Concern over emergency vehicle access and visitor parking were some of the issues raised at a sparsely attended meeting held to discuss the final piece in the Central Park development.
Less than a dozen area residents turned up to last month's meeting at the Alexander Community Centre to review the proposed subdivision plan. The plan calls for the construction of approximately 150 residential units near the intersection of Clyde and Maitland avenues, just north of Laurentian High School. The units will consist mainly of townhouses with some semi-detached homes.
The only entrance to the subdivision will be off Merivale Road. The fact that no vehicular access is proposed to the west has not gone unnoticed. This is a safety issue, said Larry Sargent, president of the Central Park community association. This could hinder emergency vehicles' response time, he said. “The only way to get a firetruck through is by Merivale,” said Sargent.
Patrick Legault, a City of Ottawa planner, said the proposed plan has been circulated to fire, ambulance and police agencies for review. Fire access to units is covered under building codes, said Legault. “Codes have specifications as to how far the furthest unit can be from where a firetruck can access, typically it's 90 metres. As long as the firetruck hose can reach 90 metres, it will meet the standard,” he added.
The current overflow of vehicles onto residential streets is an issue Bart Hollington says he wants curbed. Legault said the developer will be required to provide a certain number of visitor parking spots based on the number of units.
Ashcroft Homes has acquired the 3.8 hectares of land that used to belong to the federal Department of Communications.
William Buchanan, from Ashcroft Homes, says both home and business owners will reap the benefits of the new development. The subdivision will help meet housing demands while area businesses, particularly those on Baseline and Merivale roads, will profit from the influx of new residents.
Comments collected from the public have been forwarded to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, which acts as the approval authority for subdivisions.
Construction is set to begin early next year and will take approximately two to three years to complete.