NOTEBOOK: Stittsville South zoning, french immersion, Huntmar-Maple Grove, more

STITTSVILLE SOUTH ZONING APPROVED
This week the City’s Planning Committee unanimously approved a zoning change for a subdivision at Stittsville South, paving the way (pun intended) for a new residential development including 339 single detached, 162 multiple attached and 152 low-rise apartment units.  It goes to City Council for full approval on February 24.

HUNTMAR-MAPLE GROVE
A small update from my colleagues at the Fairwinds Community Association on re-configuring the lane markings at Huntmar & Maple Grove. “We’ve been getting a few questions from residents about the status of the Huntmar-Maple Grove intersection, so we asked Councillor Qadri for an update.  He provided an updated drawing (below) and says that the traffic department hopes to have the new lines painted very soon, depending on the weather.  Note that this configuration includes bike sharrows in both sides of Huntmar south of Maple Grove.”

FRENCH IMMERSION
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board voted Tuesday night to approve changes to French immersion and kindergarten, starting in September.  Kindergarten clases will become 50/50 bilingual, and math will be taught in English from Grades 1 to 3.

The Ottawa Citizen reported on comments that Stittsville parent Jennifer Beveridge made at the meeting:

“(Her son) Kyle heads to senior kindergarten next year, and she doesn’t think a bilingual class is best for him. Beveridge said she might file a legal challenge against the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, pull Kyle out of school during French instruction, home-school him, or even move out of Ottawa. Her options are limited because the Ottawa Catholic School Board already has bilingual kindergartens.”

This isn’t the first time that french immersion has caused controversy in Stittsville. Here’s an article from the Ottawa Citizen in 1984, when there was a proposal to eliminate english from Stittsville’s only public school.

ON PUBLIC CONSULTATION (OR LACK THEREOF)
Last week the City held the fourth open house for a pedestrian bridge across the Rideau Canal between Fifth and Clegg Street.  With an estimated price tag of $17.5-million, the City is hoping to start construction on the bridge by 2017.

Just wondering: Why has it been over five years since residents have had an open house on the Carp River Restoration Plan?  It’s one of the largest and most important infrastructure projects in western Ottawa, estimated to cost $18-million with taxpayers picking up about a third of the cost.

It’s undergone some major design changes since the last time the public had a look at it (circa 2009). Since then, planners have eliminated two pedestrian bridges, and the bike paths don’t cross the Queensway (over or under).

If not a physical open house, maybe the City could at least publish some up-to-date maps and details about the project on their web site?  The latest information dates from 2011.

The Carp River may not be as pretty as the Rideau Canal but residents still deserve a meaningful update about what their tax money is actually paying for.