASH by-law, revamp of website, recruitment of chairs for the special events and outreach committees and launch of the Town and Gown committee. Christopher also noted the special bequest ASH received from the estate of Marian Heringer.

9. ASH By-law

Sophie explained the editorial and substantive changes that she was proposing and walked the Board through the by-law section by section. Board members proposed a few additional changes during discussion. Sophie will make these changes with the aim of having the Board approve the new By-law at its next meeting. The Board will circulate the revised By-law to the membership for ratification at the AGM.

Sam agreed to buy a Minute book and corporate seal to replace those we lost.

10. Planning, Development and Transportation

Jane reported on the Committee’s activities:

• ASH made a submission to the Committee of Adjustment about the construction at 466 Nelson St. The Committee ruled against the owner’s application. The owner is appealing.
• The committee met with City staff to discuss tools community associations can use to influence the building and infill process.
• The Committee meets once a month with the Councillor and his staff to discuss planning and development issues in Sandy Hill.
• The Committee organised a workshop in mid-January with City staff on the zoning process.

John is working with community associations and Councillor Chernushenko to prevent the construction of the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor.

11. By-laws and enforcement

The ASH Board committee meets monthly with the Councillor’s office. It was noted that the 311 service seems to be improving. The new noise by-law will come in force in May. ASH should write an article in IMAGE about these matters in the Spring.

12. Special events

The winter carnival was a success in spite of having been organised at the last minute. It went over budget, in part because there had been no time to fund-raise from local sponsors. Marcia will write thank you notes to Barbara Brockmann, who organised the festival, and George Blake to thank them for their contribution.

13. Community relations

ASH attended the consultations over the construction of the new UOttawa stadium. The main concern is ensuring that the riverside pathway not be compromised.

ASH supported the residents of Strathcona Heights to establish a community house. The funding request was unsuccessful.

ASH is working with stakeholders to develop the terms of reference for the Town and Gown committee. Stakeholders will meet February 8 to discuss them. Christopher will circulate them to the Board after they have been approved.

There was a Good Neighbours Committee last week. The Student Federation outlined its plans for its winter carnival. The University has not yet approved the position of community relations officer.

14. Outreach and membership

The Executive is considering how to manage the ASH phone line (is it still needed? Can it be made more useful?). The Executive is also looking for a web designer to improve the current website.

Kyle reported on his work upgrading the membership database. Eventually, he hopes to create links to the website that would allow residents to become members on-line. Kyle will report on his progress at the next Board meeting.

Marcia reminded the Board that the deadline for nominations for the community awards is March 1.

15. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 9.20.

Rencontre du Conseil d’administration d’Action Côte-de-Sable
Le 28 novembre 2011
www.ash-acs.ca
Courriel: info@ash-acs.ca

Present/Présents: Sam Almsaddi, François Bregha, Christopher Collmorgen, Eric
Crighton, Julie Crôteau, Marcia George, Jane Gurr, Claire MacDonald, John Verbaas.

Regrets/Absents: Dave Bagler, Sophie Beecher, Mona Frendo, Liz Kessler, Alice
Kwong, Kyle Simunovic.

1. Welcome and introductions
Christopher Collmorgen chaired the meeting.

2. Review and approval of the agenda
Eric moved (Julie seconded) that the agenda be approved.

3. Approval of minutes
François moved (Jane seconded) approval of the minutes of the November 1 meeting.
Christopher reported that he had written letters in support of burying hydro wires along
Rideau St. and for the establishment of a Community House at Stratchona Heights.

4. Councillor’s report
Mathieu Fleury reported that Council would vote on the City budget on November 30.
Items in the proposed budget include the design costs for a pedestrian bridge across the
Rideau River, increased money for sidewalks, an increased budget for the redevelopment
of Rideau St., funding for the redevelopment of Arts Court and more money for bylaw
services that should ensure longer service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays as well as
on peak days.

The Arts Court redevelopment is not fully funded and the City is seeking $9 million from
the federal government. Another source of revenue could come from the construction of a
twenty-storey building on the eastern part of the site. This is a matter that the ASH Board
will want to discuss again in the future.

However, the City is unable to fund Strathcona Heights Community House to provide
social and recreational services to local residents because of insufficient operational
funds.

ASH Board members expressed their continued support for the UPass at its current rate.

In response to questions from Board members, Mathieu Fleury indicated that
the proposed municipal lobby registry would very likely be amended to exclude
representations from community associations and volunteers. ASH noted that the by-
law should apply to land use and development discussions, which are excluded in the
proposal.

Concerning Centre 454, Mr. Fleury indicated that draft terms of reference for a multi-
stakeholder committee to be created for the area between Nelson, Rideau, Waller and
Laurier should be available by the end of the week.

