ASH in action

Jan Finlay

Notes from the Sandy Hill community association’s November meeting

A friendly reminder: The ASH Board holds an “Open House” from 6:30 to 7 p.m. prior to each board meeting at the Sandy Hill Community Centre, Somerset East at Sweetland—last Monday of each month (except July and December). Please come and have some one-on-one time with Board members to discuss issues specific to you or your street.

The Block Rep report noted traffic issues on Goulburn, specifically the intersection of Goulburn and Templeton. Susan Young has been in touch with the City regarding the concerns.

Bylaw enforcement: Larry Newman and Bylaw Enforcement Manager Jennifer Therkelson met to discuss ongoing issues and how they will be addressed in the coming weeks. The new bylaw states that only green composting bins can be stored and visible at the front of the house. All garbage, black, and blue bins must be stored in the rear yard.

Membership: Several ASH Board members and Nicole Girard conducted a membership drive on Russell and Sweetland, between Mann and Osgoode, Nov 25 between 4 and 6 p.m. The drive resulted in 10 new memberships and lots of information gathered. Residents shared comments both positive and negative. Sandy Hillers with soon-to-expire ASH memberships will receive a personal email reminding them to renew. Renewal via the ASH website is quick and easy and you can pay using PayPal.

Councillor Fleury`s report: Changes are coming to the Laurier-Nicholas/Waller intersections. There was a public presentation held on November 28. More information can be found on the City of Ottawa website under the Albert and Slater Streets Functional Design Study.

There will be a review of bus routes in 2018. Route 12 is at capacity right now.

The Councillor will be bringing the topic of snow clearing of Sandy Hill streets to the Transportation committee to request that streets like Somerset, Cumberland, and Nelson have well-ploughed sidewalks due to the increased pedestrian traffic.

There was a brief discussion regarding the upcoming reconstruction of Range Road between Mann and Somerset. Meetings with residents will be held this winter to hear concerns and suggestions.

R4 zoning review: Dec 5 the Board will be meeting with David Wise who will be making a presentation and will discuss the current status of the R4 review consultation.

One and Only Craft Fair was deemed a success in spite of the weather. It is the first time ASH has organized the event.

Winter Carnival: Christine Aubry will manage the Winter Carnival again. It will be on January 28 from 2 to 6 p.m. Christine is still looking for volunteers to help prior to and on the day of the carnival. If you can help, Christine can be reached at caubryhome@gmail.com.

A recent addition to the garbage bylaw directs owners to store garbage and recyclables so that they are not visible from the street. In winter the extra burden of shovelling a path from the storage location to the street may be impossible for some people, such as the elderly and disabled. Action Sandy Hill directors cannot volunteer to shovel snow but we will try to match residents who need help with those who are willing to provide this snow clearing service. Do you know someone who is interested in providing this important neighbourhood service? ASH will also happily accept information about web sites or physical bulletin boards in which this request can be published. Write to info@ASH-ACS. — Larry Newman