The city showed a lack of respect for urban Ottawa when it decided not to appoint a representative of the downtown core to participate in a review of its master plans, says the vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association.
“We have a number of associations and a number of councillors that may not give value to what an urban area gives to the city,” Robert Dekker says. “I would like to see more balance and more respect to what the urban core of the City of Ottawa brings to the overall metropolis of Ottawa.”
The city is in the midst of reviewing its Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Infrastructure Master Plan, Cycling Plan and Pedestrian Plan. As part of the process, three advisory panels were created, made up of councillors, people from the development industry and citizens r from local communities.
None of the councillors or community representatives taking part live in the downtown core.
Dekker says that, while he doesn’t discount the people who were chosen to take part in the review, he is concerned about the lack of an urban representative who can ensure the liveability and the ability to move around communities such as Centretown will be maintained.
He says the city told him downtown communities won’t need specific representation because many – including Centretown – have community design plans. However, Dekker says it is a concern to have people who live in non-urban communities address his community’s needs.
“I don’t know if I want to call it an anti-urban bias, but I would like to say that the urban community can’t be discounted for the value it brings to the City of Ottawa," Dekker says.
The community consultation panel is composed of six representatives from different communities in the city. The Federation of Community Associations, a coalition of local community associations and non-profit groups, chose two representatives and three alternates. Barrhaven Ward councillor Jan Harder and Osgoode Ward councillor Doug Thompson, who chose two each, selected the other four.
The FCA chose Sheila Perry, president of the Overbrook Community Association, and Gary Sealey, from the Kanata-Beaverbrook Community Association, while the councillors chose members of the Cedarhill and Barrhaven community associations.
Bob Brocklebank, a member of the Glebe Community Association and one of the community panel alternates, says people in the downtown core should be more realistic about how much direct representation they will get.
He says the federation did the best it could with limited space and that the panel will adequately represent urban Ottawa
“While it is true we don’t have someone from Dalhousie, Centretown or Westboro, the fact is we were invited to name two people,” Brocklebank says. “And of the two, we have one from inside the Greenbelt – from the urban area – and one from outside the Greenbelt.”
Michael Powell, president of the Dalhousie Community Association, echoes that sentiment.
Powell says that, while he would’ve preferred a purely urban representative, the FCA has a good track record when it comes to representing all parts of the city. and reflecting its membership.
He says there isn’t much cause for concern because most issues that community associations deal with— such as zoning and making sure that development fits within the community— are common across all parts of the city.
Powell says he only hopes the review will bring stability.
“We want predictability so that we can have a sense of what our neighbourhood will see in terms of change, and not constantly be on the lookout for out of character proposals.”