5. Concerns from the floor
There were no questions from the floor.

6. Planning, development and transportation
Fred Cogan and Barry Padolski presented the plans for the redevelopment of 470
Wilbrod, a house presently occupied by the Vietnamese embassy which the Cordon
Bleu plans to occupy once the embassy moves out. The redevelopment involves the
construction of two classrooms in a new building linking the house to its existing garage
as well as minor variances to the side yard. The house itself would be used for office
space and its exterior preserved in keeping with its location in a Heritage Conservation
District. The Cordon Bleu expansion should lead to a small increase in student attendance
but a reduction in traffic as fewer students own cars than visitors to the embassy.

ASH Board members thanked Mr. Padolski for the presentation and consulting the
community early on this proposal.

François reported on the All Saints Church charrette which took place in early November.
The church congregation, no longer being able to afford the capital upkeep of its
buildings, convened this charrette to explore revenue generation options that would allow
the church to stay open. While the congregation is still at an early stage in its thinking,
the most likely scenario would involve the demolition of Bate Hall at the south side of
the church (not a heritage structure) and its replacement with a medium-rise building
possibly including a mix of commercial, office and residential space. The intent is that
the sale of the land would enable the church to cover its future expenses.

Sam Elias announced that he wanted to redevelop 217 Henderson to the maximum
allowed by the current zoning. He will come back to the Board in early 2012 with
development plans and would like to start construction after tenants move out at the end
of April 2012.

Jane asked the Board to note that the City had asked the developer of the infill properties
at 574 and 576 Chapel to replant the grass that had been paved over in the front yard. The
developer has complied with the City order. The developer had neglected to apply for
a Private Approach Permit. With the assistance of Councillor Fleury’s office, a meeting

will be set up with the City officials responsible for permits with a view to improving
communication within the permitting office to ensure that building permit applicants are
made aware of the private approach permit requirement. Christopher prepared an article
on the Bylaw governing private approaches for the coming edition of IMAGE.

The developer at 466 Nelson has applied to expand his 3-storey, 4-unit building currently
under construction, to include 2 additional units. This will require a zoning change
and an appearance before the Committee of Adjustment. Some neighbours have asked
ASH to support them in opposing this expansion. The ASH Planning and Development
Committee will review the issue and make a recommendation to the Board in the next
few days as the matter is to be heard before the Committee of Adjustment on December

7. By-laws and environment
The five trees that had been planted at Viscount Alexander and being cared for by the
students have been vandalized. ASH has been asked if it would help pay for replacement
trees. Councillor Fleury’s office is also interested in supporting this initiative. Eric will
follow up on options for funding and or the kind of trees that could be re-planted.

Eric reported that the front yard tree planting initiative he is leading has slowed down
because of the season. He has received 2 gift certificates (from Shoppers Drug Mart and
le Cordon Bleu) to be awarded to two homeowners who have subscribed to the program.

Christopher reported on the properties at 336 and 338 Chapel whose owner has been
ordered by the City to return the front yard to its previous condition after a berm on City
property had been removed without a proper permit and the area covered with paving
stones. Christopher thanked Mr. Fleury for his support on this and other by-law infraction
issues.

Christopher reported that the City will enable its officers to enforce several by-laws
concurrently rather than each officer being restricted to a separate by-law. This reform,
and the planned transfer of staff to the by-law division, should improve enforcement and
is expected to begin in January 2012.

Claire will lead the development of an ASH strategy to encourage the City to
implementthe proposed amendment to the noise by-law sooner rather than later. This
amendment will hopefully bring about a change in the amount of noise and the number of
calls to and responses by the City..

8. Special events
François reported that the One and Only sale had been a great success and had attracted
many buyers to the Community Centre. Peter Evanchuk prepared food for 1000 visitors
and almost all the food was consumed. This event generated almost $600 for ASH. It was
agreed that ASH should advertise its sponsorship of this event more openly next year and
put up its banner in the hall where the food is served. Photographs from the event are to
be posted on the ASH website.

Gabrielle Dewalt is starting to organize teams to look after the rink. Marcia will circulate
Gabrielle’s email to the Board. An announcement calling for volunteers will be posted on
the ASH website and another call will be circulated on the ASH listserve.

The next special event will be the annual winter carnival. A coordinator and volunteers
are needed. Please contact Christopher if you are interested.

We still need a Chair and to develop terms of reference for this Committee. Please
contact Christopher if you are interested in helping out.

9. Community relations
Christopher and Jane held a successful meeting with Alan Rock. Mr. Rock said the
University was committed to funding a Community Relations position starting in the next
academic year and also to setting up a Town and Gown Committee for Sandy Hill. The
Good Neighbours Committee will start discussing terms of reference at its next meeting
on November 29.

