GCA Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
Glebe Community Centre – Preschool Room                                                                  
Chair: John Crump, GCA President

Secretary and Timekeeper: Janet Sutherland

7:00-7:10

7:10-7:15

Welcome, Land Acknowledgement and Opening Remarks

  •  
    Introduction of Board Members 

    Consent Agenda:
  • Approval of Agenda 
  • Approval of draft minutes, June 25, 2024  
John Crump

President

John Crump  

7:15-7:35

(20 minutes)

City Councillor Report / Update from Shawn Menard’s Office Jonathan McLeod
8:00-8:20

(20 minutes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8:20-8:30

8:30-8:45

8:45-8:55

 

 

 

Proposal: Board Orientation & Social

Committee Changes

  • Communications – Jenny Pepall
  • Governance – Genevieve McInnes

Committee Reports and Motions: 

  • Lansdowne

MOTION 1:

Be it resolved that:

The GCA endorse the Better Ottawa Lansdowne petition, and circulate it with a request that members also consider supporting it directly. 

MOTION 2:

Be it resolved that:

The GCA write to the City of Ottawa and City Councillors expressing the following views on the event centre/arena site plan:

* We concur with the concerns raised by the Urban Design Review Panel and ask that these concerns be addressed in a revised design plan. 

* We continue to oppose the loss of green space, public parkland and trees due to the location of the event centre and believe that the amount of parkland eliminated in order to permit vehicular circulation is excessive. This extensive loss of parkland is not in keeping with the internationally-award winning design of the urban park at Lansdowne and does not consider the needs of people who will be living in the new residential units at Lansdowne.

* We call for a redesign of the proposed vehicular and pedestrian access and circulation paths to eliminate circulation pinch-points and pedestrian-vehicular conflicts. 

* We call for a natural green roof instead of a green-coloured plastic membrane which will create a heat island. 

* We oppose an illuminated roof which causes light pollution and a risk to birds.

* We request a revised building design which does not compete visually with the heritage value of the Aberdeen Pavilion. 

* We ask that the site plan for the event centre be presented in context of all of Lansdowne Park and not as if it were an isolated development. This piecemeal approach to site planning limits public understanding of the overall project’s scope and has prevented the exploration of options that would make all of Lansdowne Park successful. (For example, access/loading could be west of the north side stands rather than east which brings heavy vehicles into the public realm).

Committee Updates

Issues from the Community  

Chair/President’s Report / Closing Remarks 

  • Future meeting format

    Adjournment

Catherine Waters

June Creelman

John Crump  

June Creelman

John Crump

John Crump 

John Crump 

Next Meetings: GCA Board of Directors Meeting – Tuesday October 22, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.   VIA Zoom

GCA Board of Directors Meeting – Tuesday November 26, 2024

7:00 p.m.  Glebe Community Centre – Preschool Room

ANNEX A – COMMITTEE REPORTS

Executive Committee

Environment  

Great Glebe Garage Sale 

Health, Housing and Social Services 

Lansdowneverbal update and two Motions

Membership 

Parks

Planning

Transportation

Federation of Citizens Associations

ANNEX B – MOTIONS

  1. Lansdowne Committee

MOTION 1:  Petition

*Whereas a resident of the Glebe has launched a petition calling for the City of Ottawa to hold a referendum on Lansdowne spending ( https://betterottawa.ca/lansdowne/);

* Whereas the Glebe Community Association has advocated for more financial transparency and meaningful consultations on Lansdowne;

* Whereas the City’s Auditor General has indicated that estimates for Lansdowne 2.0 have underestimated costs and over-estimated revenues; and

* Whereas Mayor Sutcliffe has declared that the City is in a financial crisis, just nine months after Council approved proceeding with the development of Lansdowne 2.0;

Be it resolved that:

The GCA endorse the Better Ottawa Lansdowne petition, and circulate it with a request that members also consider supporting it directly. 

MOTION 2: Site Plan

* Whereas the City of Ottawa has submitted a Site Plan for a new event centre/arena at Lansdowne Park; 

* Whereas the City of Ottawa’s Urban Design Review Panel has raised major concerns about the event centre’s design and impacts on public gathering and green space, which the City’s Lansdowne 2.0 team appears to have largely ignored; and

* Whereas the GCA and community members have raised significant concerns about the location, design, operations and environmental and transportation impacts of the event centre;

Be it resolved that:

The GCA write to the City of Ottawa and City Councillors expressing the following views on the event centre/arena site plan:

* We concur with the concerns raised by the Urban Design Review Panel and ask that these concerns be addressed in a revised design plan. 

* We continue to oppose the loss of green space, public parkland and trees due to the location of the event centre and believe that the amount of parkland eliminated in order to permit vehicular circulation is excessive. This extensive loss of park land is not in keeping with the internationally-award winning design of the urban park at Lansdowne and does not consider the needs of people who will be living in the new residential units at Lansdowne.

* We call for a redesign of the proposed vehicular and pedestrian access and circulation paths to eliminate circulation pinch-points and pedestrian-vehicular conflicts. 

* We call for a natural  green roof instead of a green-coloured plastic membrane which will create  a heat island. 

* We oppose an illuminated roof which causes light pollution and a risk to birds.

* We request a revised building design which does not compete visually with the heritage values of the Aberdeen Pavilion. 

* We ask that the site plan for the event centre be presented in context of all of Lansdowne Park and not as if it were an isolated development. This piecemeal approach to site planning limits public understanding of the overall project’s scope and has prevented the exploration of options that would make all of Lansdowne Park successful. (For example, access/loading could be west of the north side stands rather than east which brings heavy vehicles into the public realm).