October 31, 2019
Mayor Jim Watson
City of Ottawa
Dear Mayor Watson,
Two weeks ago, Councillor Fleury shared with the community associations in his ward a PowerPoint presentation on the proposed priorities for the term of Council. He invited us to provide comments. On behalf of the executive of the Lowertown Community Association (LCA) I would like to share our reactions with you. The LCA strongly endorses the vision for Ottawa contained in the Draft Term of Council presentation,
“Our city is made up of vibrant, distinctive, connected and safe neighbourhoods, is economically diverse, strong, and affordable, has accessible and sustainable transportation, embraces our diversity, social and cultural activities, and is a leader in environmental stewardship.”
Lowertown currently matches several of these traits but in others it falls woefully short. Lowertown is a distinctive, vibrant diverse community which still has a significant amount of affordable housing, and with good access to roads, highways and public transportation. Lowertown is blessed by its heritage structures and major national institutions. It is a community where residents can walk to almost any service in a few minutes. Lowertown is growing, and ongoing densification, if it is well planned, can add many more residences and businesses in the downtown area. However, Lowertown remains divided by a major truck route. It is starting to be perceived as dangerous for visitors and residents alike. The failure to invest in its public infrastructure and to enforce the bylaws designed to protect the community are leading to a deterioration of Lowertown. Whether by design or neglect, the ByWard Market is becoming saturated with licensed drinking establishments at the expense of its distinctive character and a place where pedestrians seemingly come second to patios.
The following specific comments by the Lowertown Community Association are offered in the hope that the City can revise its priorities to match the very compelling vision contained in the City’s presentation.
Economic Growth and Diversification:
Lowertown is a mixed-use community offering many jobs in the commercial and tourism sectors. It has been an incubator for high tech firms like Shopify and a place where new restaurants could get their start up. It already has several important hotels with the potential for more. Tourists flock to Lowertown to relax, to see the views of Parliament Hill, and to visit the major national institutions in or near Lowertown. But the public domain in Lowertown is in serious decay, the City’s own bylaws on bars are ignored, crime rates are starting to inhibit tourism. The LCA has the following comments on the specific actions noted in the presentation:
1. The emphasis on investment in major sports is exaggerated. The city should focus on one or two major sports and get out of those professional sports that do not attract enough spectators to be self-sustaining. Local arenas and parks must also be renewed and maintained.
2. The ByWard farmers market should be revitalised in a strategic partnership with the agricultural producers in the City of Ottawa and surrounding areas.
3. The ByWard and Rideau BIA’s should be supported to ensure that the LRT provides enhanced commercial traffic in off-peak hours.
4. Tourism should be enhanced through a major upgrading of the public domain in the ByWard Market and by targeting both the family-oriented tourism that is attracted to the national capital, and the major conference drawn to the political centre of Canada.
5. Make key investments in the ByWard Market public domain consistent with the recommendations of the Market’s Public Realm Plan.
6. Special bylaws and regulations should be made for communities in the urban core to support mixed residential and commercial uses. Bylaw enforcement should be financed to permit the effective and efficient enforcement of these bylaws.
Integrated Transport: The LCA proposes three specific priorities:
1. Enhance and expand the network of safe bicycle lanes in Lowertown.
2. Install effective, long-term traffic calming measures on King Edward Avenue.
3. Promote off-peak use of transit to enhance commercial activity in Lowertown.
Thriving Communities:
1. Lowertown has by far the highest crime rates per capita in all of Ottawa. The Community Association has tracked the crime statistics provided by OPS since 2011. In that time crimes against persons and against property have consistently risen. As a priority, this Council should work with the local residents, the BIA’s, and the OPS to determine the causes and realistic solutions to this high-level crime rate. We urge Council to apply the best available research and develop plans to reduce crime in Lowertown to levels no greater than in any other community in the urban core.
2. Reducing patio fees should only apply where there is a lack of current supply. In Lowertown last year patios fees were reduced for bar-owners who would be able and ready to pay commercial rents for such space, and at the same time, community centre rentals have gone up for group activities so many have had to move or cease.
3. More services for the homeless population in Lowertown are essential. People who are homeless and grappling with substance use disorder have little access to services and spaces that really suit their needs. Housing first has been proven to save government costs and improve lives. Specifically, we support the following actions recommended by the Ottawa Alliance to End Homelessness:
·Development of a comprehensive affordable housing strategy for Ottawa, with clear targets, outcomes and benchmarks, along with reduction goals in chronic shelter use, to be reported on annually.
Setting a target for the amount of affordable housing to be developed every year.
Strong citywide Inclusionary Zoning by-law that ensures 25% of new development is dedicated to affordable housing, and places a special emphasis on deeply affordable housing within 1km of rapid transit stations.
Environmental Stewardship:
LCA supports the action noted in the presentation but would like a more specific set of recommendations to respond to the Climate Emergency, both to prevent further deterioration and to mitigate the expected harmful effects such as greater flooding.
Service Excellence:
The LCA is increasingly concerned about the lack of capacity in the City to enforce existing or new bylaws and we note that the basic standards of city maintenance often mean that streets and sidewalks are dirty or even dangerous. The priorities of the city should include increased spending of operations and enforcement.
Thank you for providing our Association this opportunity to comment. We hope that our suggestions will help to improve the final term of council priorities.
Sincerely,
Norman Moyer,
President, Lowertown Community Association