As expected, City staff say that a road link from Hazeldean to Minto’s proposed Potter’s Key neighbourhood isn’t necessary to handle traffic from the new subdivision.
Two staff reports were posted today as part of the minutes for a Planning Committee meeting on February 23, when councillors will decide on whether or not to allow the subdivision to proceed as planned. They’ll be voting on a draft plan of subdivision and a zoning amendment.
The reports say that two existing streets, Kimpton and Echowoods, have more than enough capacity to safely handle traffic from the Potter’s Key subvidision:
“Kimpton Drive and Echowoods Avenue have been long designated as part of a collector roadway system in successive updates to the Transportation Master Plan. A collector road is considered in the City road classification system to link neighbourhoods together, and offers a wider right-of-way than a local street to accommodate a larger 5 road surface and sidewalks to allow more volume of traffic and transit movements, up to a maximum of 600 to 800 vehicles per hour. The forecasted traffic, developed in line with all City guidelines and requirements for traffic impact analyses, indicates that the Kimpton/Echowoods connection will be well within the capacity available for this road network at 200 vehicles per hour or three vehicles per minute.”
In recent weeks, Councillor Shad Qadri has said staff supported Minto’s plans. He stated his opposition to the plan in the report:
“As Councillor for the Stittsville community, I do not support the recommendations in this report and do not support the development moving forward as currently proposed. This is a large subdivision development and there are outstanding items that the community and I feel have not been properly addressed. This large development does not have sufficient transportation connections to an arterial road which will be problematic for future and existing residents in the area. Traffic concerns are one of the largest issues that many communities face in the City of Ottawa and this development will increase pressures on the City’s Traffic and Police Department. The developer has also not fulfilled the request to have the same form of housing abutting all existing single detached homes. There are a number of additional issues that have not been addressed including pathway connectivity, a request for a landscape buffer and a appropriate plan for construction vehicle access.”
The Planning Committee will also receive a petition with 81 signatures from residents in Echowoods and Jackson Trails expressing their opposition to the traffic plan.
Councillor Qadri is asking residents to send in comments or attend next week’s meeting in person. His staff is dropping off notices to neighbouring homes this week.
“As the community has continued to raise concerns with this development, I will not be in support of the development when it comes forward to Planning Committee and Council. That said, it is also very important that my Committee/Council colleagues hear from the residents…. I strongly encourage residents to register in advance to speak and please advise me if you plan to attend to ensure that the venue will be large enough to comfortably accommodate members of the public,” he wrote on Facebook.
Click here for background about the Potter’s Key traffic issue….