The Wellington Village Community Association (WVCA) is a volunteer, non-profit community group of local residents that represents over 1,500 households in our neighbourhood.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

WVCA response to May 21 Ottawa Citizen article

Your May 21 article, "No road will cut through Byron linear park"

gives the impression that Councillor Hobbs is withdrawing her support for the Byron cut because she believes that the wider community would prefer to see the park preserved at the expense of the residents of Shannon Avenue. The Board of the Wellington Village Community Association would like to point out that no such view was presented to the Councillor at our Association's annual general meeting on May 17.

At the meeting, WVCA members expressed their concern and sympathy for the plight of Shannon residents as well as an opposition to the proposed cut through the Byron Park, which was sprung on the community with limited notice. Our members also expressed their frustration with the process to date. The clear sentiment was that the interests of local residents and the broader community appear to have carried little weight in decision-making by the City.

Above all else, the WVCA Board believes that residents should not be pitted one against another when we all have the best interests of the community in mind. We would much prefer to see attention focused on exploring alternative solutions that are respectful of local residents and of the Community Design Plans that citizens and the City have invested so heavily in developing - including staff time and taxpayer dollars. In fact, a number of options worthy of further consideration were raised at our meeting.

The WVCA Board agrees with the decision to remove the issue from the May 24 Planning Committee agenda in order to allow for a clear understanding of the facts, the consideration of alternatives and broader community consultation.

THE WELLINGTON VILLAGE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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