(Site map for the 1981 Maple Grove Claridge Homes development. Site map: Novatech)
The Bryanston Gate Community Association (BGCA) is urging residents not to miss their opportunity to take part in a public meeting addressing a proposed development at 1981 Maple Grove Road September 14.
The 196-unit Claridge Homes development includes the extension of Maple Grove Road west to Stittsville Main Street as well as 57 detached homes, 101 townhouses, 38 back-to-back townhouses, and a parkette.
BGCA President Carol Lenz says community input is essential to bringing the city and developer’s attention to a number of unanswered questions and concerns that Lenz outlined in an email sent to the association’s membership.
“Moving forward, it will be essential to have a community response to this planned subdivision,” she wrote. “Other than opening Maple Grove Road to Stittsville Main Street, the plans have not changed. Will trucks be coursing down Johnwoods and Alon Street? Will they be using only the Stittsville Main Street route? Has the capacity for traffic at Huntmar and Maple Grove been improved to such a degree that traffic from the subdivision and from Stittsville Main Street can be accommodated safely?”
Lenz noted she has been in contact with Stream Shen, the city’s planner for the file, and feels that the information she received is important for residents in Bryanston Gate and Fairwinds. One of the issues she identified is that the upcoming virtual meeting may be the only public meeting about the development, even though a revised submission is expected from the developer. The developer may opt to host another meeting, but is not obligated to do so, according to Shen.
Lenz said not having the revised plan before the public meeting makes it difficult to make meaningful comments about the impact changes to elements such as street layout may have on the adjacent neighbourhood.
Also at issue is the timing of construction of roadways around the boundary of the subdivision. The site, which is just north of Maple Grove Road, will eventually be bordered on the west side by the extension of Stittsville Main Street, and along the north by the future Kanata West Main Street. Three of the access points to the development will be along Stittsville Main Street, one on Kanata West Main Street, and one on Maple Grove. However, Lenz said the extension of Stittsville Main is dependent on available funding from the city, while the construction of Kanata West Main will be a joint effort between the developers of 1981 Maple Grove Road, 1919 Maple Grove Road, and 195 Huntmar Road – with no clear timeline on either project. Only the extension of Maple Grove Road to the existing Stittsville Main Street dead end will be completed as part of the build out.
“This will result in Maple Grove Road being the only access/egress to this subdivision for the foreseeable future,” Lenz wrote, adding she has concerns about additional traffic on Santolina, Johnwoods and Maple Grove. “Picture the traffic heading north on Stittsville Main Street to veer east onto Maple Grove in the morning, with a reversal of the process in the evening.”
And although Maple Grove will be extended, Lenz noted she was told the developer is only obligated to bring the north half of the road fronting its property to an urbanized standard. “Only one half of the road will see the installation of sanitary and storm sewers, repaving, sidewalk and curb installation, etc.,” Lenz explained. “The south half, which forms the boundary of the Bryanston Gate Community, will not be developed as part of this planned subdivision. Which begs the question: ‘When will the south half be constructed? When will the residents of Bryanston Gate have a safe roadway at the north end of our community? Is it me or does it seem absurd to construct only half of a road at any one time?”
Stittsville Village Association President, Tanya Hein, echoed some of the concerns from her Bryanston Gate counterpart. “It’s really difficult to create functional, connected, communities with a piecemeal approach to critical supporting infrastructure like roadways and transit,” Hein said. “The elements may eventually come together, but it can be a long and frustrating wait for new and existing residents when funding is tight and timelines are distant. It puts a lot of pressure on existing infrastructure.”
The virtual public meeting takes place September 14, 4-5:30 pm, and will include remarks from the ward councillor, city staff, the applicant, and public participants.
Questions may be sent in advance to stream.shen@ottawa.ca to be asked on your behalf before or during the meeting, or you may speak during the question and answer period.
Details on how to join the meeting via Zoom or telephone are found at: http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%20Referencing_Subdivision_Image%20Reference_2020-08-17%20-%20Notice%20of%20Public%20Meeting%20Final%20-%20D07-16-18-0010.PDF.