Report of March 9, 2015 Kanata North Town Hall Meeting

Beaverbrook Library Meeting Room (2500 Campeau Dr.), 7 9 p.m.

1. Welcome and announcements
Kanata Seniors are holding a pancake breakfast on March 28 th.
Neil Thompson, President of the Kanata-Beaverbrook Community
Association (KBCA) reported that he had been contacted by CBC producer
Christine Maki regarding making of a series comparing life in different parts of
Ottawa. They are seeking a family with children living outside the Green Belt
to do a house swap with a downtown family during the week of March Break.
Interested parties should contact Christine at christine.maki@cbc.ca .
2. Community Policing Report - Councillor Marianne Wilkinson: Constable Lori
Fahey had provided an email report with the following data for Kanata North:
- In the Dec. 8/14 March 8/15 period there were 12 break and enter
incidents, 19 damage to property incidents and 6 thefts from vehicles.
- For the last month only (Feb. 1 March 8) there was one break and enter,
one theft from a vehicle and 10 incidents of damage to property.
- Residents are warned that door to door canvassers become more frequent
with warmer weather, and Marianne commented that this has already
started. Residents are encouraged to exercise caution, not opening the
door if they dont want to and being firm if they want to say no. People
should shop around for products and services and be wary of any
unannounced service call or anyone who is unwilling or unable to leave
brochures and give the person time to think about a purchase or schedule
a visit. If in doubt, find a number from a service bill or source other than
the person at the door and call the company. Marianne mentioned that
theres been one operation canvassing for children with disabilities that
has been de-classifed by CRA (i.e., is no longer an official charity for tax
deduction purposes). Marianne also cautioned against door-to-door
people who want to check your water tank.
3. Development:
a) 2 The Parkway New site plan:
- The new site plan which has been submitted is for one seven-storey tower
with 44 condo units and underground parking.
The developer has
indicated that a decision has not yet been made re: what to do with the
post office building. The zoning for the property does allow a total of 90
units, and a decision re: what to do with the rest of the property, including
the post office building, would involve an additional site plan submission.
- Initially the developer had initially applied for a 16 storey building, but the
height approved by Council as a result of opposition and planning issues
was for 7 storeys.
- Currently the market for condo sales is slow, so he is not sure if he wants
to do a second building. Using the post office site as a small business

building (e.g., doctors offices) would be an option, although renovating

the post office building for businesses would require rezoning and parking.
- If the developer decides to do a second tower, the two towers would be
connected at the level of the ground floor.
- Right now the plan has about nine visitor parking spots at the side of the
building, and the condo tower plan has one underground parking for at
least one spot per unit. There would be more room for outside parking if a
second tower is not built. The site is within 600 metres of a future transit
stop, and the City doesnt require more parking because they are trying to
encourage use of transit.
- The developer may have a meeting with the KBCA, but there isnt a legal
requirement for a further meeting. Residents are encouraged to send
their comments via Marianne or directly to the City Planner, Pat McCannMiller. Site plans dont go to Council; normally its the Councillor who goes
back and forth with developer and is responsible for sign-off.
- If the developer decides to build a second tower, it might be beneficial to
build the first building further west (closer to the school parking lot) so
that there would be more space between the buildings and a wide buffer
at Teron.
b) Campeau Drive Extension and other work in that area:
- Campeau currently ends at Didsbury, which is a gravel road. The
landowner in that area is Taggart, and they are putting in water and sewer
and building Didsbury as an urban road. A new road ending in a cul de
sac will provide public access to the expanding Bridge Church.
- The developer is front-ending the work on the Campeau Dr extension to
the Carp River, which will be a 4-lane road. On each side there will be a
curb, a grassed area, an asphalt cycle path and a concrete sidewalk. It
may not be finished until 2017.
- The Carp River restoration is to start this year, making it like a
meandering natural creek, which should reduce flooding, as it will have
greater water-carrying capacity.
On the west side there will be a
pedestrian path. There will be a pedestrian bridge over the Carp River,
roughly at Kanata Ave.
- There will also be another path along the tiny Feed Mill Creek.
- The Campeau Drive work is being done with development charges. Every
building permit thats given out includes a development charge, and that
money is divided into a number of use items as specified in the
Development Charge Bylaw. 90% of the RRCK was paid for through
development charges.
- The Campeau Drive extension is the largest capital item in the budget for
this Ward. The budget also includes the Knudson speed-reduction work,
the park on Richardson Ridge and construction of Klondike, including a
multi-use path from March to Sandhill, providing safer access to the
shopping centre on March.
- KNL would like to see the Goulbourn Forced Road extension done soon.

