Kanata north’s community associations are joining forces to lobby against developments that don't fit within the character of the neighbourhoods.
The Kanata Lakes, Kanata Beaverbrook, and Briarbrook, Brookside and Morgan’s Grant community associations have all agreed to unite under the banner of the Kanata North Council of Community Associations – a name which could change – on Monday, Jan. 16.
“I want us to present a united voice to the city,” said Matt Muirhead, president of the Kanata Lakes Community Association. “The city doesn’t recognize the needs of Kanata north and our demands that proper planning be executed in the area.”
The city hasn’t conducted proper planning in terms of the Beaver Pond development, which is owned by KNL Developments, or in the proposed 16-storey highrise, which is in the works for Beaverbrook, said Muirhead.
“I am having a very difficult time in trusting the city’s planning department until they show me they can be trusted,” he said. “If this is happening here, you can bet it’s happening all across the City of Ottawa.”
Gary Sealey, president of the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association, said the united community associations will help improve public services and the strengths of neighbourhoods, as well as address the urgent issues affecting Kanata north.
“We have current and important issues, including a serious sickness with public planning, on which the public needs action,” said Sealey. “We hope that by working together the public will be served.”
The Kourier-Standard EMC was unable to reach Paul Arbour, president of the Briarbrook, Brookside and Morgan’s Grant Community Association, for comment as of the press deadline.
PUBLIC MEETING
The umbrella association is hosting a public meeting for all residents of Kanata north to address the new findings concerning the lands north of the Beaver Pond and the plans involving the proposed highrise in Beaverbrook at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at All Saints Catholic High School, in Kanata Lakes.
“The constant rezoning of areas is something we want to address as a community as a whole,” said Muirhead. “We want to have some say in what's going on in our community.”
There will also be working groups, where residents can discuss what they see as the identity of Kanata, what makes the community unique and how they would like to see it grow.
“This is the first step to what I think is going to be a movement in Kanata north, and then beyond,” said Muirhead. His vision is to develop a proactive approach to development within Kanata north and then the city as a whole.
“We have a city-wide vision,” he said. “Once we have established what good planning practices are…then the city will have to listen and other community associations across the city will hopefully join us.”
Kanata North Coun. Marianne Wilkinson said she thinks the grouping of the associations is a good idea.
“It’s really important on some issues that are sort of for the whole area,” she said. “They're very large associations; they cover a very large territory.
“There are lots of things to talk about.”
Muirhead said he will be speaking with the Village Green and March Rural community associations as well about joining the council and attending the meeting.
BEAVER POND
The city issued a report last year, which was released to opponents of the Beaver Pond development this year under the Access to Information Act.
The new report was completed for the city by AECOM and contrasts the first study, which was prepared by KNL Development’s consultants the IBI Group, regarding how much stormwater Kizell Pond and the Beaver Pond can hold.
“The city has issued a report…that shows discrepancies between different numbers,” said Muirhead. “Now there's a very real flooding danger.
“If there's a flooding danger then that absolutely has to be addressed. The whole thing has to be reviewed.”
AECOM calculated the Kizell Pond could hold about 12,000 cubic metres of water, whereas the IBI Group estimated the capacity at around 86,000 cubic metres. After that, the water would spill over onto Goulbourn Forced Road.
Wilkinson said she’s pushing to have KNL stop removing tree stumps from the lands, but the city’s legal department cautioned that could require the developer to change the subdivision agreements, and at this point, the city can’t stop them from removing the stumps.
“I still want to see if they can do it (force KNL to stop) because they gave bad (information) or misinformation or deliberately false information for the drainage of Kizell,” said Wilkinson. “Because of that, the study the city did shows there's a big problem now.”
IBI estimated the Beaver Pond could hold around 230,000 cubic metres of water, whereas AECOM found it could only hold about 180,000, before water starts spilling over the ground.
Muirhead said the findings are alarming, and could potentially put homes all around the area at risk of flooding.
The development of the lands north of the Beaver Pond is something that will be discussed at the meeting on Jan. 26, including the possibility of a legal injunction.
“The stormwater fills their basements and then the sewage backs up,” he said. “I think if the city doesn’t act on our behalf than I will be seeking a legal injunction to halt the development…to keep flooding risks from the existing community.”
Muirhead said he wants to be a “voice of reason,” adding he wants to see that the city is taking care to provide proper planning when it comes to new developments.
“All I'm really after is appropriate, adequate, good development,” said Muirhead. “Ultimately my goal is to see that any sort of development in Kanata north be based upon established principals of good development. What we’re witnessing at the moment leaves us wanting clarification or mitigation – something is amiss and we want that corrected.”
HIGHRISE
Muirhead said the proposed 16-storey highrise in Beaverbrook is “spot-rezoning,” without the city taking into account the vision of the community.
“We have concerns with the future of the community,” said Muirhead, who met with Bill Teron, known as the “Father of Kanata,” and Wilkinson about the development.
“I'm pragmatic when it comes to development; I understand the need for growth,” said Muirhead. “But what we are seeking is good development in keeping with the spirit of the community and that the community itself has a say in how that community will grow over time.”
Sealey said the rules for development need to be better outlined so developers can’t bend or change them according to a “whim.”
“We would like to see an end to the abuse of the official plan, including zoning and this pervasive sickness all across Ottawa,” said Sealey. “This is a systemic problem and it’s a problem that must be addressed.
“We want to restore the neighbourhood security of the official plan and the zoning on which it depends.”
Muirhead attended the meeting at the Mlacak Centre last year, when the city and the developer gave a presentation on the proposed building.
“These public meetings that the city puts on…tend to end up being more of a show and tell with more heckling than answers, and people leave these meetings feeling frustrated and powerless,” said Muirhead.
He added the meeting on Jan. 26 will be different.
“We will follow through; something will be done,” he said. “We will not stand idly by…while we are being overruled by the city.”
jessica.cunha@metroland.com