It’s long past time to stop ignoring violent behaviour
Heatherington, Vanier South proposals up for discussion at planning committee
Sprucing up parks, creating new programs for teenagers, women and newcomers, and widening sidewalks and bike lanes along St. Laurent Boulevard are some of the ideas outlined in a pair of neighbourhood revitalization plans up for discussion at Tuesday’s planning committee meeting.
Building Better Revitalized Neighbourhoods is a term-ofcouncil initiative to create a “new, made-in-Ottawa approach for identifying and recognizing priority neighbourhoods for improvements, planning for change and identifying opportunities for rejuvenation and renewal.”
After a thorough review, council in March, 2016, selected three neighbourhoods — Heatherington, Carlington and Vanier South.
Carlington, it was later decided, would instead benefit from a plan focused on the Merivale Road north corridor, including economic development and public transportation elements.
As for Heatherington and Vanier South (which includes Overbrook), the neighbourhood revitalization strategies contain action plans that highlight both “quick wins” and longer-term goals.
It’s vital, according to the reports, that the plans contain “achievable actions” and be developed with realistic goals based on assets and opportunities identified through consultation with the community.
Some ideas are fairly straightforward and wouldn’t cost much to implement, while others would require partnerships and significant financial resources.
Pending committee and council approval, a total of $200,000 in one-time funding would be spent on implementing some action items in 2018.
HEATHERINGTON
Part of the focus for this south Ottawa neighbourhood is 1770 Heatherington Rd., a 3.2-hectare site owned by the city, which many see as a great opportunity for redevelopment.
The land — and its potential — is actually what compelled Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans to lobby for the revitalized neighbourhoods program.
Most people who participated in the community consultation would like to see it become a multi-purpose hub that would offer a range of services, including a medical clinic, cultural and recreational activities, affordable housing, community garden and training centre for job readiness.
Some of the infrastructure priorities include: improving Heatherington Road by adding new sidewalks, additional trees and reviewing on-street parking; fixing up Heatherington and Fairlea parks and establishing new parkland sites; and upgrading basketball courts.
Longer-term plans would include determining the feasibility of opening a youth centre, building on the economic development potential for the Walkley Road corridor and creating a crossdepartmental team at city hall to lead the redevelopment of 1770 Heatherington Rd.
Program and service priorities include: supporting new partnerships between the Ottawa Public Library to provide additional programming at the Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre, including the possibility of making it a future location for the Bookmobile program; offering free Wi-Fi at the community centre; providing specialized programs for women and newcomers; and encouraging local businesses to hire residents from the neighbourhood through community benefit agreements.
VANIER SOUTHOVERBROOK
This area is bounded by the Vanier Parkway, Montreal Road, St. Laurent Boulevard and Queen Mary Street.
Infrastructure priorities include: fixing up St. Laurent by widening the sidewalks and bike lanes, adding more trees and improving key intersections; establishing new parkland sites; providing connections to the McArthur Avenue cycling lanes at the west and east ends; completing a feasibility study for cycling lanes on Donald Street; adding bike repair stations; improving pedestrian and cycling connections to St. Laurent transit station; and developing new urban public space on the southwest corner of Lola Street and Presland Road.
Program and service priorities include supporting the development of a new community hub at the former Rideau High School, as well as new partnerships with the public library to provide additional programming at the Overbrook Recreation Centre.
If the planning committee approves the report, council will have the final say Dec. 13 — the same day councillors vote on the 2018 budget.