c) Upcoming blasting on Goulbourn Forced Road and possible new

development: Blasting is planned for the area across from All Saints (the
parcel of vacant land running north from Kanata Avenue), and residents in
the area have received notices about inspecting their houses in advance
of the blasting. The area slated for blasting is owned by Urbandale. No
plans for its development have yet been submitted. The property across
from All Saints is zoned commercial, and the remainder is higher density
with a four-storey height limit, which could include a seniors residence,
low rise apartments or stacked townhouses. Theres a lot of rock in the
middle, and theyre trying to take that out now. It is likely that the blasting
will go on for 2 or 3 months. This is all Precambrian rock, which is the
hardest rock in the world. It was noted that the City of Kanata had a
blasting bylaw, but the City of Ottawa does not. Regulations relating to
blasting are in the realm of the provincial and federal government;
however, the City can dictate that pre-blasting house inspections be done.
Marianne is pushing for a Bylaw on the subject of blasting.
d) Follow-up on previously discussed development:
- New OCDSB school site on Terry Fox/KNL development: There is now an
agreement with KNL relating to the school site at 2 nd Line and Terry Fox.
The Citys final drainage study has been done, and KNL has to take that
and do a drainage plan for the development that doesnt increase the
maximum runoff permitted. Design work for the school can be done now
and construction started soon. Initially the school will be on temporary
services until the subdivision surrounding it is developed. It was noted
that the KNL subdivision is in 4 parts the first is Richardson Ridge
(already built); for the next phase they have to do some design work,
which will include leaving a strip of trees beside the Beaver Pond.
Endangered species, such as the Blanding turtle are found on their lands
as well as the near-by City owned lands. Both Blanding and snapping
turtles are impacted by the development so a remediation plan has to be
developed and approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources, to protect
habitat and breeding areas for the turtle.
- New hotels: Kanata North is getting three new hotels, all 6 storeys high.
These provide accommodation, with no meeting/conference capacity. In
addition to two being built in the Town Centre, the most recently
announced hotel is in Tanger Phase 2.
- Richardson Flats: Uniform has applied for a zoning change to premit eight
four-storey apartment buildings in lieu of townhouses.
- Cabelas: This is a very large, elaborate outdoor sports store with
emphasis on camping, hunting and fishing. They hope to start
construction this spring, although a site plan has not yet been submitted.
- Taggart Realty Kanata Commons: This will be in the new cul de sac near
the Bridge Church; and will include a La-Z-Boy store as well as some
smaller stores. The transitway will go along the side of this in the future.

Heritage Hills Condominiums on Brigil Lands along Kanata Ave. The earlier
plan was for a number of stacked townhouses, of which two buildings
have been built. The townhouses have not been selling well, as the
buildings do not have elevators, so the developer is now considering
apartments with underground parking. The rezoning application has not
yet been submitted. The developer wants to have access for these off
Kanata Ave.

