Report: Workshop on Rockcliffe Airbase Community Design Alternatives
On Saturday 25 May, Canada Lands Company hosted an Open House and all-day Workshop to present and receive public comment on the various approaches taken in three Preliminary Alternative Design Concepts for the Rockcliffe Airbase.
The Alternatives presented are preliminary, for discussion only, and have not been endorsed by the City of Ottawa or other key Stakeholders in the design process.
Each alternative showed optional (but generally differing) road alignments, housing type mixes, spaces for schools, green space allocations and natural areas being protected. The Workshop participants were then asked to discuss and summarize key points on how well each design concept met expectations for
- Urban lifestyles
- Natural and man-made spaces
- Moving into, around, and out of the community,and
- The overall designs.
Workshop findings were recorded on flip-charts for the proponent’s records, and presented to the Workshop audience as a whole.
Who took part in the Workshop?
The active participants included interested members of the Ottawa community, including representatives from interest groups such as community housing, and some members of the project’s Public Advisory Group (who are also community association representatives).
Other participants were the Project Team (as observers) and other interested professionals including project consultants, City of Ottawa staff, and Canada Lands Company personnel.
The event was engaging, interesting, and even fun. A lot of good public comment went on record, specifically of what design elements were liked, disliked, and what we would like to see more of.
Feedback from the 25 May event will form part of the information used in formulating a preferred design plan for the community.
Other input to the preferred plan will include further technical analyses, information generated from required studies, and information from detailed reviews by the Technical Advisory Committee, Affected City Departments, and other Stakeholder agencies.
To see a copy of the three design alternatives presented by CLC on 25 May, come to the Community Potluck Picnic on Saturday, 1 June 2013 at 5pm in Birdland Park. Comments can be made through the project website at www.clcrockcliffe.ca .