http://www.emcbarrhaven.ca/20110929/...rchard+Estates
Possible church worries Orchard Estates
Posted Sep 29, 2011 By Steph Willems
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Steph Willems, Nepean
Barrhaven EMC
EMC News - Residents of the Orchard Estates neighbourhood in western Barrhaven are concerned what a rezoning amendment submitted by a developer will mean for their neighbourhood.
DCR Phoenix is requesting a change in permitted use for a portion of 4401 Fallowfield Road to include a place of worship. The land in question, bordered by Strandherd Drive to the south, O'Keefe Court to the north, and Highway 416 and Fallowfield Road on either end, has been zoned Prestige Business Park for years.
In the past the developer had sought to change the land useage to accommodate residential development, but this request was declined by the city. In 2009 a warehouse proposal was also rejected.
With the Salvation Army listed as the likely occupant of the site, residents were encouraged to give feedback on what they thought of the proposal at a Barrhaven open house held at the Walter Baker Centre last week.
Several residents of Orchard Estates who lived near the site voiced their opposition to the proposed zoning amendment, citing traffic and noise concerns. O'Keefe terminates at a dead end near Lytle Park and the 416 and represents the southernmost of the two access points to the community (Cedarview Road being the other).
The worry is that traffic will increase not just on O'Keefe, but also on Foxtail Ave and Spring Cress Dr., which connects to Cedarview north of the intersection with Fallowfield Rd. Having different uses on the site would also increase off-hours traffic.
"(Access) to business parks are typically around daytime business hours, while a religious place of worship implies off hours and weekends - as well as big events," said nearby resident Paul Rachniowski. "It sets the tone for the entire property. My position and the community's is that the city should exercise some vision and promote a higher end vision for the park...instead of building more of the same."
He added, "it's not about the volume - this (land) was always going to be developed at some point," saying it was the timing of the traffic that concerned him.
A nearby resident who wanted to go by the name Helen agreed with Rachniowski, saying, "when you get 200 cars leaving (the site), you know they're going to back up from the highway (416) on their way home - they're going to cut through Orchard View to get to the 416 (via Cedarview), it's faster than going around....that's our concern, that the traffic and noise is going to be higher the more uses you permit (on the site)."
In the past, residents sought to have a separate access point onto the site considered for business park users, but Barrhaven ward Coun. Jan Harder told the EMC this option doesn't seem possible given the dimensions of the property and proximity to major intersections.
"There isn't the room because of the access to the 416 - the ramp is a long ramp and it needs to be that because of the volume of traffic, the queuing factor and the type of traffic," said Coun. Harder, adding archived minutes show staff stating to residents that every attempt would be made to design a different access point for business park traffic.
"It clearly shows every attempt would be made to not use O'Keefe, but every attempt has been looked at."
The parcel of land has carried the Prestige Business Park designation since the creation of the City of Ottawa, and before that it was slated for high-tech sector development.
"In the (Nepean) Secondary Plan, Nortel was going to be across the street - it owned 100 acres, and it was going to be an IT park," said Coun. Harder.
"You (have to) come up with something that works for the time you're moving towards - which doesn't mean I'm saying 'give away the farm and change the use from prestige.'"
"I fought and that community fought very hard against the Frito Lay plant that wanted to go there - that wouldn't be appropriate. But I look at the Salvation Army as being a place that will be able to minimize parking at other uses within it that are daytime uses, (resulting in) more green space and that kind of thing."
swillems@theemc.ca