Christopher will hold a follow-up meeting with Mr. Rock in January. It was suggested
that ASH should seek a seat on the University’s Board of Governors eventually.

An article about the recent trip to London, Ontario, by Christopher and Sam will appear
in the next edition of IMAGE.

Christopher reported on the last meeting of the Federation of Community Associations.
The FCA is preparing a motion to amend the proposed City lobbying by-law to exclude
community associations and include land use and development issues.Also, the FCA
advised that Volunteer Ottawa trains the boards of voluntary organizations and is creating
an inventory of skills available in Ottawa community association boards. The ASH Board
should consider taking this training.

Eric will attend the next meeting of CAFES (Community Associations for Environmental
Sustainability) on December 10.

We still need a Chair and to develop terms of reference for this Committee. Please
contact Christopher if you are interested in helping out.

10. Outreach
We are still planning to update the website and post the names of the new Board
members in early December.

Kyle will take over liaison with the membership from Janice Bernstein.

11. Future meetings
François will host the ASH Board Christmas party on December 14.

The next working group meeting will be on January 9 and will focus on zoning issues.

The next ASH Board meeting will be on January 30 and will include a discussion of the
revised ASH bylaws.

Happy New Year!

The book, “A Short History of Progress”, by Ronald Wright is a favourite book of many Sandy Hillers. It has been made into a film which is showing at the Bytowne.

More than a dozen Sandy Hill families will be going to see the movie on Sun, Jan 15 at 4:35pm. http://www.bytowne.ca/movie/surviving-progress and we would love to have you join us!

We will go to the theatre and buy our own tickets – but after the film we will meet up at T.A.N. Micro Roaster and Cafe, 317 Wilbrod St (at Friel St), https://www.facebook.com/pages/TAN-Coffee-Ottawa/121605144573043?sk=info. The owner has very kindly agreed to extend the hours so that we can get together for a social after the film – to discuss the film or just catch up with each other. She will serve food and drinks until 7:00 and we can hang out until 7:30.

The interest in this event has been amazing. If people are interested, we could have a movie and social as a monthly even!

Warm Regards

Diane Beckett

L’Université d’Ottawa vous invite à participer à la réunion portes ouvertes sur le projet de construction d’un stade en plein air sur le campus Lees. Cette réunion vise à présenter les concepts et les plans du projet de même qu’à donner à la population l’occasion de discuter avec les membres de l’équipe responsable.

Date : Le mardi 17 janvier 2012
Heure : De 18 h à 20 h
Lieu : 200, avenue Lees, pavillon C, entrée principale

Pour plus d’information, contactez Ana Stuermer à a.stuermer@delcan.com ou au 613-738-4160.

University of Ottawa – Proposed Open Air Stadium at 200 Lees Ave

You are invited to attend an Open House hosted by the University of Ottawa to learn more about the University’s plans to develop an Open Air Stadium on its 200 Lees Ave campus. Please join us to learn about this project and provide us with your feedback.

Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location: 200 Lees Ave campus, Building C, Main entrance

For further information, please contact Ana Stuermer at a.stuermer@delcan.com or 613 738-4160.

The Annual Sandy Hill Winter Carnival is taking place on Sunday January 22, 2012 at the Community Centre Park. Join your neighbours for this annual event! Between 2 and 4 p.m. there will be outdoor games, activities on ice and snow, maple sugar taffy, hot chocolate and the much enjoyed horse-drawn wagon rides through the neighbourhood. Wagon rides start at 2:00 with the last ride taking place at 3:45. A local duo of magicians will entertain the children inside between 4 and 5, and the potluck buffet take place between 5 and 7. Please join us for part or the whole of the afternoon!

Remember to bring something for your family and others to share and dress warmly!

Volunteers needed to help with organization and set-up. Please contact Barbara Brockmann at bbrockmann@sympatico.ca OR  at 613-565-8564.

Thank you!

Barbara Brockmann

Download the poster here.

We are looking for new volunteers to help fill out the schedule. You will be placed on a team of 4 to 5 volunteers, perhaps more if we get a good response to this message. Your team will be responsible for maintaining the rink for only one week of the entire outdoor rink season. Experience is not necessary! As rink attendants will be hired to open the shack and supervise the ice, your only job will be to help scrape and flood the rink at 9 p.m. on week nights and 5 p.m. on the weekend. Each flood takes about an hour and, with 4 o 5 people on your team, you may not need to help out every night.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Gabrielle and Bryan Dewalt at:

sandyhillrink@gmail.com See you at the rink!

Sandy Hill from David Beckett Padbury on Vimeo.

If you’re a student, take the tour! See what local experts have to say about the hood.

French Action Sandy Hill flyer