Letter: Another look at city land purchases

To the Editor,

I agree there is concern with the City of Ottawa land deals.

Not only with the purchases, but how about when they decide to sell off. One such property is the corner lot located at Thomas Dolan and Dunrobin Road. The lot was the former location of Younghusband’s store and gas bar. 

The city purchased the land in order to widen the parkway. The lot sat as an eyesore, unkept until the former president of the Dunrobin Community Association (DCA) approached the city to start cutting the grass. The Dunrobin and District Women’s Institute (WI) with the help of the DCA put up a Christmas tree in 2016. In 2017, we received permission to plant a tree and have hosted a tree lighting event annually, since then.

The WI did meet with city staff, the former Ward 5 councillor and DCA president requesting the lot be rezoned to parkland; the lot is usually referred to as a greenspace – but the city is clear it is a commercial lot, and the use has been restricted due to the contamination from gas tanks. The city has been monitoring the contamination level.

Coun. Clarke Kelly, at our request inquired as to the status of the contamination and was told the city intended to accelerate the decontamination of the lot and put it up for sale as a commercial lot. The city’s position has always been it is a commercial lot.

It has been the opinion of our WI membership and many locals it should be rezoned to parkland. The site has historical significance in the history of Dunrobin; it is the entrance to our town; and it survived the tornado.

Since it is not classified as parkland, we do not qualify for any grant monies to maintain or enhance the site. The West Carleton Warrior hockey team donated funds and had three spruce and a maple planted; the WI continues to plant and maintain the site either with donations of plants or through fundraising.

Watering during drought times have been through donation by two local construction companies and we are proud to say the owners are active members of our institute. Coun. Kelly was advised the city’s Parks and Recreation Department have deemed there is not a need for a park at that location. This, in my opinion, is adding insult to injury when the city staff are well aware that the hope for park status has never diminished.

Again, throughout the Rural Summit exercise, we heard continuously rural residents would have a stronger voice and opportunity for input. Seems like not much has changed! I would like to see the residents, the community of Dunrobin, get a say in what happens on that lot. Call it a greenspace, passive parkland, make it a subject of a town hall meeting and let the community decide it’s fate.

So, back to the purchase of the land on Ferry Road. Question: Before, the city could rezone the property, would they have to adhere to the same process as any other landowner? I think the city should in fact, be purchasing land for future use, but the needs of Ward 5 is a land base to accommodate affordable housing. Again, land use planning, town hall meeting, engaging the community at the planning stage ‘ not after the fact.

Pam Smith-Hlady,
Dunrobin.