Let’s linger, park for longer Longtime residents helped create Westboro Village

The city is well intentioned by charging for parking in retail areas; however, what it fails to realize is that, in order for patrons to shop in a defined neighbourhood, the parking must allow longer than one hour before the meters run out.

I now avoid shopping in the ByWard Market as I am not able to plug the meter for longer than one hour. I want to browse the shops and not worry about having to think about my meter running out.

If they are going to charge for parking along Wellington Street in the Westboro neighbourhood, they should be programming the meters to allow for up to two to three hours. The city seems to be ignoring the fact that people like to linger and spend time, and dining at a restaurant takes longer than one hour.

NANCY BORSK, Ottawa As a resident of the area for more than 35 years, I must take issue with the report on parking in the area, which is currently being considered by the City of Ottawa transportation committee.

The consultants who prepared the report apparently found that ample parking was available “... within a reasonable distance ...”

As a senior citizen, I would quarrel with the authors’ choice of words. Having spent a great deal of time over the years shopping and dining in the so-called “commercial strip,” I know that parking space has always been at a premium, and over the last decade, with the amount of building, new business and increased traffic in the area, it has become a painful and irritating problem.

To add to the grief, I understand that the city may soon entertain for approval a proposal for a Winston Place Park. Winston Avenue adjoins Richmond Road in the aforementioned strip and the proposal, if accepted, would result in the loss of about 10 parking spots on the avenue itself and another three or so on Richmond Road.

All this to accommodate someone’s idea of creating a handy “village” spot that would provide seating space for several local franchisees, while at the same time inconveniencing other long-standing area businesses (such as the Canadian Legion Branch 480) and imposing other silly limitations on patrons of those places in terms of accessibility and enjoyment.

It’s well past time for the city to stop bowing to the fantastic “village” images of newcomers to the area and the ever-enterprising developers who have created or contributed to this mess.

Have some regard for the longtime residents who helped create Westboro Village.

PETER LAWLESS, Ottawa