Comité des transports
Submitted by/Soumis par : Councillor
/ Conseiller Georges Bédard
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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That the Transportation
Committee recommend that Council direct staff in the Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability Portfolio, Planning and Growth Management Department
and the City Operations Portfolio, Public Works and Services Department
be directed to partner with the Quartier Vanier BIA and its consultants to
provide support and assistance as needed to complete a study for the closure of
certain streets on Montreal Road as previously identified in the City of Ottawa
Official Plan.
Que le Comité des transports recommande au
Conseil d’indiquer à son personnel responsable du portefeuille des Services
d’infrastructure et de la Viabilité des collectivités, du service d’Urbanisme et de Gestion de la croissance,
du portefeuille des Opérations municipales et des Services et Travaux
publics de faire équipe avec les responsables de la ZAC du Quartier Vanier et
avec leurs consultants pour leur offrir aide et soutien, si nécessaire, afin de
terminer l’étude sur la fermeture de certaines rues croisant le chemin Montréal
conformément aux recommandations émises au préalable dans le Plan officiel de
la Ville d’Ottawa.
The purpose of this report is to
seek support for an initiative being undertaken by the Quartier Vanier Business
Improvement Area (BIA) on behalf of the City of Ottawa to implement policies
contained within the City of Ottawa Official
Plan, Volume 2B – Site Specific Policies – Former City of Vanier (excerpt
follows).
Section 4.4.2 Downtown Commercial District
The downtown commercial area extends in an east-west direction from
Cummings Bridge on the west to Cantin Street in the east. In the north-south direction, the distance
of the district boundaries from Montreal Road varies from one half to two city
blocks, as shown on Schedule A-1 (attached).
The study (Montreal Road Commercial Area
Revitalization Study – 1987), completed by Haigis/MacNabb/Deleuw Ltd., Planners
and Landscape Architects, in October 1987, serves as the basis of development
policies for the downtown commercial area. After detailed examination of the
condition of businesses, and of the area economy in general, together with that
of the infrastructure and the physical environment, the study identified a
number of issues and opportunities.
The study concluded that a lack of focus in
use and style inhibited the establishment of a profitable commercial economy in
the district. Proposals to ameliorate these conditions included identification
of specific sectors and foci, each by function or use concentration,
construction style and scale as well as the initiation of a program of facade
and streetscaping improvement.
Prior to amalgamation, significant progress had been made in the implementation of the streetscaping improvements and the redevelopment of portions of the area. Notably in the vicinity of Dupuis Street, this street was closed at Montreal Road as part of the construction of an office complex. This closure was one of four proposed closures identified in the City of Ottawa Official Plan intended to reduce the number of offset intersections; to create public spaces and; to improve the pedestrian environment. The elimination of Provincial funding support for downtowns coupled with pressing capital priorities in other areas of the City of Ottawa spelled an end to further implementation of these policies.
Over the past two years, the Quartier Vanier BIA has embarked on an aggressive campaign to revitalize its business area. To date, the focus has been on programs related to safety and security, street beautification and events like the Vanier Farmers Market. However, it has been determined that more permanent capital projects need to be undertaken to support business retention and new business recruitment. The street closures would enhance commercial revitalization by enhancing the pedestrian environment; creating public spaces suitable for passive and active use; and reducing vehicular conflicts between commercial and residential areas while maintaining good pedestrian access.
Scope of Work
The overall purpose of this study is to investigate the potential for the closure of the remaining streets identified in the original Montreal Road Commercial Area Revitalization Study. These are Emond Street, Cody Avenue and Olmstead Street (north) at Montreal Road. The closure of these streets was previously identified by the former City of Vanier in a study entitled “Montreal Road Commercial Area Revitalization Study - 1987”. Given the time that has passed, it is necessary to revisit the reasons for the proposed closures and to investigate in some detail, the implications on traffic movements in the study area.
In general, the study will be made up of the following tasks or steps:
It is estimated that this project will take four to six months to complete up to the final stage of initiating the process for closure. The process for closing a road follows a predetermined path, which takes additional time of approximately 15 to 17 weeks. Should the study recommend road closures, the BIA would consider entering into a cost-sharing agreement with the City to begin the implementation phase of the project. This would likely consist of a temporary closure initially and then a more formal and landscaped treatment of each area as design and construction funding is available.
For the BIA, the project will be lead by Momentum – Strategic & Creative with the support of the engineering firm - MRC (McCormick Rankin Corporation) at an estimated cost of $20,000.00 paid for by the BIA. Preliminary meetings have been held with staff in Infrastructure Services & Community Sustainability Portfolio, Planning and Growth Management Department and requests for traffic count information have been submitted to City Operations Portfolio, Public Works and Services Department.
Planning and Growth Management
Staff will assist the BIA and its consultants with the study as it is important to reassess the road closure policies in the former City of Vanier Official Plan carried forward in the new City of Ottawa Official Plan.
The Scope of Work for the study must examine the impacts on: a) pedestrian and vehicular traffic, b) parking supply and demand, and c) social concerns. With respect to the implementation of the study’s findings, staff would be supportive of the temporary installation of jersey barriers to gauge the impact of the road closure. Based on the consultant’s recommendations, staff would seek direction from Committee on monitoring and reporting back on the effectiveness of the jersey barriers to see if they are in fact addressing or solving any identified concerns. Staff would also seek a defined timeline to redevelop one, two or all three of these proposed road closures in a high quality and permanent manner. Without such a strategy, staff believe that the jersey barriers could remain in place over the longer term, which would represent a general deterioration of the high-quality streetscape along Montreal Road that currently exists.
It should be noted that there are currently approximately 600 area traffic management measures that are unfunded at approximately an outstanding cost of $7 million. Should a permanent road closure solution be pursued it will be ranked with the remaining project list and cost-sharing opportunities will be explored with the BIA.
Public Works Department
Based on the fact that this initiative is being undertaken by the Quartier Vanier Business Improvement Area (BIA) on behalf of the City of Ottawa to implement policies contained within the "City of Ottawa Official Plan, Volume 2B - Site Specific Policies - Former City of Vanier", the fees that would normally be charged for works undertaken for an external organization will be waived.
There are no rural implications associated with this Motion.
Subject to the following comments, there are no legal/risk management impediments to the implementation of this Report's recommendation:
1. As the recommendation is to complete a study only, that part of the "Scope of Work" in the Report which states that the study will include a "filing of applications for road closure" is out of context. We suggest the this bullet be removed, which will then leave the Board of the Quartier Vanier BIA free to decide if it believes it is appropriate to file applications for road closures with the City of Ottawa.
2. The Report makes no reference to the fee payable to the City of Ottawa for each road closing application.
3. The staff comment in the Report contemplates the temporary closure of roads to gauge the impact of the proposed road closures. In the absence of a City By-law authorizing it to do so, staff cannot close an open road allowance temporarily, for the purpose of conducting this study. Accordingly, a second recommendation is required, whereby Council authorizes staff, if staff considers it necessary for the purpose of the study, and while the study is carried out, to physically close temporarily one or more of Emond Street, Cody Avenue and Olmstead Street (north) at Montreal Road.
All BIA expenditures must adhere to the Vanier BIA purchasing policy and any expenditure of funds must come from existing funds or have been allocated in the Vanier BIA 2010 Budget.
Staff to undertake Council direction