Yesterday, NRP attended a meeting hosted by Councillor Peter Hume. In attendance were representatives from the other 3 neighbourhood groups: Rosewood Estates, Protect Vista on the Park and CCC500, as well as John Smit of the City of Ottawa. Ted Fobert of Fotenn Planning & Urban Design was present to provide an independent urban planner perspective.
The meeting was arranaged to review the most recent proposal (here and here) by the developer that was prepared in consultation with the City of Ottawa, Councillor Hume’s office and an independent urban planner brought in by the City of Ottawa. The meeting’s goal was to provide an opportunity for comments that the City of Ottawa and Councillor Hume could then use as possible conditions for the developer to agree to in order to receive approval.
Significant changes to the previous proposals from the developer include:
1. The removal altogether of Building E on Playfair Drive. Building D (off of Playfair and parallel to 1701 Kilborn Avenue) is to be a graduated 5 storey building with 36 units.
2. The attempt to provide greenspace behind 1695 Playfair Drive with the removal of above ground parking. The proposal seems to present a hybrid parking system with most of it below the surface, but with some kind of a roof that will allow greenspace and garden plots above. This design remains a bit confusing to all without 3D photos.
3. The existing towers (1695 Playfair and 1701 Kilborn) will be retrofitted in a manner more consistent with providing a more open space.
4. Traffic – The underground parking setup will divide the volume of traffic appropriately between Playfair and Kilborn.
Based on comments at the meeting, issues that still need to be resolved include:
1. Future Development – In the new proposal, the developer has left the words “Future Building Site” where proposed Building E used to be. There was unanimous unease with the idea that the developer may conduct future development on this site and/or the site behind 1695 Playfair Drive at a later stage.
2. Building C – Though the developer is legally entitled to build a 45 metre (14 storey) building, there remain concerns about the look-feel of the proposed building (sculpting, terraces) and the privacy issues to the West facing side (looking onto Rosewood Estates).
3. Garbage / Moving – The issue of where the loading zones will be placed for moving trucks, the garbage and the recycling for Buildings A, B, C and D remains unclear.
4. Parking off of Playfair Drive – CCC500/Protect Vista on the Park have confirmed that there is a legal issue that they will need to raise independently with the developer with respect to the above ground parking areas that are in place off of the Playfair Drive entrance.
5. Alternate vehicle access to CCC500 from Playfair Drive.
6. Timing of improvements – could priority be given to retrofitting Buildings A and B before the construction of Buildings C and D?
7. Proper landscaping.
8. Blending of the project to the neighbourhood and to the existing Buildings A and B.
Any additional comments are to be provided to Councillor Hume’s office by Friday, August 14th. If you have any comments, please pass them on to NRP via the website or at norezoneplayfair@gmail.com in order for us to bundle the community’s comments together in one tidy package.
A big thank you to Councillor Hume and his staff (Anne Ménard and Susan Scott) for putting together the meeting!
No Rezone Playfair 
kate thompson said,
August 8, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
I own a home on Playfair Drive. I also have a mentally-challenged cousin who lives at 1701 Kilborn presently. I am most worried about prolonged construction noise and increased traffic from the proposed redevelopement. I read that most traffic will be directed to Kilborn ( 80 % ) with only 20 % having access to Playfair Drive. Is this still part of the planned proposal??? I think we will need ” no through traffic signs ” posted on Playfair Drive or it will become as busy as Allta Vista Drive is now. I am witness to the fact that many drivers already do not respect the three-way stop at the corner of Playfair and Delmar. I can’t imagine what that corner will look like with increased pressure on it. When is the next community meeting????