Dear CCCA members/followers,
We have a lot of exciting news about upcoming events and opportunities for you to get involved in the future of our neighbourhood. I know you'll be itching for things to do once the election is over!
Thursday, April 28, 2011, 6-8pm
Ottawa-Centre All-Candidates Event
*volunteers needed!*
St. Paul University (223 Main Street), Guiges Hall, Auditorium
The Old Ottawa East Community Association and the CCCA teamed up with OpenFile Ottawa to organize an all-candidates meeting for people living in Ottawa-Centre. The focus will be driven by you! Questions will be selected through the audience or beforehand through ottawa.openfile.ca. OpenFile is a collaborative local news site. Visit ottawa.openfile.ca and your ideas will help power the event (here's the link http://bit.ly/i29ptt). Spread the word!
A few volunteers will be needed to help direct people to the entrance and to promote the CCCA to potential members. If you can help out on site at the event or by putting up posters in Centretown before the meeting, please contact canning dot martin at gmail.com.
Thursday, May 5, 2011, 5-7pm
Centretown Public Meeting on Rezonings, Community Benefits, and Section 37
Ottawa City Hall (room to be posted on the CCCA website)
The CCCA and Councillor Holmes' office are holding a meeting about Section 37 and Centretown. Section 37 of the Ontario Planning Act allows municipalities to negotiate for community benefits from developers when developers seek to rezone a property with increased height or density. Toronto has been using this provision for over a decade to get nearly $300 million worth of facilities in this type of agreement, but Ottawa has only just started--with Centretown leading the way.
The goal of this meeting is to bring Centretown residents together to introduce the concept, review the City's draft policy, share the list of proposed benefits (including those used in Toronto, those proposed by Ottawa, and those sought by the CCCA based on feedback so far), and get feedback from the community to send to the Planning Department. The CCCA has submitted a list of facilities needed in Centretown, and many of these facilities could be negotiated in a Section 37 agreement. See page 3 of the February 2011 meeting minutes for the initial list. Additional items were added in March (see items 6.4.7 and 6.4.8 of the March minutes).
The meeting will be held in one of the Committee rooms on the second floor of City Hall, and as soon as we find out which one it's in we'll post it to our website.
Sunday, May 8, 2011, 11amJane's Walk Ottawa--Rescue Bronson Avenue
Bronson and Sparks 11am, Chinatown Arch 12pm
The Jane's Walk for Rescue Bronson Avenue on May 8 is confirmed! I'll be leading a behind-the-scenes tour of Bronson Avenue through Centretown, including upcoming road and building developments, highlighting problems and opportunities for fixing them highlighted by the Rescue Bronson Avenue campaign, and looking at some of the heritage and history on the street. We will meet at 11am at Bronson and Sparks and head down Bronson to the Chinatown Arch, where we will break until leaving for the second leg south to Arlington at noon. You can come to either or both sections.
Jane's Walks, named for the late New York/Toronto urbanist Jane Jacobs, are an annual series of free walking tours of all different parts of the city. Ottawa's Jane's Walk is in its fourth year and the CCCA has participated in the past through the Trees & Greenspace Committee. See details for this tour at http://www.rescuebronson.ca/ and see a listing of all 2011 Jane's Walks in Ottawa at http://www.janeswalkottawa.ca/
CCCA is now on Facebook and Twitter!You can now "like" the CCCA on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Centretown-Citizens-Community-Association/196341200402514) and follow us on Twitter (@CentretownCCA). The CCCA's Communications and Membership Committee has been doing some great work to raise the CCCA's profile and give us a more professional web and physical presence. Keep an eye out for more of their work!
Monday, May 9, 2011, 5:30pm
CCCA Planning & Development Review Committee
Ottawa City Hall (Room TBA)
The PDR Committee heard an interesting presentation from Windmill Developments on their revised plans for the Christ Church/Cathedral Hill redevelopment at its April regular meeting. (See the planning applications at http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__7F453W and some background at http://centretown.blogspot.com/2011/03/walk-around-christ-church.html). The CCCA has already submitted comments on the proposal in January. It is expected to go to the City's Planning Committee on May 10, 2011, and subsequently to Council.
We were disappointed to learn that we never received the City's notice in the mail about the rezoning for the Greyhound bus terminal site--despite being told in March that it was coming and to expect it. While the architect had presented the proposal to our December meeting, we wanted to see what was actually being proposed so we could respond to the specifics (for example, we were told in December that the towers in the corners of the site would be 15 and 19 storeys, but the proposal apparently had them much taller). The promised letter never came to us, and our feedback will now have much less impact on the planning process than it could have had.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 5:30pm
CCCA Transportation Committee
Meet at Bridgehead on Elgin at MacLaren (and go elsewhere if there isn't room)
The CCCA's Transportation Committee meets regularly on the second Tuesday of the month. Please let us know if you're interested in coming so we can let you know if there is a change to the time or date of the meeting.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 7pm
CCCA Regular Meeting
Ottawa City Hall (Room TBC)
The CCCA's next monthly Board meeting is on May 17. Thanks to everyone who came out to the April meeting and contributed to the lively discussions. (Did someone leave some black cotton gloves?).
Saturday, June 18, 2011, 8am-2pm
Minto Park Sale and BBQ
*volunteers needed*
Minto Park, Elgin and Gilmour
For the third year in a row, the CCCA will be participating in the Minto Park Sale (formerly the "No-Yard Yard Sale"): our Trees & Greenspace Committee will have its annual plant sale and I'll be back behind the grill for the annual fundraiser barbecue. Proceeds from table rentals at the Minto Park Sale and a portion of the proceeds from the BBQ will go to the Centretown Emergency Food Centre. If you would like to book a table or would like to help organize, promote, or set up the sale, please contact 613-580-2484 or mintoparksale@ottawa.ca
As always, please share this message with people who will be interested in it, and encourage your friends and neighbours to join the CCCA to support our efforts. For your convenience, a downloadable membership form is on the CCCA website at http://www.centretowncitizens.ca/
Thank you for your contributions to making Centretown a great place to live!
Cheers,
Charles Akben-Marchand
President
Centretown Citizens Community Association (CCCA)
http://www.centretowncitizens.ca/
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