Submitted by Jeff Leiper, Kitchissippi Ward Councillor
Welcome to February, Kitchissippi!
I know many of you continue to have questions about the COVID-19 situation in Ottawa. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has current news about COVID-19, including information about provincial restrictions, the daily COVID-19 dashboard with detailed data and important updates about the vaccine rollout in the city. As we continue to grapple with the spread of COVID-19, I urge you to take care of yourself. Beyond your personal support networks, and the resources available through OPH, Distress Centre Ottawa is there for you. Their 24/7 crisis line is available at 613-722-6914. Don’t forget to check in with your friends, family and neighbours. We will get through this together.
We’ve received many notes regarding the NCC’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to allow the development of embassies at 1 and 19 Sir John A. MacDonald (SJAM) Parkway. The lands in question are located just south of the SJAM, between Slidell Street and Forward Avenue. This would align with the “Capital Function” of the lands as defined in the federal land use plans and contemplated by the Scott Street Community Design Plan, but I feel that we have an opportunity to reconsider how this well-connected parcel might be better used in light of council’s declarations of both climate and housing emergencies. My office will hold a virtual open house regarding this proposal on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. More information is available at kitchissippiward.ca.
In further development news, I’m pleased to announce that Fiona and I worked with city staff and Claridge in early January to alter the proposed development at 1705 Carling Ave. and remove access to Tillbury Avenue E. These changes finalize the location of the park at the back western portion of the lot and preserve the hedge, with only a pedestrian pathway connecting the development to Tillbury. In lieu of access on Tillbury, the city will be making improvements to the intersection of Carling and Cole to accommodate new traffic. I anticipate this will come before the planning committee in mid-February.
As we move deeper into winter, it’s important we all do our part to make snow plowing and removal as easy as possible for city crews. The city will be instituting winter weather parking bans throughout the season as needed. Until April 1, the city can call a ban on parking on residential streets if the forecast calls for freezing rain or more than seven centimetres of snow. When these bans are called, the city will post on social media, issue media advisories and publish the ban on ottawa.ca; you can sign up to receive alerts via email on the city website. When winter weather parking bans are called, please move your vehicle off the street — there is a list of parking lots you can use in these cases on ottawa.ca. Those with on-street parking permits are exempt from the ban.
Don’t forget to sign up for my email newsletter — there are weekly updates and my virtual pop-up office hours! Email me at jeff. leiper@ottawa.ca to register. Stay safe, Kitchissippi.