General Meeting – 21 October 2004

The following amendments were made to the Agenda:

–      Item 6(b) – Special Study Area added to Kanata appeal.

–        The order of Items 7(a) and 7(b) was reversed.

The following item was removed:

– Item 3 – Membership Report and the Agenda duly renumbered.

The following items were added under Item 7 – New Business:

–        c) Rideau Roundtable

–        d) Good Forestry Practices By-Law

–        e) City budget

Motion: B. Barr moved and D. McCree seconded acceptance of the Agenda as amended.  Carried.

Motion: B. Barr moved and D. McCree seconded to approve the payment of $30 to Industry Canada for the annual incorporation fee.  Carried.  It was recognized that this did not demand a motion every year.

Motion: A Kempster moved and D. McCree seconded to approve payment of $11.80 to B. Barr for refreshments at the 2004 AGM and a receipt book. Carried.

The minutes of the meeting of September 16th were amended to correct the spelling of a new member’s name from “Mike Svilans” to “Mik Svilans”.

Motion: B. Barr moved and C. Szpak seconded to approve the minutes of the September 16, 2004 general meeting as amended.  Carried.

No business arose from the Minutes. [We went through the Action items of the previous Minutes, noting which items had been done and which had not. Undone items carry forward.]

Action items in the September 16th Minutes were completed with the following exceptions:

Proposed wording to resolve Alliance ‘s appeal of O.P. Policy 2.4.5.3

1179 Dozois Road -EIS Assessment

Notification of Development Applications

5309 Bank St.  –  setting up meetings with Councillors

5309 Bank St. petitioning Federal/Provincial Ministers about rare species

Queensway widening – the consensus was to not pursue this topic at this time because a deadline had passed.

Amy to submit proposed wording.

Barbara & Janice to analyze.

Erwin to contact John Moser.

J.P. to follow up with Legendre and to contact Deans.

Erwin to work with Iola Price on letter.

(a) Ottawa Official Plan Appeals:

C. Szpak reported that the Alliance had submitted to the OMB an appeal of the City’s Amendment (No. 12) to Section 2.2.2 – Village Boundaries of the Official Plan.  The Alliance maintains that the Amendment, which adds text to Section 2.2.2, stating that houses can be built on country lot subdivisions in the rural area, is premature and believes that this amendment should be deferred until after the appeals of country lot subdivisions in the rural area have been settled.  A. Kempster reported that all four of the new O.P. amendments had been appealed.

Kanata Appeal.  C. Busby, J. Chow, P. Van Boeschoten, and R. Tolmie gave an update of the appeals of the KNL Lands, which involve a 40% land preservation agreement.  Future activities include fund-raising, communication to keep up visibility and raise community awareness, research, and development of the case.  Considerable concern was expressed about the possibility the appellants might be held liable for costs.  Those present assured the Kanata group that it was unlikely because they would be presenting a case.  A Kempster reported that planner Jane Ironside has agreed to review documents.

Special Study Area – the Urban Boundary is being moved against the recommendation of City Staff. Agreements were made concerning Natural Environment Area lands to be dedicated to the City in exchange for other lands to be developed.  P&EC (Planning and Environment Committee) considered the amendment which embodied those land-use changes and the boundary expansion at Committee.  The only opportunity the public had to review the amendment was at Committee.

B. Barr reported on the last Leitrim Community Design Plan meeting. It was announced at the meeting that the projected stormwater pond will be relocated to another site because of the problems associated with the bordering wetlands -the closeness of the development to the wetlands was an issue that the Alliance and the Friends of Leitrim had continuously advanced in the campaign against the development.

JP Unger presented a brief on the 5309 Bank St. property that was produced to be given to selected councillors before the Oct. 12th meeting of the PEC to discuss a proposal to change the Official Plan land use and the zoning of the subject land to permit quarrying.  A major concern of the Alliance is that the land, which is home to a variety of rare species, has not yet had a proper environmental assessment done.  JP and others had already met with councillors Cullen and Holmes.

Council passed a motion for new development charges and sent the issue to the Long-Range Financial Plan Subcommittee of the Corporate Services Committee for review to be done by November 8. Staff originally recommended no transition period for the introduction of the new charges, but Council felt that options for a transition period should be considered.

There have been 40 appeals of the development charges by-law.

A. Kempster to attend meeting on Oct. 22nd.

(a) Gatineau Park Master Plan:

It was announced that a public presentation on the Gatineau Park Master Plan will take place October 27-28 at the Museum of Nature.

B. Grant reported on the founding meeting of Carp Ridge Society which took place October 20.  The purpose of the Society is to protect the environmentally important Carp Ridge from development.

B. Grant also announced that OFGAC (Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee) was to meet in Carp on October 25.

Motion: B. Barr moved and JP Unger seconded to approve payment of $25 for the registration fee for A Kempster to attend the Rideau Roundtable as a representative of the Alliance on October 30.  Carried.

It was agreed that the Alliance make a statement of support for the new Good Forestry Practices By-Law at the PEC meeting October 26.

It was agreed that a committee be struck to review the 2005 budget. A. Kempster and C. Szpak volunteered to be on it.

Motion: B. Barr moved and J. Seline seconded to adjourn the meeting. Carried.   Meeting adjourned at 11:00 p.m.