Neighbours await update on Crown Cres. redevelopment
Posted Jul 22, 2010 By Phil Ambroziak
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EMC News - Hope remains for residents of Ottawa's veterans' housing area.
Ottawa West EMC
Residents of Crown Cres. are hopeful a solution can be reached with the owner of this home, located at 60 Crown Cres., as far as a proposed redevelopment to the property is concerned.
In the wake of a committee of adjustment decision, Jonatnan Skelly who recently purchased a home at 60 Crown Cres. must now rethink his initial plans to redevelop the property. As was reported in a recent edition of the EMC, Mr. Skelly had proposed to fix up the original veterans' home currently located on the property, to sever the property into two lots and build two additional structures a two-storey dwelling on one side and a double garage in the middle to serve both homes. It was a proposal that did not sit well with neighbours.
"I support the community on this 100%," remarked River ward Coun. Maria McRae who has been involved in two meetings with residents and representatives of the property owner in the last month. "The first meeting I attended was held in the backyard of one of the homes in that area. It gave me an opportunity to meet with the community, to hear their concerns and to see firsthand what a peaceful environment this area is. It truly gives you a sense of how important it is to preserve the historical aspect of the neighbourhood."
Coun. McRae went on to express how much pride she has for the city's planning staff for organizing the concerns brought forth by the community during that initial June 15 meeting and detailing them in a letter to the committee of adjustment, a letter that was used to help convince the committee that Mr. Skelly should take another look at his plans for 60 Crown Cres.
"I was very happy to see the committee of adjustment support the community as well," she said.
Following the committee's decision, Mr. Skelly hired a new planner to assist him with his revised plans and, although a new proposal has yet to be presented, Coun. McRae did have an opportunity to once again meet with neighbours and the new planner, Bill Holzman, this time at city hall on June 29.
"Bill Holzman is a fabulous man," Coun. McRae said. "He was excellent. He came to that meeting to listen and he was very strong with his support of the
community. He was supportive of their concerns while still understanding he has a role to play."
City staff were also in attendance for what the councillor went on to describe as a "wonderful meeting."
"After it was over, the planner was going to go off, talk to his client, work with city staff on this and come up with a draft design that the community will be able to look at before it goes back to committee of adjustment," Coun. McRae said. "That new plan is not ready yet, however, as these things do take time."
A Crown Cres. neighbour who requested not to be identified by name reiterated the fact that residents are still awaiting a revised proposal from Mr. Skelly.
"We don't know what his plans are now," the neighbour said. "The meeting (on June 29) was positive, but we are being careful because we need more details on what he is planning. We have given him our feedback and we want to keep a dialogue open in order to work with the developer to come to a solution that satisfies both sides."
The neighbour went on to state that residents do not want this matter to turn into an issue of "us versus them."
"There is a process underway and we are committed to a solution," the neighbour continued. "Hopefully we will hear back from the developer shortly."
Coun. McRae said she is happy to see both sides working together.
"Everyone wants to get together on this and push for good urban design," she said. "Carlington is precious and the first plan, as presented, was garbage. It would have turned Carlington into something it shouldn't be it was absolutely abhorrent."
The councillor added that she would have stood firmly behind the local residents and taken the matter as far as they needed to take it.
"Even to the OMB (Ontario Municipal Board) if necessary," she said. "But now it can hopefully go back to the committee of adjustment with a majority of support from the community."
The area now known as the veterans' housing area used to serve as J. R. Booth's lumberyard before all of the lumber was used in the war effort. The property was then procured by the government, which used it to develop housing for veterans returning home from the Second World War.
"That area is almost like an oasis in the middle of a busy, urban area," Coun. McRae said. "I believe the developer's original proposal would have had a negative impact on Carlington forever and been the beginning of a slippery slope to more bad change. Now, I'm very optimistic we will be able to come to a solution we all can be proud of."
Mr. Holzman was not available for comment by EMC deadline.
pambroziak@theemc.ca
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