At the New Edinburgh Community Alliance’s (NECA’s) annual general meeting on Oct. 27, 2022, board members and residents will be discussing the following motion concerning the proposal for a pilot project to close a small portion of Stanley Avenue near the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse (203 Stanley Ave.) to create space for additional public amenities.
If you would like to share your thoughts on this proposal, please join NECA on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. either at the Fieldhouse (203 Stanley Ave.) or online, as the meeting will be in a hybrid format.
Motion to provide the basis for discussion with the City of Ottawa about the Terms of Reference for a Pilot Project on Stanley Avenue
Whereas policy 3–4 of the draft Transportation Master Plan update prescribes “pilot street designs that function as ‘places'” and “seasonal repurposing of streets for place-making activities” whereby streets that border parks are among the most appropriate; and
Whereas the New Edinburgh Community Alliance (NECA) and the Crichton Community Council (CCC) wish to enhance the use of New Edinburgh Park for use by the community; and
Whereas Stanley Avenue between River Lane and the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse is non-essential from a motor vehicle through traffic perspective; and
Whereas the public space of New Edinburgh Park between the Rideau River and Stanley Avenue between Dufferin Road and the Fieldhouse is very narrow, thereby compressing the intensive recreational uses and natural functions of the vegetated landscape;
Therefore be it resolved that NECA in collaboration with CCC solicit the City of Ottawa to launch a two- to four-month trial of repurposing a segment of Stanley Avenue in front of the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse for place-making such that
- place-making is realized with amenities for public use added onto the repurposed road segment during the trial period. Examples of desired (none in particular are required) amenities are:
- seating
- planter boxes with community volunteer installed/maintained vegetation or otherwise
- art, cultural, or educational based installation(s)
- game or activity-based installation(s)
- food and beverage service(s)
- only emergency, park maintenance and other such authorized motor vehicles are permitted to drive through the repurposed road segment during the trial period
- on-street parking availability is maintained for users of the Fieldhouse and surrounding public space; and
be it further resolved that the CCC in collaboration with NECA work with the City of Ottawa to activate the repurposed portion of Stanley Avenue with community programming and events; and
be it further resolved that during and upon completion of the pilot, NECA, CCC and the City jointly assess the degree to which the roadway’s closure to motorized through traffic impacts
- the usage and user satisfaction of New Edinburgh Park and the Fieldhouse
- the volume of interprovincial and other motorized traffic cutting through New Edinburgh
- traffic elsewhere in the neighbourhood, e.g., along Crichton Street, River Lane or MacKay Street
- parking availability
- the neighbouring community