4. Councillors Report:
a) Developments at the Wesley Clover Equestrian Park: In the spring of 2014
a multi million dollar project was announced to redevelop the equestrian
park and campground properties located in the Greenbelt in the
Corkstown Road area.. As well as an equestrian campus of a calibre to
host international competitions and outdoor concerts, the project is to
include eight soccer fields, a lake, a new home for the royal swans, a
restaurant, and a forestry school. The campground will also be extended
and improvements will be made to the trail network in the vicinity of the
campground.
b) Business activities in Kanata North, including a TedTalk in Kanata: The
Kanata North Business Park is growing. The building, being constructed
by Broccolini (for Sanmina) on the east side of March Road, will be
completed by the end of June. Two new buildings are being constructed
along Terry Fox for Ciena. Ciena will also occupy the former Blackberry
building. They will relocate to these buildings when DND takes over the
Nortel campus. In the Kanata North business park the vacancy rate is
lower than its been for some time. The Kanata North BIA is organizing an
independent TEDTalks-type of event. This is a first effort, and the BIA
hopes to hold this activity annually.
c) City Council debates Budget on March 11: The budget is designed to keep
the tax increase to 2%. An unfortunate unfunded need is for
attention/upgrading to kids playgrounds. On the plus side, there is
funding for new bus routes in Kanata.
d) International Womens Day Breakfast March 10 at the Mlacak Centre: In
addition to hearing guest speaker Suzanne Doerge, Executive Director of
the City for All Women Initiative, this breakfast is an excellent networking
event.
e) Kanata North Community Recognition Awards: Residents are asked to
consider who might be worthy nominees in the four categories of Citizen,
Senior Citizen, Youth and Organization of the Year. The nomination
deadline is March 26, to be followed by the awards event in April.
f) Proposed new bus routes: While not yet finalized, there are funds in the
budget for creation of a new route, the 165, an off-peak hours bus which
will start at the RRCK, go around Morgans Grant, down Terry Fox via the
new developments to Centrum and back. As well, two existing routes are
being extended. The 168 will go all the way down to Bridlewood and

g)

h)

i)

j)

k)

Dates
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back to Kanata North. This will help people from Kanata South who are
working in the Kanata North Business Park. In addition, the frequency of
the 93 bus is to be increased. These changes depend on the Budgets
being passed on March 11. Unfortunately, the proposed changes dont do
much for Briarbrook residents.
New Light Rail: The City has reached an agreement with the NCC for
realignment of the Parkway and the burying of light rail underneath it.
From Lincoln Fields it will go via a tunnel to Pinecrest and then follow the
existing transitway to Bayrshore. An extension of the transitway from
Bayshore to Moodie is to start construction this year.
Community Environmental Projects Grant Program: This program is
designed to provide funding to non-profit organizations interested in
undertaking small-scale community-based initiatives that support the
Citys environmental stewardship priorities. The deadline for applications
is June 1.
Older Adult Plan Consultation: The Citys Older Adult Plan was adopted in
2012, and a March 18 consultation is being held at City Hall with a view to
updating the plan and ensuring that it continues to meet the needs of
Ottawas older adults. Advance registration is required by calling 311 or
through ottawa.ca/olderadults.
Building Better and Smarter Suburbs Action Plan: In May 2014 City Council
approved the Building Better and Smarter Suburbs Vision and
Principles, which established high level direction. Subsequently, a
report was prepared discussing the challenge of supporting increased
densities in new greenfield suburban neighbourhoods while
maintaining quality environments. Guidelines have not yet been
finalized. Three working groups are being established to work on better
streets, parking and parks and schools. Cycling/Pedestrian Issue: The
province has agreed to fix the sidewalk on the Eagleson-March bridge and
the City is undertaking work to connect sidewalks from Campeau and the
Eagleson Park and Ride to the bridge.
Queensway-Carleton ACE Ambassador project: Eight City Councillors,
including Marianne, are working together to raise $1.5 million for the
Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Unit at Queensway Carleton Hospital. As
elderly patients often have a combination of health problems, this unit is
being developed to better address type of challenge. The collaborating
Councillors are asking each household to give $30. If donating on line,
make sure to donate through the actual ACE site.

to remember:
March 10, 7 a.m. , Mlacak Centre: International Womens Day Breakfast
March 11, 9:30 am: City Council debates the 2015 City Budget
March 18, 10 a.m. 3:30 p.m. at City Hall: Older Adult Plan Consultation;
register at Ottawa.ca or call 311
March 26: Deadline for Community Recognition Award nominations

April 3: Deadline for World Literacy Day writing challenge for Grades 5 8;
see www.worldlit.ca
June 1: Application deadline for Community Environmental Projects Grant
Program; see Ottawa.ca