February 2022 IPTRA Newsletter

Mon, Feb 21, 2022 10:21 PM

The last I wrote was before Omicron took another Christmas, before the January Covid restrictions, before the Occupation,

I'm no closer to announcing any activities than I was last time I wrote. Maybe next month.

And in the meantime, here's what's come across my threshold (both figurative and literal) affecting Island Park Towers:

Noise Complaints: the renovations are ongoing and will be for a very long time. Unfortunately, each time an apartment becomes vacant, it gets renovated, creating noise for those near and not so nearby, so people move out because of the constant noise, creating more vacancy and more construction.  As well, there are a lot of projects coming up that will be noisy. Invest in noise cancelling headphones.

Development of 210 Clearview Long before some of you were born, 210 Clearview was to be built. This lot where the outdoor parking lot for 200 currently is located.

Rezoning was necessary when the city's green corridor program took away the use of the hydro corridor to be used for parking. The link has some details on the zoning for a 79 unit building from 2001. I have no idea why development didn't go forward but that lot is part of what made this complex so valuable.

https://app06.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2001/12-12/pdc/ACS2001-DEV-APR-0271.htm

Late last year, surveyors were spotted surveying the lot.

Daniel Stringer of the tenant's association has vowed to fight this. For now, I wait to see what this is.

Westboro Beach Community Association - I was invited to join the board of the WBCA at the annual meeting in December, representing Island Park Towers. The WBCA is very active and it is hoped that we can develop stronger ties and sense of community. Already, 210 Clearview is on the radar of their Committee of Adjustment subcommittee. They were active in the original rezoning of that property. In the future these newsletters will include upcoming events they are doing.

Garden Sharing Q&A: February 24th   One of the things WBCA is trying to do is set up Garden Sharing.  Simply put, it's a partnership between an owner of a property and a gardener who wishes to use the property for gardening. Like all partnerships it requires communication, trust, flexibility, and a belief in the goal of the partnership.

Are you someone who misses gardening and would love to outside and garden once again? Here's your opportunity to connect and collaborate with others in your neighbourhood.

To learn more, check out this link which has links to both the event and to blogs on the topic.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/garden-sharing-network-westboro-qa-tickets-271313133887

Tenant Support Request Form: After the dumpster fire in the parking lot at 195, I got some requests about what to do if you can't manage to walk down the stairs in case of a fire. Homestead has a form for this exact situation called the Tenant Support Request Form. You fill that in and it is kept with emergency plan and if an evacuation is necessary, the information is there for the fire department. If you haven't already filled in the form (it came in one of the piles of papers Homestead sent around last fall), please call Veniessa at the office and she'll get you a form.

Island Park Towers Facebook Group:  This has been the most active part of IPTRA since the pandemic started. It is a place for sharing news, venting, making offers, or looking for help.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/IPTRA

It is often the fastest way to find out if you are the only person without heat or water, or what that noise is. It isn't always renovations! Unfortunately another catalytic converter has been stolen from a car in the outdoor parking lot so if there's a way of making your car a less attractive target, it may be worth your time and money to do so.

LED light fixtures: The residents in 185 are receiving new light fixtures, not just in the renovated apartments. This energy saving program is being met with mixed reactions. The bone of contention is the brightness and warmth of the lights along with the size of the dining room fixture which is not to scale. If you already have installed your own light in the dining room, note that only those that have LED bulbs in them are acceptable so you will need to purchase bulbs to fit your fixture if this program moves on to the other buildings. On the plus side, the garbage rooms in 185 are now on an automatic switch so turn off when not being used.

Removal of the Sharing Shelves: The shelves in the garage at 185/195 have been removed. Originally they were to put what you were carrying down on while unlocking the door from the garage to the hall. Those locks were removed at some point and the shelves were then used for giveaway items to stop things from being left in the recycle rooms or on the lobby tables. Many of us have picked up serendipitous treasures on the way and the shelves are a wonderful way to keep items from landfill.

I will be talking to management about an alternative. In the meantime, I'm looking for anyone who has experience with running a Buy Nothing Group to see if that would be feasible here at IPT. If you can share your experience with the management of such a group, or better yet are willing to run the group, please contact me.

That's it for this missive. I look forward to spring and the hope that we'll be able to gather in person once more.

...Kathryn Holman

(sent out by email)